Why Am I Doing This?

I'm retired so why am I getting up early in the morning and working on these little books most of the day - in my pajamas? These are my husband's wood presses (they are sitting on top of my big book press), they are holding 10 miniature books (1 inch by 1.2 inches), complete with text. So, really, why am I doing this? This is a serious question. I could be baking whole wheat bread, reading a good book, attending yoga, or painting a room.

Our guild is participating in Arts Alive at Eureka Books in September and the deadline is Monday, earlier than most of us expected. Working under pressure (more about this later) has taught me a lot about what a working artist must experience; it isn't all fun and creativity that's for sure. Working with a deadline has made me a bit more inventive and I've had to give up some "perfectionist" tendencies. The Epson Photo Stylus 2200 doesn't work well for text so I'm back to my all-in-one HP, even though I don't like the inks very well. I'm using lots of my paste paper bits and I've had to review my jewelry making techniques (more work to be done on the miniature books - pictures later). Having a deadline also makes me prioritize; this is actually quite helpful because as a retiree I do tend to let things just fill up my day because I think I have all the time in the world. I'm not "working" after all.

So, why am I doing this? Because I love books, I love working on projects that I've designed, I love my book arts guild, and I love the art community that supports events like Arts Alive. So, I'm putting my slippers back on and will shuffle over to the presses where I will release the books and finish these little treasures.