Stretching

I've been trying to start each day with a quick and small collage, like a warm up for any subsequent art. It's akin to the physical act of stretching, moving your body into easeful positions to get your muscles ready for exercise. I think of the word stretching in two ways; as the above, but also as the act of reaching beyond what is comfortable to find new ways of doing and being. It's when I'm in the habit of doing daily work that I find myself discovering new things. Those surprises are one of the benefits of having a daily practice.

I'll be teaching a couple of online classes over the next week or so. I'll demonstrate techniques, and tips, and supplies. But I feel like the reality of getting good at something is boring. It's repetition, it's forming habits, it's getting out of bed and doing the thing first that you could easily put off until the end of the day, when you're too tired. It's doing the warm up work of stretching every day so your muscles and creative mind are limber and flexible.