“The clean plate club”

It’s been a lifelong aspiration of mine. My dad instilled this in me along with many other “good qualities” that I often find myself obsessing over. It’s all been ingrained in me  for as long as I can remember. Clean your plate, oh, and don’t ever be late, not ever.

And it’s been an unachievable goal of mine. Not necessarily a clean plate (sadly, that’s not so challenging for me), but to get everything done. Check each and every to-do box off. That’s when I can finally sit down and relax and think yep, I’m done. But really, that only happens when you die. It’s an unobtainable goal.

My plate is full. Arguably too full. I know I need to figure out what I “really want” (I have no idea other than painting and creating, which I am a bit obsessed with). I need to prioritize and focus only on things that support that goal, whatever it is?

But that’s not how it works, at least not for me. I need to support my art “habit” plus put my third child through college with enough money left over to do some of the “someday” things I’ve always wanted to do, because “someday” has arrived, and I don’t want to miss out. Yes, I am planning a trip to Italy with friends in the fall and I can’t wait!!

The question is, where do I focus my precious time when there are only so many hours in the day, and so very, very many fun things on my never-ending “to-do” list? Plus all of the unfun (yes, in my dictionary, that’s a word :) things like bookkeeping, taxes, laundry, cleaning

So, help me out with this. Where should I focus my energy?

Definitely on painting, because that’s where this all started, right? But I also enjoy teaching. Sharing my love of painting with the added bonus of making new friends. Artists make the most amazing friends and that’s how I know so many of you! There’s in-person workshops like the one I have coming up in Connecticut in May (https://www.artistsrising.net/kim-myers-smith). Will you be joining me? One that I am thinking of co-teaching with my friend Beth Bathe (https://www.bethbathe.com/) which would be super fun, and perhaps one in France next spring (https://perigord-retreats.com/), how fun would that be? 

And then there’s my online course, Art in Bloom, (sign up here if you’d like to be on the wait list for this: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/61132690b0990f6015c071f4. I know many people are thinking of doing it. When would be a good time? Maybe April? I’d better get planning for that. I loved making the course but really don’t enjoy the necessary evil of marketing it, that part exhausts me. 

Then there’s my wonderful membership group, Inspiring Art Collective, which I am really enjoying. I need to work on the next sessions of exploring reds and then doing a red cardinal painting demo. These sessions are usually in the zoom format which I love because we can all chat. One fun perk of these crazy times!

Oh, wait, but there’s a 100 day challenge coming up, how fun does that sound? I’d love to do that, but maybe that should go on my “someday” list?

Because I have a show at Red Raven Art Company (https://redravenartcompany.com/) in downtown Lancaster in March that I need to get ready for, plus I need work for a new gallery that is just opening up in Alexandria, VA. And I need to paint for Square Pear Gallery (https://www.squarepeargallery.com/). Have you been there?

And then there’s the outdoor art shows that I’m in the midst of applying to. So I really need to keep painting just in case I get accepted to some (or many) of the shows. These show are lots of work, especially for novices like me, but I love meeting new friends and collectors and it’s the best reward ever when one of my paintings finds the perfect home. There’s nothing better!

And I’m not even listing what’s on my plate for my “real” job (https://www.tcgad.com/)… I’ve got some fun things going on there, too. Logos, an annual report, a catalog…

So this weekend we are going on a ski trip. And now that my kids are grown, I don’t actually need to ski and have earned my place in a warm, cozy chair in the ski lodge where I can plan, think, maybe work on my website, do some watercolor in my sketchbook, work on social media…or, as someone mentioned during my Wednesday morning Instagram live painting demo, what about a glass of wine and a good book?

Wait. Can I do that? Really?

One thing I have learned along the way is that if I try to slow down and listen, what I need is right in front of me. So in my mastermind group of fabulous fellow artists where we support each other through our creative journeys, someone motioned a book called “do nothing.” So I bought it. Yep, a glass of wine and book sounds amazing…I’ll let you know how it is…

So, sorry for this “brain dump” as they call it. Being an artist isn’t easy, it’s a lot of crazy balls to keep in the air, and my plate will never be clean, but I wouldn’t want it any other way…

(Ps. 6:00 am, and this is written, now it’s time to hop on the computer and get this published and then start my day...)