The Art of Frugality

So I haven't posted a pic of the painting I did a few weeks back and I haven't started on any new projects. Why?
1. Holidays are distracting.
2. Financial issues are distracting
3. Hard decisions to make are distracting

People can say that there is no excuse for not being a productive artist and in most situations I would agree. But in this particular situation alot of thinking and discussing and planning has had to go on.
First decision was how are we going to get rid of debt before EI runs out at the end of next year?

Yes I'm airing my dirty laundry because when your an artist it's not like you can go off skipping off into lala land with your yarn and your wool and your paints. There are a lot of decisions I have had to make and still some I am considering.

My first decision was to not get any parts for the spinning wheel I have and then I decided that I would take all of the money that I got back from leaving school would go towards getting rid of a card because that would mean saving approx $69 a month.I had gone back and forth on if I was getting parts or selling the wheel I have and I have decided to sell the wheel.

Second decision after this was turning off the heat in our apartment during the very coldest time of the winter here in Fredericton N.B. With the heater off and living in a small room with an electric heater and floor heater most of the time, keeping our cats and our bunny rabbit in the room to stay warm. Our apartment runs on ventilated heat with some rooms being controlled by electric heat. Luckily the bedroom heater has a controlled dial switch on it rather than for the whole apartment.

Third decision was to sell some of the supplies I got from the store at the school which I thought I would make use of. But at this point it will sit there because I only have part of what I need. The other issue is that all money should go towards expenses and debts etc rather than a bundle of yarn or two for a small project. As an artist there are start up costs.

Fourth decision was to not have prints or greeting cards done up of my work at a local business because that means money. Again start up costs.

Fifth decision I have yet to make. Do I sell my beautiful loom, my warping board, my books that came with them, the knitting machine, the extra parts and the books that came with them.

I am mostly leaning towards selling them.

But I will never sell the two guitars that I own! Not ever!

Most books written by artists and for artists are trying to teach artists how to be less frugal with themselves because making art of any kind is not seen as a necessity in this day and age. And whatever is not a necessity is a waste of time or perhaps a gluttonous sin. But those books are for artists that have everything they possibly need except their own permission to be an artist in order to do what they wish. Those books aren't for me because I give myself permission to do all of the things I wish, that I am good at and have an intelligence for but I do not have the means and I cannot trust that there is no end of the line waiting for me in the semi near distant future.

Artists can be purely logical and intelligent to make those kinds of decisions. It is a myth that artists are completely indulgent and so indulgent to the point that they can't see beyond the end of their paintbrush or studio. I have always known that homelessness is a very true reality to anyone including me. I am not and cannot be ignorant of reality, especially not with my yogic training.

So if your an artist scraping by like so many people are these days, whether they choose to be artists or not, do what you can and take comfort in the fact that this won't be a permanent situation as long as you are very very smart. You may have to make some sad decisions like I have. I will be sad to see my store of wool disappear out the door but I can get more someday and I can get a spinning wheel in the future. In the meantime I can still develop as a painter and drawer. And I can still post them here. That is what I have available to me.There are dozens of techniques and styles and I am not opposed to any of them. Abstract and real. It's all abstract and it's all real.

Intelligence is a choice in the game of life.

Use it before it's too late!