Learning to relax

I’m bummed so far less than a handful of people are taking a chance on my free art. Alas, perhaps this is the life of a struggling artist. I suspect it’s more of the case: cannabis – they’re just not into you. Please be patient. Next on the docket: Art Chokes.

Maybe because I live in the West Coast bubble, I forget cannabis isn’t widely accepted. Not gonna decorate your house with it. Using cannabis wisely is part of our lifestyle. Not everyone’s, for sure. If I want to give away cannabis art, I suspect I’ll have to cast a wider net.

What’s the alternative to giving it away? I’m a beginning crafter, so I have no illusions about making any money. But I’ve discovered making art (or something like it) relaxes me. My sweet Dale set up a CD player and speakers for me out in the garage, where I’ve been working. I hung a pretty wind chime that’s too loud for the yard.

Writing is as good a hobby as any, but I can’t write and listen to music. Working on craft projects and amping up the tunes is bliss. Long-term plan is to keep pursuing all creative endeavors. Add that to cooking, walking and golf – and my retirement dance card is filling up quickly.

I have a few tiles completed. I’m getting better at the image transfer process and have been scoping out thrift shops for other potential substrates. So far, I bought an old wooden cutting board and a metal tray. Prices vary considerably among the stores – I thought Goodwill was the most expensive of the bunch.

Looks like I’m not going to stop, so what do I do with all this stuff? I know there are artists and crafters out there who create all the time. Any ideas?

As to the value of all this, I’ve always been a wound-up person. Dale said yesterday he has seen a huge change in me since I retired. I’m way more relaxed about everything. It’s true, and I sometimes wonder if my former colleagues would read about my life and feel sorry for me. Oh, Donna, not the power player. Writing that bloggy thing! Doing crafts! Smoking pot!

Yes, happily. I’m proud to have worked hard for a living, and I am exceedingly grateful to have made enough and saved enough money to quit. Once you have enough to get by without a job, time becomes more important than money or stuff.

I still have a long way to go. My temper flares over stupid things. Dale said, well, yeah, but consider how long you worked in that pressure cooker. You’ve only been retired a year and a half, and look how far you’ve come. Give it time.

Is he the Yin to my Yang, or is it the other way around?

4 thoughts on “Learning to relax”

  1. Donna – I did like your tile. But as you suspected, I’m not crazy about decorating my house with something that says cannabis. Not that I have anything against it. It just isn’t me nor would I expect my husband or my friends (well, maybe some would like it) to appreciate it. I’m in the good ole Midwest where it isn’t yet as accepted. Maybe sometime? So keep making your art and I think you’ll find your audience.

    1. I totally get it. And you are right — it just takes time to connect with that segment of my audience. Thank you for reading my blog and wading through the cannabis content.

  2. Well first let me say that i live in colorado and I have used marijuana on a daily basis at points, and I have a good friend with crohn’s who grows his own and makes his own smoothies. But i would still not decorate my house with it, so it’s not just not using the stuff. As to crafting and artistry specifically? First, I make what I like, for me to use, in my house. Then I give it to family and friends if I know it fits their tasts. Third, I give it to charity (yes, even if it’s real art. For other people to use) and then on occasion I sell it. But again, first i make what I like, for me, and my house and my body. As for whther you are qualified to sell, who knows? You might wander over to etsy and see what happens if you type in cannabis or cbd and such. You may be very surprised. Writing is great but working with your hands, and getting better at whatever craft you go is also very good for the brain!

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