Last week at preschool we got out chalk and artist's pastels for the children to use and it lit a spark in me to dig out my old tackle box of pastels. So on Saturday, I did just that. (Sometimes I have to do things right away when I think of them, or it passes me by, or I get distracted, or instead do what I am supposed to be doing, which was finishing my taxes.) But anyway. So I found some drawing paper and spread out a little space on the floor. It's been many years, probably at least a dozen, since I've drawn with pastels. I like their softness, and something about them reminds me of gouache, and the loose dirt of New Mexico. Strange associations, perhaps. In recent weeks, Saturday afternoons have become a time when I allow for experimentation and exploring. It's exciting and reaffirming to do this. Also, I've been making some wood spoons, stirrers, and hair pins from scrap wood that my husband has. Sometime I'll show you those.
Your homework: Give yourself permission to do something different and play.