January 26, 2019

MORE #dailycreating

My husband had a heart attack last week. Even though he's had three stents put in so far, and is supposedly fine, he still needs another 80% blockage fixed in a few weeks. He's not worried. I am. That's my special talent. Worrying.

Worrying is very disruptive to life and living. 

Since that happened, I haven't been quite myself. Usually a stressful situation calls for Creative Therapy, which benefits me wholeheartedly (excuse the pun). Going down to my Creation Station is more annoying now than comforting. The same with my Gelli printing.  I hope that changes.

The only thing that I am able to keep up with is my daily drawing. I am part of Terry Runyan's Daily Creating Group on Facebook. The night of the heart attack, I was too drained to do my daily prompt. But, that's the only night I've missed. I do find comfort and satisfaction in struggling with these daily drawings.

Drawing was once my forte. Not any more. It's like I have had to start my 10,000 hours all over again. So, it's practice, practice, practice.

Following you will find eight of the drawings I've done since late December. Having started this daily creating in late August, I'd shared with you a few of my beginning drawings here. Take a gander, and see if I've improved at all since beginning.

By the way, for colored drawings, I use Copic Sketch Markers exclusively. I am really going through the ink! Before each picture, I will give the prompt for that drawing. 

Terry Runyan, the person who started this wonderful group, gives us a week's worth of prompts each Sunday. The prompts are optional. She just wants to encourage us to do something creative each day. I follow the prompts religiously. Terry usually has Wednesdays as "Thing on Thing" day. Use your imagination! Also, she had started out every Saturday as "Caturday". A little while ago, she changed the Saturday prompt to "Caturday/Dogurday". 

I am an avid lover of cats. But, lately I've been opting to use Saturdays as Dogurday. That will explain the strange prompt for the first of these drawings.

Here goes:
#dogurday

#sledding

#party

#thingonthing

#houseplant

#penguin

#polkadots

#giraffe

I need to apologize for the poor quality of these photographs. The sketchbook that I am currently working in contains paper of not very great quality. It IS white, but always photographs somewhat grayish.

One of the banes of my artistic existence is the fact that I have no imagination. All the imagination in the family went to my daughter, Emily Balsley, an illustrator who lives in Madison. Nope. I have no imagination whatsoever. I need to constantly work from some sort of reference. Grrrr.

I hope my desire and muse for cardmaking returns. I've made a few cards since that yukky day last week, but I am not satisfied with any of them. Keep your fingers crossed for me that my card muse returns -- and quickly! I have a workshop coming up in February.

When I finish this blog post, I am off to draw #lamp/lamps. 

Are you a big worrier? Worrying is one of the things that I am a pro at. Not that I'm proud of having to admit that. I just can't help it. It doesn't improve a situation any. In fact, it definitely is detrimental to my emotional health. But, there it is. Me = worry wart.

The Fine Print: Please respect that these are my personal drawings and not meant for any type of use by anyone but myself. Thank you!

Drawn
Smiles.

20 comments:

  1. Your drawings are wonderful! And I'm so sorry to hear about hubby's heart attack...prayers going your way. And oh yes, I'm a terrible worrier.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Suzy! Yeah, we worriers are a world unto ourselves, right?

      Delete
  2. I love your drawings! You are much more creative than you give yourself credit for. I know just what you are feeling, with your husband. Mine had a couple of stents placed more than 25 years ago, then two years ago had a heart attack. He ended up having a 6 vessel bypass!!! We had no idea he was so clogged, and his cardiologist explained that even though he was passing his stress treadmill tests every year, the heart compensates. I will say that after he healed from the bypass he felt so much stronger! It's kind of like cataracts...you don't realize how bad your vision is until you have the surgery, because it's so gradual. With the bypass surgery, my husband's heart was finally getting the blood (and oxygen) it had been gradually starved from, and now he feels better than he has in a very long time! The recovery from bypass surgery was rough in the beginning, but he is so glad he had it now, and so am I. Good luck. I would tell you not to worry, but you are like me, and I know you will. Hugs and prayers

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Vickie, for your nice compliment about my drawings. Thanks also for your comforting story about your husband, who, after 25 years of heart issues, is doing well. It gives me hope. Thank you!

      Delete
  3. Lovely blog Linda! Thanks you for highlighting the group. All the best with your husband’s recovery. ❤️❤️❤️

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Terry! I appreciate you and your wonderful group so much!

      Delete
  4. Your drawings are wonderful. I would be hard pushed to pick a favourite, they are so lovely. I hope you husband makes a swift recovery. I understand how in times of stress we can find it hard to craft or be creative. Having gone through a trying time myself lately I did nothing creative. It will pass though if you give it time #handmademonday

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Louisa. I hope you have come through your trying time OK. The knowledge that it will eventually pass is the great hope. Thanks for your words!

      Delete
  5. Hi this is Kristina visiting from Creative Monday. I think your drawings are great! My favorite is probably the penguins or the giraffe, but they are all cute and have their own unique style. As a fellow artist, I understand both the pain and pleasure that comes with creating. And I am so sorry about your husband. You are both in my prayers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Kristina, for your precious comment. It is so nice to have someone to commiserate with when it comes to creating. Thanks also for the prayers. They mean so much.

      Delete
  6. Wow. Just wow. You are a fantastic artist! I wish I could draw that well, maybe one day I'll have that sort of skill. I'm working on unleashing it.

    That being said, I should have started with well wishes for your hubby. Sorry, I was too stunned by the art work! I hope that by the time you come across this, they worst part is far behind you.

    Thank you for linking up at Wonderful Wednesday, I'm so thankful to be co-hosting as I get to come across posts like these! Have a wonderful everyday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Such a wonderful comment! Thank you thank you! I feel so down on myself so often when it comes to my creative endeavors, that I so appreciate such an awesome affirmation. Thank you also for the well wishes for Pat, my husband. You made my day! Thanks again!

      Delete
  7. I am also a worrier, so I don't blame you at all! But prayers for your husband! Your work is beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with us. Hang in there through it all.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm so sorry for your worry! I do worry sometimes too, but I find thinking and praying on Philippians 4:6-7 (in the Bible) is so helpful. If you know Him, you may find it helpful also:

    "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

    Blessings,
    Babychaser
    mamasbrush.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your drawings are extraordinary! Beautiful! I'm also a painter, but not so talented... Don't worry too much about your husband's problem: medicine is very advanced and nowadays it's not a big problem for doctors. They do amazing things! It's the disease of the century...
    I will pray for you...
    Big hugs from Portugal 😘

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh my! Thank you for your lovely comment, Maria Eugenia! Your encouraging words made me smile.

      Delete
  10. Praying for a speedy recovery for your husband and God's comfort during this time for you. Your drawings are adorable. Especially, the doggy! Thanks for sharing on Sunday's Best.

    ReplyDelete