If House Work Was Art

 
It has been a long Winter. In some parts of the country it is still dragging it's heels, and doesn't seem to want to let go. Now, there are flooding rivers jammed with ice, and people are having to leave their homes. I have nothing to complain about.

I can not imagine having to leave my home or have it completely destroyed ,or damaged by water, but it must be enough to make one so disheartened and depressed that you'd want to give up. But giving up, is not something many Canadians do. We are a tough and determined lot. Many who's homes have been damaged or destroyed by flooding, I am sure, would love to have house work to do today. I am here to say I am grateful I have house work to do today, and that my home is safe.

If house work was art, I might do more of it. Speaking only for myself, I must say for me, I do believe housework or the lack of it, can be a barrier to my creativity, more specifically making art. Oh I am certainly not a fan of house work, and I am well in favour of putting art before house work. Problem is, when the house is in disarray I am very uneasy, and can't apply myself to the making art. I'm not talking about dusting and doing a few dishes that need doing. No I am referring to piles of papers, clothes laying around, and junk that needs sorting and put out for waste pick up. It can be very overwhelming. So I have to break it down bit by bit.

I found a neat blog called Art Before House Work  by Andrea Baumert Howard. After reading her post about procrastination, house work and procrastination it is reassuring to know other artists struggle with this matter.

I can quite comfortably sit in front of the computer for diversion, and write for hours, but I need to get painting. I suspect many people sit in front of a computer neglecting the things they need to get done, like house work and art.

 There are a myriad of reasons I can get my house in a mess. The long and the short of it is I don't much like house work and so I can procrastinate and put it off until it gets to be a complete distraction and makes me feel worse that the daughter of a Stygian Cur. What's that you ask? Well it's bad, real bad. Ask Conan the Barbarian. And so I've enough of that. and  spent the past two days cleaning up my accumulative messes I have made over the Winter and then some. I tackled two rooms, did a big wash, and put out eight bags for garbage pick up.

In the late afternoon, I thought well, I could go to the meeting I attend every Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m., but I was determined to finish the second room I started this afternoon. I thought if I stopped, my momentum would be halted, and I might not get at it again. I wasn't going to fight the feeling. It felt good to have finished getting the first room organized and cleaned yesterday, and I wanted to continue.

 I finished the second room just a few minutes ago. Oh boy I feel great! I feel like I have my house back and my mind!

Tomorrow afternoon I will vacuum and straighten up the hallway, my music room, and the upstairs bathroom. It helps to write all this down, what it is I am going to do, as it enables me to actualize it.

What I have learned is, is that I can't not make art when my house is a mess. My messes directly effect my state of mind, and often are a reflection of my state of mind. This state of mind affects my creative process. Perhaps it really isn't house work that is the problem but the messes.

I can't say I am any fonder of housework, but I can say that is makes me feel better and even good, when I get my house back in order. I can even say I like housework...almost. Now for me, that's saying something.

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