On SHREDbatical.
WEDNESDAY; 01.03.2024
I’m so happy you’re reading, thank you for following along with my Creative Connections and Celebrations! This new year, I’m setting goals of writing more frequently and transitioning to subscription-based options here on Substack. (Thank you to everyone who has already pledged!) If you would like to have more access to my research and thoughts on creativity your support is greatly appreciated!
Don’t worry, there will still be free connections shared every other Friday!
As a public school teacher, I used to always wish that instead of summer break it could somehow be in the winter. From convincing my mom to let me borrow the family van to drive three hours to Wisconsin, moving to Colorado, and waking up at 5am to beat I70 Denver traffic - I’ve made a majority of my life decisions based around snowboarding. So when I heard my current year-round college granted faculty a term leave each year, I thought - I’m gonna give this professor thing a go. My break dreams come true.
This week marks the start of my third self-proclaimed Shredbatical. In 2021-2022 I spent as much time riding as I could, many solo days where reflection and rest was much needed. The following winter 2022-2023, I added my first international ski trip to Niseko, Japan and leaned into riding with friends. My season went until June, when unfortunately a knee injury meant it was time for a new focus.
Going into this new break, I’m not sure what to expect. I’ve honestly been more in a space of ambivalence or what the Harvard Business Review wrote, the “simultaneous experience of positive and negative emotions about something” (2021).
It’s feeling torn. This overthinking, cost/benefit analysis, frustration is a feeling I’m all too familiar with. Sometimes I think I get a little bit better with these big feelings, other times I’m not. Research Doodles had an excellent illustration this week that led me to diving in more.
Sitting now in my recently cleaned out studio, I feel the ease of you’re on break finally settling in. After visits with friends and family and time in the mountains, I’m grateful to be at my desk with my sketchbook. It's a much appreciated chance to sit in stillness and focus on my creative practice.
I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life - and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do. - Georgia O'Keeffe
While I’m not personally big on new year's resolutions, I do get into intentions and especially celebrations of the past year. For intentions, I want to make more art. I’m currently connecting with Wendy McNaughton’s 30 Day Drawing Habit. There are also big goals in ski designs, murals, and presentations. In my journal, I wrote more ease, fun, patience, and love | less stress, booze, and complaining.
In celebrations, 2023 was an opportunity for lots of growth, reflection, and always fun. Notably an artist residency in Japan, my second Coalition Snow Myth board design, workshops with students of all ages, a deepened love for printmaking, lots of shape obsession, and writing on various publications and this substack!
All of that to wrap up and say I’m going to be taking a little break from social media (aka Instagram). You can stay up to date by subscribing to my substack where I’ll continue to write and update with drawings, adventures, and studio time this winter season.
Plus, starting this March, I’ll be back instructing my art education course - Psychology of Creativity. Each week, I’ll share my lecture and exercises for you to follow along with me and my students to expand your connection to your creativity.
My studio really deserved a good clean out - had more art to hang up as well.
REFERENCES
Rothman, N. B., Barker Caza, B., Melwani, S., & Walsh, K. (2021, September 14). Embracing the power of ambivalence. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2021/09/embracing-the-power-of-ambivalence