Community

Depressives and artists are supposed to try to spend time with other human beans. To remind me of it, my Artist's Way the week before last theme was community. But I haven't been having a great time in this area.

Figure drawing: as you know Week 1 was terrible, Week 2 was great. Well, Week 3 started out wonderful, we had one of the best models, but Ronette challenged us a little: we had to use such tools as balsa wood pieces, bamboo sticks and scrunched paper towels with ink for mark-making. It's nothing new, we have done these in the past, but some students felt uncomfortable and many reacted verbally. I get it.

It's just two of them couldn't stop giggling and chatting and they got a bit hysterical and started to involve the model, and the last half an hour was mayhem. I couldn't stand it and let out a "Shut up!" not so quietly but of course the culprits didn't hear me. So we need at least two Naughty Easels starting next week, I said to Ronette.

Not having a good session is their business; disrupting my class time is mine. Next time, I'm going to shout, "Hey, ladies, naughty seats!"

* * * * *

I've been pussy-footing around one community group wondering if I should offer my services to market their ware. But communicating with the coordinator has been, however, tenuous at best. Last week, Said Coordinator involved someone else who is professionally involved with them but is my friend. My friend rang on Monday to see what's going on, and I gave her a brief history and a good rant. Said friend gave a spiel about how lovely Said Coordinator is, etc., etc., which of course made me feel cornered.

Worrying how our conversation ended, (amicably, but she knew I was unhappy,) My Friend rang on Tuesday while I was writing down what all went wrong and how it could have gone better. (It couldn't have, from my point of view.) My friend is lovely and calm and considerate. But it just burned me because she only reiterated Said Coordinator's case, and I sense there may be something else going on, and I really didn't want my friend in the middle. I should have kept all the sporadic emails, as they would have evinced the strangeness of our correspondence, and the protocol I followed.  But who would have thought I needed to keep evidence of this sort of communication.

I'm going to stay well away from this group for now.

* * * * *

Later on Tuesday, Roger from Refinery rang to ask if I could come in and discuss changing the WYSISYG dates because someone wants to do something around the Mexican Day of the Dead. I know in my head it's not a big deal and I'm easy, but the timing was wrong and I felt upset and overwhelmed. Worse yet, I know and like this someone.

I checked the date for said MDotD, which is Wednesday, November 1 in 2012, but I clear out of the gallery the Saturday before, so I emailed to Roger to let him know I didn't think I needed to change the dates.

I didn't hear back from Roger, so I went to see him Friday afternoon and he agreed. So WYSIWYG stands as is. For now. And I'm glad I waited a few days because by Friday I was fine either way about the dates, and I was calm and collected when I saw Roger, even though it was after the horrible Figure Drawing session.

* * * * *

So last week wasn't a great week emotionally, and I took a break from Artist's Way. But I got through and I feel alright. So what have I been doing this weekend? I've been reading a biography of one of the most famous depressives, van Gogh, and finding it strangely helpful.