The Privileges of a Creative Life

There are certain privileges to being a self-employed, full-time artist, who lives with her parents. And this week I took advantage of one of them. You see, being my own boss, I can make unilateral decisions about what is important for me to do in a given week. Now certainly as the boss, 9 times out of 10 art and art related work will be the thing my taskmaster of a boss insists on. But that 10th time comes around every-so-often and this week the boss said art can wait. So, what came up that made me give up my art time for a week? Well… my sister finally went into labor and when that happens it is the job and privilege of

Auntie Deb to drop everything and go take-care-of (and play with) her niece and nephew.

I stay the night and do my best to get everyone settled with the new baby before I go home the next day.

As this joyous job came up this week, I did not get any art done and my blog is going up late, but I found myself thinking of all the privileges I have had, because my time is my own, the only people I have to give accounting to are myself and God.

So, when my sister has a baby, I have the privilege to help care-for and enjoy her family. When my Granddad got sick, both in 2013 and this last year, I got to have precious moments with him, I got to have a last conversation with him, and I got to give my Grandmother the gift of making sure she didn’t have to do the housework, or the driving, or the thinking about feeding herself and all the friends and family who came to see him in the hospital.

What a privilege it was to be free to give that gift, of my time and labor, because it was mine and only mine to give. My siblings and cousins all have families and/or jobs (with actual bosses) that make their time and labor not completely theirs, and I am glad they have that blessing. But I am equally glad that I do not.

So, I guess this week I am thinking about what a gift and privilege our time here on earth is, and how important it is that we use it wisely. It is good and right that you spend your time on yourself and your interests, but I want to remind you (as I have been reminded) that we have only so much time with the people we love, make the most of it. You only get one chance to listen to your three-year-old nephew tell you about the dragons on the train and how he’s going to get them off,

or see the wonder on the face of your two-year-old nice as she holds her infant brother in her arms for the first time, and there are only a finite number of times you can hear your Granddad say “I’m so proud of you” or to say it yourself to someone you love. Take time for the people in your life: time is the most precious gift you can give and receive. Say the words of your heart, they have value, listen to the words and stories of the people you love, you may never get to hear them again. Every moment is a moment you can’t get back so make the most of it.

Chase your dreams, travel to beautiful places, tell your family you love them, these are the moments that make life truly beautiful. Because a life lived beautifully is the truest work of art. And you are the only artist who make your life beautiful to yourself and others.

I hope my ramblings have spoken to you.

Till next time, dear readers; stay inspired.