Sketches and Snippets 23rd January 23

Hello!

Creep-crawlie Collage, ©Julia Laing, 2023

So, I’m writing this on Sunday 22nd January 2023…not used to writing 2023 yet - today might be the first time. I’m sitting at my table by the window, with a mug of strong, milky tea, a cheap black biro, and an A4 notebook, wondering what to write about after all these months. I’ve set the kitchen timer for 20 mins, and am hoping the thoughts will magically pour out my mind, through my arm, and fingers tightly gripping the pen, onto the straight blue lines of the paper. I always prefer to write longhand. Staring at a screen, my brain freezes.

Looking back my last post was in February! Why so long…? Can we just all agree that last year was shit, and move on… I was completely worn out. The arrival of Covid coincided with some major perimenopausal hormonal disruption for me (thanks universe), so after a couple of years of pandemic stress, mood swings, and bouts of bleak debilitating depression, I was mainly just wondering what the point was. It was near impossible to keep any creativity going when inside all I felt was bleh! Every aspect of life seems to have changed so much in the last three years and at times I feel left behind. But, life goes on and I’m feeling better generally and have a great deal to be thankful for. I’m trying to adapt to the world’s ‘new normal’, my body’s ‘new normal’, and am ready to make improvements so 2023 will be a happier and more fulfilling year!

Substack has also changed, while I’ve been away, but thankfully for the better. There’s now an app, which makes it much, much easier to find and follow writers you enjoy. A big HELLO to all subscribers, whether you’re reading for the first time or been around a little longer. You are all very welcome here. I’ll be writing more regularly from now on but if I’m honest, much as I’d love it to be every week, experience tells me I won’t manage that kind of consistency.

GOALS

My goals for the year are very simple:

1. To spend more time drawing and painting.

2. To spend more time face-to-face with people

And, if I can combine the two, so much the better.

Charcoal Sketchbook Drawing of Robb. ©Julia Laing, 2022

In the winter wasteland between Christmas and New Year, Robb sat a couple of hours so I could draw. The puffs of body-warmer were challenging and fun. I think I really got him in this.

Shifting gears from predominantly cute and colourful to something quite different, is awkward, especially while sharing work online. I’m embarrassed by the obvious gulf between the cheerful handmade things and the darker more melancholy drawings. But they’re both parts of me and I hope if I keep drawing and painting I’ll eventually move past the awkward stage into something I’m more confident about.

January is going well so far; I submitted my tax self-assessment in time, have been sorting out my workroom, changed the layout so I can look out the window while I work, found some time for patchwork, added a clearance SALE to my shop, and am finishing off some creepy-crawlie collages I started months ago (See top image). They still need a coat of varnish and the hanging bars added but expect a shop update sometime this week.

That’s all for this time. It took more than 20 minutes to write but setting the timer really helped me get started - it’s my top tip for combating procrastination. Try it!