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Take a Hike!

Ever so often I reach my fill of social networking, communication responsibilities, promoting and self promoting and the general constant noisy jibber jabber of life and the people around me. My little inner hermit kicks in and starts getting angry. Hermit wants peace and quiet and.....solitude. This was solidified yesterday when I found myself getting annoyed and angry for not really any good reason. I know the world works a certain way, is interested in certain things....not things I am necessarily interested in or wish for humanity but nonetheless....it is that way.
The second sign that hermit was tapping on my heart with his old cane was I found myself painting on autopilot and NOT FEELING IT. Meh! Blah! By all accounts I was where I love to be in the Universe, in my studio and I was angry... with the Blah Mehs.
Thats not a good feeling for an artist.
It then dawned on me as I sat in front of the canvas.....my work comes from a love of Nature and the Natural world and I was disconnected from that. I have been for a long time. Naturally this was an artificial push on my part to act as artist. I stopped and cleaned my brushes.
 I am going to feel it dammit.
 This is not a homework assignment.
Not a chore.
I know what resets and recharges me and it's the Outside world where I don't have to click LIKE on a thistle in a field or argue about hipsters with a dandelion. Oh great Outdoors I long for thee! So today, I go Outside for as long as I can. It IS part of my painting process. I need it just as much as I need my acrylic paints and brushes. It is a tool for me. Silly me!
The words TAKE A HIKE are a wonderful invitation to leave the sometimes nonsensical world behind and step into the real happening moment of now. Life at it's purest.
What recharges you as an artist?
How long has it been since you've done that?

Food for thought.....an interesting article on "Arts Districts"....arty people might find interesting.....  
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