Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Oh Wait...I AM living my Dream Life!!!!! An Artist's Journey with Kimberly Conrad

A few days ago I met with one of my life coaches.

Yes life coaches do need their own life coaches, at least this one does! 

 I've finally accepted with only a modicum of shame the label "Super Creative"! 

I am a Super Creative!!

 I've had well-meaning friends over the years say "just pick something... pick one thing and go with it why do you have to do everything?"

 Well I'm just not made that way...like so many of you reading this... I simply must do it all!!

Unfortunately, having my hands in so many creative endeavors means a great deal of time sitting at my desk, as most creative endeavors have a demanding administrative side.

My recent pattern has been more time on the business side and my creative soul is screaming for release !! I was whining a bit about this to her. (my coach)

 She asked what a dream day for me would be, and this is what I said ... 

 "A dream day for me as an artist, a super creative, goes something like this.... 

I'd sleep in until I was ready to wake up naturally.... no alarm clock. 

I would NOT check my email from my iphone while still in bed to see how quickly I needed to get to my desk to put out the latest fire!

I would NOT stop at my desk on the way to the kitchen, in fact on a dream day, I would NOT visit my desk at all!!

I'd mosey to the kitchen and make a perfect cappuccino, sit for a bit in my big leather chair ... have a time of prayer and meditation with a lap full of my furry friends... and then ponder for just a few moments how I'd like to spend my creative day.

The options are endless....

Maybe.... I'll drive into the city to my beautiful gallery. It's a pretty inspiring place to be and most often something magical happens when I'm there. There are other creative's in the building... maybe I'll flutter from room to room to see what they're working on. Most likely we'll end up in some cool conversation that leaves us all more inspired.






Or.... just across the hall from my gallery is my city studio. I could go in there, crank the music up and pour a great big beautiful painting..... one that somebody will certainly purchase the very next day -giggle...but REALLY!




Or.... I could choose to paint at home in my cozy basement studio with my lovely little fireplace and my furry friends curled up on their bed beside my easel.







Or.... I could sit and play my piano... see what music unfolds, what beautiful new lyrics are waiting to be written... yes I am a musician.

Or....... I can tackle my folder of my children's book manuscripts, that have been patiently waiting for years for my beloved return...yes...I write as well....yikes...in my head I said that sheepishly, almost apologetically (I guess I need some more work there... YES!!!!! IT's OKAY for me to do it all!)

Or........ I can go to a coffee shop and pen something new because every writer knows it's easier to start something new than to finish what you're stuck on. The coffee shop option I must admit doesn't have nearly as much appeal to me now that I have my own little nespresso machine.
 I make the BEST Lattes ever! Whenever my kids visit, the first thing they ask for is a Latte. The say I have ruined Starbucks for them. I digress.....




Or.........I could meet up with other super creatives and we could eat and drink wine and talk about how lucky we are and how we have the best jobs ever!! We could reminisce over our trip to Italy last year...and how we really, really DO have the BEST jobs ever.


(Some of my traveling buddies)






So many wonderful choices and no time restraints.... my dream day."

That was my answer in full!

So...I worked late into the night last night hoping for a creative day today with minimal computer time, and went to bed with every intention of driving into the city today and spending the day at my gallery. I thought I'd sit in quiet and do a little writing then run across the hall for some painting...then back to write...then back to paint...that was my creative plan.

I woke up later than usual ( because I worked into the wee hours)....to a cozy warm house and softly falling snow...



I moseyed to the kitchen, made a perfect cappuccino, sat in my big leather chair with a lap full of furry friends, listened to something inspirational, had a time of prayer and meditation.....then sat for a bit longer pondering what my creative soul wanted to do most today. I knew immediately I didn't want to drive into the city on 2 highways in the snow...it wasn't a lot of snow....just a sprinkle...but I just wasn't feeling it...and part of a dream day is the luxury of being able to totally change your mind and go in a new direction.

I decided to go to Barnes and Noble and write....

I was asked last year to contribute to a wonderful new book by a fabulous artist and though I've started a few times.... I've been dragging my feet at finishing... not because I don't want to do it... I'm thrilled to be part of this wonderful project, but I didn't want to do this in bits and pieces. I wanted to have a large block of time to just immerse myself in it, without distraction....so that's what I did today....

 And I realized as I was driving home...

 I just lived my dream day... and guess what?

 It's not over yet!! It's only 8 o'clock and I'm heading downstairs to paint!!

 TODAY, I lived one of my DREAM days!:) How lucky am I??
 It's funny I could have lived it...yet missed that I lived it!!!!

( I must confess this post did not magically appear, I did have to enlist the help of my computer...and I did send three emails today...but all in all, still pretty darn blissful!)




 Kimberly Conrad Contemporary Art Gallery
 Boarding House Studio Galleries
 220 East 7th Ave (Governor's Park)
 Denver, CO 80203 303.881.2258

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