Art for art's sake

Artists have to be very self motivated. I used to get up every morning as a kid and have no qualms about sketching and drawing the day away. I could draw for hours... and honestly forget any other thing I was supposed to do that day.

Now that I'm older, with bigger responsibilities, I understand that my motivating factors are the almighty dollar, and/or a competition, exhibition, or something to work towards, at least when it comes to art. Sad, but true. I guess I just am more careful how I spend my time, and the thought of putting hours on end into a painting that I'm doing for my own shear pleasure loses its glimmer. Perhaps it's just the fact I'm somewhat detached from the art world, and I've lost my motivation.

It's good I'm subbing art classes now... maybe I'll start painting again. Seeing kids just draw for art's sake and none else has reminded me of what it was like to do that... art for FUN. I forgot about that. Now that I work full time, and am busy with other pursuits, I have to plan to draw. That was never the case for me during my youth.

I guess what I'm trying to say is if I put that talent under a bushel, I'll lose it. I'm gonna try to start painting. For myself and no one else. If I look at this Manchess long enough... I'll probably get some motivation.

I'm sure all of you wanted to know that.

Running... or not running?

Every time I get the courage and motivation to start a rigorous exercise program, inevitably I get sick. Why is that? It's always before I start the program that I get sick... not during, but before. The other day I printed off a self made marathon training program and was stoked out of my mind to get to work on it that week. Went to bed, dreamt of marathon-running sugar plums dancing in my head.........
......Next day, woke up with a sore throat and a temperature. Don't get it. This has happened multiple times... maybe my body is trying to tell me something.

playing in a pop punk band...

Ok. So... I'm horrible at posting but I'm gonna try to be more diligent at updating this blasted thing, if only for posterity's sake.

I don't have any revolutionary ideas or tidbits of info to give to the world, but this is just a post to inform the world that I'm still alive and that I have this selfish urge to make myself heard.

ps. Playing in a rock band has its perks.... I get to live out my long lost dreams of being on stage with fans, act like a youth angst-goof off which is therapeutically helpful as I hit this almost 30 crisis... and sing for tons of girls........well... I'm not really interested in high school girls... quite frankly, it's quite sickening. I wonder how Benton Paul deals with it. Being married would be good from that perspective.

It is awkward when you teach a high school class and then your students end up at your show... I don't know how I feel about that.