• Home
  • Available work
    • Rhapsody in Bloom Exhibition
    • Orange Tulip Trio
    • Small Art
    • Sold Paintings
  • Classes
    • Your Art Dreams Matter >
      • YADM - Spreadsheet tips
    • Your Meaningful Art Collection >
      • YMAC - Online Business tools
      • YMAC - Spreadsheet tips
      • YMAC - Recordings
    • Your Abundant Art Career
    • Making Sense of Colour
    • Colour Mixing with Confidence
  • About
    • Where does my art come from within me?
    • My process
    • Blog
    • Landscape
    • FAQ
Ciel Ellis - Realist Painting
  • Home
  • Available work
    • Rhapsody in Bloom Exhibition
    • Orange Tulip Trio
    • Small Art
    • Sold Paintings
  • Classes
    • Your Art Dreams Matter >
      • YADM - Spreadsheet tips
    • Your Meaningful Art Collection >
      • YMAC - Online Business tools
      • YMAC - Spreadsheet tips
      • YMAC - Recordings
    • Your Abundant Art Career
    • Making Sense of Colour
    • Colour Mixing with Confidence
  • About
    • Where does my art come from within me?
    • My process
    • Blog
    • Landscape
    • FAQ

Blog

What does it mean to be an artist?

13/8/2021

Comments

 
Picture
This morning as my son, my husband, and the neighbours got into their vehicles to drive off to their jobs, I had a moment of gratitude to the situations that make it possible for me not to commute.

My days are my own to design and create.  As you can see from the image above, I attempt to organize my days by the tasks that need my attention.  

A few times a year I lay out a new structure, a time table of sorts, that I hope will keep me on track and accomplishing the things that I want to get done. 

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  Which brings up my question: What does it mean to be an artist? Is it really about the schedule? Or is it about witnessing your life through the sensitive eyes of someone in touch with how they meet each day?  

Considering that my attempts at structure often need to revisited because they simply don't work well, or for very long.  

I've been struggling to be in the 9-5 work day mindset that if I start at a regular time, do similar things, work for a certain duration, then I'll have the outcome of completing things. 

If I were to stop my struggle, I suspect, I would actually accomplish much more and be happier for it.  Isn't that why I chose this artistic life - to be able to set my own schedule? 

How very difficult it is to extricate oneself from the rhythms of the world around us, when we choose to live by a different rhythm.  A rhythm guided by self direction.  

I'll be the first to tell you how obstinate, passive aggressive, grumpy, and opinionated I become when I'm forced to do something I am not motivated to do.  I set aside my preference often and get the thing done, but I do not enjoy it, nor do those around me.  

So how do we/I be a full time artist.  How do we allow the rhythms of our artistic heart to guide us versus be pressured to do things like everyone else?

It's a great question and one I don't have an answer for, completely, just yet.  However, this book Daily Rituals: How artists work may have some answers.  I'll let you know what I find out. 

As for today, I started painting at 5am in an effort to beat the heat wave that British Columbia is experiencing right now.  My studio is south west facing and by 12:00 it's simply too hot to be in here painting.  

I painted for 5 hours, had a shower, got dressed, went to the library to pick up the said book and went for a short walk along the ocean.  

It's an amazing life that I live. I'm grateful for it.  What I'm seeking is a way to be at peace with the freedoms that I have and not feel like I have to push myself to conform to the 9-5 system happening around me.  This is a practice of awareness and grace.  Giving myself the generosity of kindness and allowing my creative spirit to flourish within these freedoms.  

I'll let you know how I make out.

If you'd like to see updates from the studio as I explore this question, then why not join my VIP email list.  I'll send you periodic updates, early access to new work, and any specials I have going on. 
Sign up for my VIP list here.
Comments


    Loading...

    Archives

    February 2025
    October 2024
    September 2024
    June 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    October 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    June 2019

HOME
ABOUT
​CONTACT ME
​
SHIPPING
REFUND POLICY
FAQ

PRIVACY POLICY
​COOKIE POLICY


Picture

​Join my VIP email list.
​First access to new work.
Relevant content only, spam free. 
​👇
I'd like to be a VIP

​All images/paintings copyright protected
​©2025 Ciel Ellis
Picture
  • Home
  • Available work
    • Rhapsody in Bloom Exhibition
    • Orange Tulip Trio
    • Small Art
    • Sold Paintings
  • Classes
    • Your Art Dreams Matter >
      • YADM - Spreadsheet tips
    • Your Meaningful Art Collection >
      • YMAC - Online Business tools
      • YMAC - Spreadsheet tips
      • YMAC - Recordings
    • Your Abundant Art Career
    • Making Sense of Colour
    • Colour Mixing with Confidence
  • About
    • Where does my art come from within me?
    • My process
    • Blog
    • Landscape
    • FAQ