I had an original art sale yesterday, so I spent the bulk of the day babysitting the sale (answering questions, managing presales, etc.) and packing paintings that sold.  I am always bubbling with nervous energy before a sale, so I channeled it into cleaning the house and doing small, mindless tasks, like sprinkling some of the shells I collected over Spring Break around the garden and patio.

 I was thinking about nervous energy before an event like this as I flitted about, and it reminded me of my days in theatre.  Nerves weren’t something to be conquered; they weren’t discouraged.  They were embraced and redirected.  I learned that the performance often felt flat if I wasn’t a little jittery beforehand.  Obviously, an art sale isn’t a live performance, but the line of thinking led me to embrace the nervous energy as excitement and evidence that I’m doing work I really care about.  It’s always a privilege in life when we get to do that.

Here are my four things for this week:  Research & Regency Fluff, The Other Bennet Sister, book-taught, and so many things.

what I’m reading

Well, there are a bunch of enablers who recommended other sweet Regency romance novels and series, so I’ve been reading a bunch of fluff and, as predicted, getting way too absorbed in novels.  I’m having to take a step back because I’m so undisciplined!  I’ve torn through a bunch of series and stand-alone novels, though, and it’s been enjoyable staying up way too late absorbed in stories.  One of my favorites has been Mischief and Manors by Ashtyn Newbold.

The rest of my reading has been relatively dry research, and I’m still listening to the Van Gogh biography on audiobook.  I’ll finish it one of these days, but I’ve been listening to music on my walks more than audiobooks lately.

what I’m watching

I was waiting for The Other Bennet Sister to become available on BritBox, and it’s finally here!  It is coming out agonizingly slowly, though, in ten 30-minute (why?!) episodes dripped out each week, so I’ve watched a couple and am trying to save a few to watch together in a longer sitting.  We’ve become so spoiled by Netflix-style season releases.  Anyway, I have really enjoyed this new perspective on Pride & Prejudice so far.  I’ve also started reading the book since it’s available on Kindle Unlimited. (Didn’t I just say I was stepping back from novels?)

what I’m loving

“I received the fundamentals of my education in school, but that was not enough.  My real education, the superstructure, the details, the true architecture, I got out of the public library.”  – Isaac Asimov @1000libraries

When people ask me whether I went to art school or am self-taught, the answer is a bit more complicated than option A or B.  Yes, I went to art school, but I have my degree in performing arts, not fine arts.  I’m also not a self-taught artist because I have learned from hundreds of other artists, primarily through reading.  So, I consider myself a book-taught artist, which usually isn’t one of the multiple-choice options offered.  Whenever I buy another art book, I view it as the latest addition to my continuing art education.

what I’m working on

Oh my goodness…so many things!  It’s been a busy couple of weeks, which is why I missed posting Four Things last week.  I was getting ready for, then doing, and recovering from The Lucketts Spring Market.  I’ve also been packing up paintings and prints to ship to collectors, painting commissions, and fitting in some personal things like caring for the newly-opened pool, working in the garden, and graduation happenings for Calvin.  (Can you believe my youngest is about to graduate from high school?!)

I knew May would be busy, and it has been.  This is my last packed week, though, and then I feel like I can get into a more relaxed rhythm of writing and painting this summer.  Hopefully.

What have you been reading, watching, loving, and working on?