On Creativity and Self-Portrait Tuesday

Beyond finishing my AQ Web Ring swap postcards, I've been very uncreative lately. Over the years, I've learned that's typical for me. I tend to be cyclical in my artwork, spending weeks working on piece after piece, hardly leaving the studio, and then spending weeks when I might as well say "Studio? What studio??" I should be used to it by now. I guess I am used to it in the sense that I know to expect it, and I know that somewhere inside I'm "refueling" for the next creative binge. But I've never learned to really like my all-or-nothing approach to creativity. I feel a twinge of envy for those who seem able to work steadily instead of swinging back and forth between massive obsession and a complete lack of interest. I've even tried a few times to train myself into a different pattern - forcing myself to work on things when my natural inclination is to be in Downtime Mode. It never works out well. So I guess I need to work on appreciating my own rhythms instead. Dammit. Life lessons are a bitch. Anyway, since I have no new fabric or paper works to share, I thought I'd jump on the Self-Portrait Tuesday bandwagon. I like the theme this month, which is Body Parts. "Strength" I don't know if you can see it well enough in the photo (kinda doubt it!) but the mug I'm holding - one of my favorites! - is the Tarot card Strength from my friend Sally Anne's soon-to-be-self-published deck. I've been having trouble with my right wrist lately (too much time on this 'puter!) and am wearing a brace when I type. Somehow the contrast between my braced right hand and my big, sassy Strength mug caught my eye this morning. "Inspiration" A fragment of my face in front of my Inspiration Board, which is right next to the computer desk. That's where I put postcards, photos, etc, that catch my eye and inspire me. ("catch my eye"...geddit, geddit? Snort!) "Inspiration 2: Stripped of Color" Just wanted to see what the above photo would look like with line and value emphasized instead of color. Finally I wanted to share a link that was posted on a the Kentucky Heritage Quilt Society list: QAK Show at ArtSpace, Berea, Kentucky I didn't go to this show, so I know nothing more than what's posted there, but I wish now that I'd made the drive down to the gallery. There was some very good work, as well as some I found pretty derivative. (See if you can spot the quilt I am mentally calling "The Love Child Of Melody Johnson and Jane Sassaman".) Ok, I must drag myself off this thing now to do, um, something...