September is a 'Time to Learn'

​School starts for many around August and September. The seasons are changing, slowing down into winter so what better time to talk about 'Learning'?

​I imagine I will be learning a lot adding a third child to our family. I will be sending my oldest off to kindergarten which I know will present another new learning experience for me as well. I want to say that I will be applying myself to learning new art skills but at this time, that doesn't seem likely. I do have an art course that I signed up for back in January that I still haven't watched...there is a chance I will try and watch that in between feeding/rocking/taking care of the new baby. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

As I contemplate what things I might learn in the upcoming month & months, I recognize that one thing I want to learn more about is prioritizing. This will apply to my life and family life, but I also realize this will apply to my art practice.

Going hand-in-hand with prioritizing will be learning to let go. I've been feeling for a while that I  need to simplify how I move forward in my art practice which I know means finding parts of it to let go. .This will give me the room I need to focus on prioritizing what is most important and where I want to deepen my roots.

​I've been reading slowly, (over the past year), 'Essentialism' by Greg McKeown and it has helped me to see things differently and recognize more clearly where my weaknesses are and what I want to improve upon.

The big question is can I really do it? Can I cut back in some ways to give more growth in different areas? I'm reminded of our apple trees that my husband recently trimmed. They were full of stray branches, some already full of apples, but we knew that if we wanted the tree to do better, they had to be cut back. It was so sad to see how many branches he got rid of! I thought it was too many at first, our trees looked so small and naked. However, in just a few months what apples were left are now bigger and better.

Learning to prioritize. Learning to let go. Applicable to life and my art practice.

When I was younger I looked at learning very differently. I liked what was the same, what was predictable, and what was comfortable. I never understood the desire to learn until I went to college, which initially I never wanted to do but did because that's what all my friends were doing, (thank goodness for good friends). I started to find things that interested me and I enjoyed learning new things, different things, strange and even adventurous things. As an adult, I feel like I never want to stop learning. There are so many things that I want to learn that I feel like I can't find enough time to pursue all the things that interest me! I hardly watch TV because every time I do I think why am I wasting my time when I could be learning something new? It's interesting how things change with time.

I have an endless list of things I want to learn more about. Pottery, gardening, writing, landscaping, design, marketing, and the list goes on. I'm always on the lookout for a new recipe to make, a new veggie to try, and a different way to use everyday materials. I feel like we live in a magical time where we can learn almost anything, anytime we want because of the advancements of technology. There is no end to what or how much we can learn!

Having a constant desire to learn feeds into my art practice, even if what I'm learning has nothing to do with 'art'. Art is an expansion of what you learn simply presented more interestingly. The more I learn, the more I'm inspired. The more I'm inspired, the more I want to create.​

What is it that you want to learn? What will help you to achieve your goals? Make time to learn this month and see where it takes you on your journey.

It is a 'Gift to take time to 'Learn'.