Peace and quiet.  I really think that the older a person gets the more peace and quiet become important.  From now until sometime in late April I’ll have a great deal of quiet.  The peace portion is another matter since I’m in a an intimate relationship that at times can be less than peaceful.  It’s the nature of the beast I suppose.

I plan ahead to these weeks of quiet all year long and set goals for myself to be accomplished before Spring arrives.  I read a great deal, I write a lot, and I examine my life even more.  I’ve always been a good motivator for people who worked for me but I’m even tougher on myself.  I’m my own worst enemy when I feel I’m not getting anything accomplished in a given period of time. 

I have a sculpture I’ve been messing with for almost a year.  I sit and stare at it for hours upon hours looking for something.  I know what I want to do with it but I’m experimenting with some new materials that I’m not sure will work. If they refuse to cooperate it will ruin all of the work already completed and I’ll be forced to start over from scratch.  I know I’m over thinking things but that how I work.  I know that within a week or so I’ll take the plunge and attempt to finish the project, one way or the other. Once I start I’ll work continuously until it’s completed.  The best time of my life are those moments when I’m strictly focused on creating.  I don’t want food, drink, or company, just peace and quiet.  Hours will fly by like nothing and even sleep isn’t important.  It’s the rush of seeing what’s been in my head for months finally escaping to become a reality.

It’s not only sculpture but other forms as well.  Painting, writing, block printing, photography, watercolors, pen and ink, and anything else you can think of.  Those moments of total concentration and focus are more important to my mental health than almost anything.  

So now begins my three and a half months of quiet.  I’ve been waiting for it to arrive and I plan on making the most of it.  My better-half has left for work, the cats asleep some where in the house, the TV and radios are off, the cell phone is off,  and I’m sitting here writing this.  You can hear a pin drop.  I’m in heaven.