Is it Xmas already?...

What's up? I'm back! I wanted to wish everybody a Merry Xmas. I know, that sounds crazy, uh? No, I'm not hallucinating, I'm just kidding around. That is my way to say: where did the time go? When I was a kid, back in Mexico, my Grandma used to joke around about how the year was practically over, when it was barely February (or even January). She used to talk about how the rain season was around the corner, then Lent, then the Summer, then another rain season, then the celebrations around Independence Day, then Day of the Dead, and finally Xmas. And just like that, the year was over... even before it started.

Why am I talking about that? Because more often than not, that's the way I feel, like the year doesn't have enough days in it. But I'm not saying that in a bad way, it's just an observation of how fast time runs and why is important to take advantage of every available minute. That doesn't mean that I work like a robot, not even close. Anybody who knows me, can testify that I like to make use of my available time, not only to do work, but also to complement my life. How do I do this? sprinkling a bit of life onto life itself. I learned a long time ago that it is very easy to rut yourself day after day. Therefore, breaking away from the shell of routine life is a must.

I am an artist, art is my life. However, I also know that my art is a reflection of my inner persona. If that persona is tired, or empty, or burned out, my art will come out the same way. I am happy to render my artwork, to portray how I see the world. Even now, at this very moment, I can tell you that I am content with what I see in my foreseeable future (sounds redundant, but it's the truth). I have many things going on at this moment, regarding my artwork, and that's what keeps me excited, motivated. The more I feel this way, the better my images will come out... and that in turn will bring more activity related to my work. A great cycle, I must say :)

So, again, why am I bringing up my Grandma and her jokes about the year ending right after it started? Because, as I mentioned, that's how I feel, like the year is going by so quickly. I mean, it's already March... where did January and February go? This is nothing new, though, I do feel like that all the time. However, let me say this again: I don't feel this as a bad thing, but all the opposite. I feel like time is running fast, because there are so, so many things that I want to do. So, it does feel good to stop for a break, and see that time has passed rather quickly. I don't feel frustrated for the things that I haven't done, but rather happy for the things that I have done indeed. On top of that, I acknowledge that I won't be able to do every single plan inside my head. I realized that many years ago, and that's why I started to be more selective on the projects that I would take.

But, let me go back to the "sprinkling a bit of life onto life itself" part: I spend a fair amount of time away from work, from art, be it with family or in pure distraction and sometimes bliss. However, I don't consider doing this as detracting from my work, because, as I mentioned before, all those distractions, experiences, ideas, etc., will be brought into my artwork. They are indeed a reflection of my life, of my persona. I try to apply this principle in every aspect of my life, because, at the end, all these aspects are connected, and complement each other. My art improves my inner quality of life, which in turn improves my personal vision of life, which in turn improves my family life, and so on.

I welcome the quick pace of time (still my nemesis), I like trying to keep up with it. I hope you find your own pace too. Thanks again for reading this and for supporting my artwork, you bring yet another aspect that improves my life as an artist... and as a person. Oh, and Merry Xmas, by the way! :) See you next time!
~Pops.