Sunday Morning Doodle Sketches & Decluttering

I haven't been doing much art since Mom's death in June, but this morning, early, I couldn't sleep, so I picked up my mixed media sketch book off the bedside table and did a few doodle sketches before I even had my first cup of coffee.

This is just a sketch done with a black gel pen. Love doing these!

These two are doodle sketches, thus all the pencil lines still visible. These are the images that wanted to come forth this morning, and I love them. I used a brown Stablio pencil, which I can later go over with a water brush and/or some paint if I want.

It's been an emotional week for me, especially Friday. I am also losing my hair, thus the bald heads, I guess. I like these women though! They're doing the best they can in a world and life full of chaos, as are all the other characters that emerge from the pencil marks.

Still have several works in progress and lots I want to create, but right now, besides going through the grief process for my mama and one of my favorite cousins, who died in March, I am trying to declutter our home before I can go through mama's home and see what I can do. I am an only child, so it's going to take a while. That's okay though. I prefer to do it alone.

I haven't felt like cleaning out anything in about thirteen years, since my dad died, and before hubby retired, so lots of stuff accumulated. So far I've filled eleven big garbage bags with old clothes that we can no longer wear, or even want to. Many discolored from hanging so long. I'm taking time to cut the buttons, trim, and small pieces of fabric for creative purposes. Same for old curtains, etc. All gone to the recycling place.

I also filled another large bag with old personal papers/receipts/etc., after I went through several years worth, and burned them yesterday.

It's hard to let go of stuff, especially for a family of pack rats, but it feels so good once it's gone, and in a couple of days we don't even notice it's gone. Hopefully, if we lose weight at some point, we can buy some more, because if we can't wear it right now, it's out of here.

I  have come to realize that we're getting old, and, at some point, one way or another, we're going to have to leave all the material stuff behind anyway. Kind of depressing, but truth!

Anyway, we need room to get around in the house without tripping over stuff. It already feels better, and there's more to be gone through and gotten rid of.

Creating is a necessity though, and my work space is a high priority for decluttering, but I'm going to make creating a priority while I'm decluttering too. I'm going to make it a point!

Here's to living creatively! :D