Death To Creative Process

Dearest Alex,

Today has been one of those days...

Usually on weekdays I'm alone all day and can work in peace; well, do to certain circumstances that are too private to mention here (but I'm sure you being all-knowing know all about them anyway), a person I love dearly was with me today and she needed help.

It was nothing major, but still it was an interruption, then another interruption, then another...  This is death to creative process.  I can handle interruptions no problems when I'm cleaning-up, or painting, etc.  However, when I am looking at a blank piece of paper, surrounded by bunch of reference photos, having to invent an entire scene out of my head (using those photos, but not copying them)--I NEED PEACE and I NEED QUIET--ABSOLUTE DEAD SILENCE.

Instead what I got was phones ringing, feet shuffling here and there, interruptions, interruptions, interruptions...

Why is it that non-artists can't seem to understand that drawing is work?  Just because I work from home, dressed in my comfortable clothes, does not mean that I'm not "at work".  If I worked in an office, no one would ever dream of interrupting me while I was working.  During a break, sure, fine, but not while I was working!

So, all you non-artists out there, when an artist is drawing, or even when an artist is not drawing but has that blank look on their face (this means they are in another world and you should not try to call them back), DO NOT interrupt.  Do not say hi, do not make your presence known, do not even step into their line of vision.

There I was, trying to figure out owl anatomy, tracing the scapula connection to the wing bone, wondering what the structure is under all those feathers when I hear: "Oh, Mili, can you come here for a second.  I need your help ("HOLD ON" I yell, trying to place that line just right.) with this computer.  Why is it not working?  Do you know ("I SAID: HOLD ON!"  Now if this is the chest area, and the head connects like...) what to do?  It's the computer, there is something wrong.  Why is (Ah, forget it.  "I'M COMING!!!")...

Despite interruptions, I somehow managed to rough out my owls, but by the time I did that it was lunchtime.

                                          (my "good" rough sketch of the owls: sketch # 5
                                            I roughed out the drawing in col-erase pencil,
                                            then I added details with a pen.  I scanned the purple-
                                            blue rough and turned it Grayscale, then I sized it
                                            to 11 x 16--to fit my layout paper)

After lunch, I had to go out.  I got some fresh air, which is always a bonus for an artist.  However, by the time I got back it was 4 pm.  By the time I had a snack and removed makeup from my face: 5 pm.

I'm one of those rare morning people.  This means that as soon as the sun goes down my brain becomes foggy and I'm pretty much useless.  After 5 pm all I can do is "monkey" work--work not requiring much effort--work a "monkey" can do.  That's what I did.  I took my "good" rough sketch and scanned and sized it, so that tomorrow when my mind is clear and creative juices are flowing again I can develop it into a good rough drawing.

Now, I think I'll go dance and do some bike riding to at least make an attempt at keeping fit, before turning in early.

Later!

M