Waiting for elective results and stressing out about it
I know they get posted out today so it'll undoubtedly be Monday before I hear anything – if at all – I have a habit of never getting the letters college send and always find out after everyone else.
Andrew Bryant has put together a blog cluster on art and parenthood and has asked me to reflect on this, so I have been thinking…I wonder what effect my studying has on the kids?
I have two boys aged 4 and 10, I was especially stressed in November when I was preparing for assessment AND helping one revise for the 11+ exam. It's not just us artists who have to work hard – that 11+ stuff was actually quite difficult!
I know I don't have anywhere near as much time as I want to actually 'play' with the boys and I am looking forward to the end of June so much as it means I can 'temporarily' get back the fun part of my life with them. I do feel a bit guilty but art really is something I NEED to do, I wouldn't be much of a mum if I was unhappily sat in an office job for the rest of my days.
Anyway, I mix parenthood and art – both boys are amazing at drawing for their age, both love making things with me. Take the books I have been folding and making for my degree work, I have sat with them and shown them how to do it which has led to paper folding of their own, they can both make a mean paper airplane and we had fantastic origami snowflakes at Christmas.
I think if i keep them included and they understand why I love being an artist so much, they will never mind me being so busy. The little one has his own mini easel that he loves painting at while I am painting at my own easel.
It's all about sharing…. mind you, if they got hold of my 'real' art materials instead of their own cheapy kids stuff I don't know whether I'd be saying that so easily!
