My name is Geinene, and I am a creative binger.
There you have it, I confess to my frequent imbalance. All summer I had tunnel vision for a specific creative project. Any spare time found was immediately invested in the process of fleshing out a series of artwork for a pressing exhibition deadline. I have been on a creative mission. I knew that in order to see this project to completion, I had to be focused and determined and maybe even a little obsessed, therefore some things had to temporarily take a back seat. Have no fear, I did not skirt my primary parental or spousal duties. I do admit the house was significantly neglected and physical exercise took a short hiatus. However, I managed to complete more artwork than expected for this series, and hang it all in time at its venue. I am pleased with the accomplishment.
Upon return to my studio…
before me in all its glory was the aftermath of my creative binging. It was a serious wreck. There was no way to work around it. I have had to take time to sort and reorganize. It is the part of being an artist that isn’t enjoyable but is unavoidable for creative recovery. I have learned to appreciate these gaps in between my creative binges and realize that there is no way I can maintain creating at that level of adrenaline without eventually crashing or falling victim to fog brain. It is an imperative part of the artistic rhythm to take the opportunity to not only recover my workspace but also replenish my energy and emotional levels. If I don’t make the effort to clean up and rest after such a season, I can’t be released to move into the next. I am coming to recognize the responsibility 
that comes with being an artist. It isn’t just about the discipline to create work. I also must learn to manage the margins in between well in order to recover from the expenditures demanded to create. Whether it is to implement physical exercise again, eat meals more regularly, or re-engage with friends and the world outside my door, I must make the intentional effort to spread out my attentions once again in a more balanced way and get myself back into shape.
As I clean up my workspace, I find I am also cleaning up my head space. Once the clutter is gone, I have room to gradually begin filling it again. It’s a cycle I now embrace by being more aware of it. I clean my house in order to freely live and thrive in it, and my house needs cleaning regularly because I freely live and thrive in it. I clean my studio in order to do the same, to reclaim the space for the promise of yet more work and life to take place within it.