Purple Weeds, 2007, Oil on Panel, 6x8Kesha left a comment the other day, aghast at the possibility that I could possibly be a morning person.
I'd like to assure everyone that I am not a natural morning person at all. In college, I thrived on all nighters, and rarely went to bed before 3 am. I hardly ever began any work in my studio before 11pm and I still have fond memories of how creative I was between those incredibly surreal hours of 3-5am. Of course I slept later than I can now, and most of my classes began later in the days with a few notable (and painful exceptions). One thing I did learn from all of this late night activity, was to never use an x-acto knife after midnight. The possibility of losing a finger or a good chunk of skin really goes up when using tools with blades late at night. Just so you know.
Although I have long ago ended the all nighters, up until we moved to NY four years ago, I tended to be up late (midnight or so) and sleep in just a bit in the morning (7 or 8am). But we moved here and for some reason I began to just wake up at 6am. The kid's bus comes at 7:30am and I like to have a shower before I have to get them up. The pets need food, the dogs need to be released from their crates and the chickens are waiting for their food. And then I have to use the time that the kids are at school effectively (not that I always do) and so I have no choice anymore but to jump up every morning and be fully functioning within minutes.
So I do it, but it is under duress. And I suspect that working and functioning against my nature is why I am often so dang tired by late afternoon. And to really seal the deal, I seldom go to sleep before 11pm and I absolutely cannot sleep past 7am, even if I don't HAVE to get up. Crap. Plus I find myself trying to schedule things for the morning, when I have more energy.
Double crap.
8 comments:
hi tracy,
so much to respond to. i've been keeping up with your writings as much as i can. sporadically, my own posts are limited. the school year is off and running and so am i!.
morning person... me neither. but same here, i get up @ 6 am in order to be out the door and functioning by 7:45.
but i've found that i love mornings. especially the light. its an ongoing show through the year.
i love the work you've been posting. makes my fingers itch to paint. i'm working a few nights a week reserved as studio time.
the figure studies are good!
You absolutely ::must:: investigate the miracle of the Nap. 15 or 20 minutes before the first bus comes home is the answer to a night person's dilemma.
Hi Mary Ann, so you know how it feels.. You are right about the light, almost makes it worthwhile being up so early:)
Anonymous, oh you make me cry. More than anything I would like a nap, even a short one, during the day. And once in a blue moon, I do. However, no matter how short it is, it messes me up later on and I can't fall asleep before 1am, which really causes problems the next morning, when I must function at 6am. I do confess to the occasional nap on the weekend though, even if it does cause problems.
Wow, these are fantastic, like a mix of Rothko and Kahn, great simplicity and composition. With in your face beautiful color!
*cracking up*
ahh, yes the early morning wake up so that I can function by the time the kids need to be functioning... I totally understand. I wish I could nap like my husband does, 15 minutes and he's new man, it takes me a half hour to fall asleep and then I'm all screwed up anyway...
I love seeing your work at the top of each post, thank you for sharing!
Oh wow, Stephen, two of my favorites in the same comment, AND referring to my work?! Well, wow is all I can say. And thanks. I'm a new fan of your work, and I am thinking Hopper for yours:)
Kesha, glad to make you laugh. You must be a night person:)
Natalya, ahhh, a fellow mom who gets messed up by a nap too. And my husband can sleep anywhere, anytime, so unfair!
Thanks, The nice thing about being grandparents is you get to stay up late and still sleep in, always have been a night person, the discussion on male female models was interesting. I have always enjoyed the female model more too, women are curves and men lumps. Just more pleasing, really like your work.
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