Creativity - How do I define myself?

Mixed Media on Vintage High School Yearbook from 1932

Lately, I have been giving my creative life a lot of thought. What direction to take, which materials make my heart sing, and should I go back to painting more - using less mixed media? And what would that even mean? After all, graphite, paint and crayons are mixed media - yet Cy Twombly was considered a painter. Not a mixed media artist, for goodness sake! Not that I would EVER compare myself with Cy Twombly - just sayin'. How do I want to define myself, is that definition even necessary? Actually, it might be these days. If I want to continue to show my work, there are several ways to define it and clarity about that is me being accountable.

During my recent trip to Ghost Ranch, and the work shops I attended there, I can see that the way I want to go is not the path that I envisioned. It was a great experience, and one I will always cherish. I attend very few workshops, overall, and I don't take e-courses either. It's a time factor. I would rather be creating at this point in my life, I have very little time outside of my 40-hour workweek, and I choose to be creating and moving forward - if possible. So the time spent in a workshop environment is carefully chosen, and New Mexico was stunning. Money well spent. Now it is down to the business of creating.

Since I choose to forgo workshops and other courses I get my stimulus (or refill the soul) in two ways. Basically, I read a lot. Currently reading a book about Alice Neel  - and Joan Mitchell. Both painters I can't seem to get enough of. These women painted all the time! They drew all the time. Also picked up ART TALK by Cindy Nemser - her interviews with women artists is amazing. And I look at a lot of art. I go to galleries, museums and follow artists on social media (mainly Instagram, as a visual platform).

Right now, I do my creative work whenever I can, in the early hours of the morning before I go off to my day job, in the evening if I can stay awake. And, on the weekends. Luckily, I have a studio devoted to creating - and I can go in at any time. I strongly urge you to have a space in your home that allows you to follow that creative life you know you need. Balance is everything. Family, day jobs, responsibilities - those aspects of who I am are there. I need those too. Want those. So I define myself with as much balance as I can muster. I am a creative.