Balancing Act

I have many responsibilities. Mothering six children is at the top of that list and takes nearly all my time and energy over summer break. I also maintain my house, household schedule, meals, etc. I tend a 1/2 acre garden, 40 acre mountain property, and now a chicken coop. I also teach art classes out of my studio and have a booth at art shows throughout the summer.

Sketching Asclepius Welshii, a rare milkweed,

while my kids play on the dunes.

When do I find time to paint? Over the summer, the answer is hardly ever. I just bought a little folding table that I can set up inside my art booth to draw at when there is a slow period in an art show. Sometimes my kids are all busy playing with friends or participating in other activities, and I get a few hours to work on small projects.

I often go weeks without creating at all because life requieres it. When I can find even an hour to paint each day, I am more likely to show up to the demands of motherhood cheerfully, so I try to get in painting time as often as possible. Some weeks, I can get 4-5 hours a day to focus solely on my artwork, and these are cherished weeks.

I have a long list of paintings that will be be completed over the upcoming school year. I have little paintings like a dragonfly or tiny paintings on my list, as well as large rare plants and submissions for exhibitions and art shows. It will be a different kind of balancing act when I am juggling homework, sports, appointments, teen jobs, and having a few hours each day to paint, clean, run errands, and maintain my home and yard.

It feels wildly chaotic at times, and it is. However, it is deeply rewarding to both watch my children grow and to watch myself grow.