I’m still not sure exactly what happened to me this winter. A part of me would like to slough what I perceive as my lack of professional progress off on some variation on seasonal affective disorder. Another part of  me would be happy to chaulk it up to creative and emotional collapse that follows a year that was hard personally, emotionally, professionally, physically and financially. I’m sure sleep-deprivation was in there somewhere, too. When all is said and done, though, I’m not sure that any of these reasons paints the whole picture, nor does it really matter any more other than as something from which to learn for next time. Suffice it to say that I slacked off more than I intended and let myself wallow in failure for a goodly time, despite having plans and goals set for myself and having determined the means of achieving them.

I have recently been doing a great deal of soul searching and thinking, as well as picking myself up and dusting off my bruised ego and flabby creativity.  For those who find themselves either simply falling out of doing the work they have committed themselves to, I provide the following links from Christine Kane’s wonderful blog (which has helped me no-end):

Sabotage and Persistence

How to Get Anything Done

So I am now working again, this time at reasonable hours. I am renewing my commitment, ignoring self-doubt and following through. I have been going through my studio and sorting out projects, finishing off orders for shops for the summer, finishing off workshop plans, writing up stuff that needs writing and doing inventory. One step at a time and off we go…