I is for idle.

Those that know me even fairly well know that the word "idle" almost never applies to me; hell, even when i'm sleeping, i'm tossing and turning, or talking in my sleep, or grinding my teeth... The things most people consider the stuff they need to get done so that they are then able to relax are what i do to relax, sort of.

i'm happiest when i have several projects going at once. Making art or gardening or cooking (unless it's a frenzied feast i'm fixing, with hungry people standing around asking, "Is it done yet?") are my meditations, my means of relaxation. i'm a frenzied bundle of energy most days (just ask my family), running around the house doing chores inbetween working in the studio. i do enjoy sitting quietly sometimes, maybe reading a book or watching a movie, but i have this need to accomplish as much as i can in a day. i want to fill my days with as much as possible, maybe because i have this fear that someday i'll look back and cringe at all the time i "wasted". To me, wasting my days is sitting for countless hours in front of the tv. At the end of everyday, i like to see the physical results of my time invested. i want to eat a great meal, or see a stack of handmade cards, ready to mail, or look over a finished canvas. Then, i can try my hand at the kind of relaxing most people do, maybe watch a show with my man or play a game of Rummy as we talk in bed.

i encourage relaxation of almost any kind - our days are hectic and busy, most of the time - but i also encourage action. The feeling of satisfaction you can get from a job well done makes the relaxation even more enjoyable, and having earned that relaxation time makes it all the sweeter.

And now i'm off to run errands, mail some cards, wash dishes and work in the studio.