Self Care

     Everyone knows that selfcare is important. We all need to take a break and do things for ourselves. Things we like, things we find relaxing. It is good for our overall well-being. I am bad at it. Last week I had my yearly physical and I talked to my doctor about that. How I work ALL THE TIME and when I stop, or do something that is sort of frivolous (so... just for me) I feel guilty about that. He said he has known me for a long time now and he thinks that is just how I am. He also said that I should work on mindfulness and work on doing things just for me. Or doing less. I asked if he had any advice on how to do that and he said no. Thanks.  So I wracked my brain a bit and thought about all of the things I have done for myself lately. 

     Right before my live sale I was working frenetically trying to reach all of my arbitrary goals for the things I wanted to have finished. The week of the sale I decided to stop. I did not reach my doll goal (I reached all the other goals) since I only finished 23 and had had 25 planned. And I told myself it was OK. And it was. I also read more, even if I had other work I could be doing (I always have other things I COULD be doing). And that was OK. I finished a couple of really good books recently. I need more now. 

     Saturday I watched several episodes of Criminal Minds with Ethan and then decided I was finally going to work on pasteling my Maple Stirrup. If I am using pasteling as a verb it doesn't matter that I was using Earth pigments, right? Anyway, when I started trying out pasteling someone pointed out I should be wearing gloves because skin oils can mess up horses. I have so little moisture in my hands from all the sanitizer these days that the horses would likely be safe, but I put on gloves anyway. 

       I joined a Mares in Black Zoom party that I forgot was happening, listened to hobby people, joined in a few times, and I worked on my horse. The black pigment was not cutting it on the legs so I grabbed a JSC eyeshadow palette. There is SO MUCH pigment in those shadows. And it worked very nicely for the legs. I also used the pencil eraser trick that I picked up somewhere to get his dorsal stripe to look nice. 

      My Maple Stirrup is not perfect, at all, but I like him. I think he came out pretty well. And while he is not LSQ, and depending on the photograph, might not even be PSQ from all angles, I am reasonably pleased with him. I don't have a lot of practice at pasteling, or any form of finishing. But I do like finishing the micros. 

      And really, he is not bad at all. The next one I might try all in eyeshadow. They are pigments after all and I do have a lot of practice with them. I also should see about getting more ponies done sooner or later. While I still like how the unpainted ones look I also really like how the finished ones look. And the unpainted micros definitely outnumber the painted ones. 

       I know that opinions are probably split on whether or not this was still work. But it is not something that I do for work, I have no plans to sell my work, and arts and crafts are leisure activities. Anyway, I made some art this weekend. I enjoyed working on it and I enjoy looking at him now that he is done. I am even sort of inspired to work on another one. I have several micros prepped and some are even already in base coats. Maybe I can finish a few more and get some practice in before NaMoPaiMo.