Category Archives: Personal Stories

Dusting Off the Mental Cobwebs

Posted on July 17, 2012 | 1 comment

Last week I finished unpacking my studio and starting working on several new artists’ books. They’re ideas I’ve had floating around during moving and recovery and, finally, I’m ready to get back to work. After months of getting a house ready to sell, moving for the first time in 15 years, and then having a hysterectomy and recovering from that – I finally feel like I once again have the physical and mental energy I need to dedicate to being an artist.

First, I had to start the week by beating myself up mentally. Why on earth didn’t I write/create/develop ideas while recovering? All I was doing was lying around, right?

Next, I had to forgive myself. Apparently I needed all of the energy I had just to heal. I wish I could have used that time more productively (I don’t think watching 63 episodes of Eureka counts as productive) but for some reason I couldn’t. I tried.

And finally, I’m dusting off the cobwebs (and my tools) and starting anew. I’ve started working on images for one of the new artists’ books. Family and friends are gamely standing against a white while for photos while wondering what on earth I’m going to do with them.

Photoshop is less intuitive right now – I know I used to know how to do all of this. I’ve started taking photographs every day – Oh, how I love to take pictures! So far mostly of my garden growing and some jam I made this morning.

I’ve hooked up my new printer, a Canon iX6520 (all by myself, no husband-who-is-an-engineer-tech-support!) and I’ve started testing it. My beloved HP that I’ve used to print all of my artists’ books went kaput and I feel like I’m back at square one. Can I use pages I’ve already printed with pages from the new printer? Do I have to start over? Will this printer print on Rives BFK as beautifully as that old printer?

And I’ve started working in my studio. I’ll post photos of the studio later this week. Right now I’ve got the radio cranked up and I’m remembering how to hold a bone folder and being grateful for my health, for being able to find most things where I look on the first try, and for my amazing new workspace.

~Ginger

www.gingerburrell.com

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Posted in Personal Stories, Studio, The Business of Being an Artist

Tagged artists books, building a studio, Ginger Burrell, hysterectomy, moving, photography, www.gingerburrell.com

Lessons From Recovery

Posted on June 4, 2012 | 2 comments

Today is 5 weeks post surgery and, as the days progress, so does my recovery. I can actually sit upright for periods of time, drive short distances and wear (almost) normal clothing. Simple pleasures I’d previously taken for granted!

I’d like to thank all of you who have sent lovely email and card greetings. I treasure the hand-stitched ribbon collage sent by Catie O’Leary (photo at the top of this post) and it made me feel wonderful to see your names in my email box. Each message felt like a hug.

I’m not quite making art yet, but I am slowly unpacking my studio, one book, one tool, at a time. I have learned several lessons during the last 5 weeks that I thought I’d share:

Lesson #1 – Inspiration can come from anywhere, even a hysterectomy:

Apparently I wasn’t done grieving, or making art about, infertility. A week after surgery I had a day of melting down and grieving for the reality that those “magic” pregnancies everyone tells you about when you are struggling to have a baby, really won’t happen now. No uterus = no magic pregnancy. Fortunately in the middle of the sadness there was also artistic inspiration and I am now (mentally) working on two new artists’ books related to infertility. (And the goodies that my mom and dad sent to cheer me up sure helped, too! It was hard to be sad while eating chocolate covered strawberries for breakfast.)

Lesson #2 – Asking others for help is okay:

It’s funny, but I much prefer to offer to help someone than ask for help. I’m not sure I knew that before my surgery, but I’m very aware of it now. Not being able to lift anything over 5 lbs, push or pull on anything, or drive made me suddenly dependent on everyone around me. My brother, who spent a morning putting together a bookcase in my studio while I watched, said it best, “I’m not doing this because you did something for me – we do things for each other, that’s just how it is.”

(A momentary pause for more thank yous: to Nicole and Mrs. B – thank you for the lovely meals, we hated to admit that I can cook again; to Melanie and Wendy, thank you for playing chauffeur and doing “normal” things like going out to lunch and shopping; to my mom and Trish, thank you for the daily chats; to my brother – thank you – you made me feel better every time I saw you. Who knew that the person I wanted to clobber most of my childhood would be one of my favorite people now?; and to my beloved husband, Greg – I don’t even know where to begin. THT.)

Lesson # 3 – It is all a matter of perspective:

Before my surgery I was packing, moving and unpacking for hours at a time. I made art for 12 hour stretches. Now working for 15 minutes and resting for 45 seems like an accomplishment! I’m unpacking my studio one book and one tool at a time and when I unpack 3 boxes in a day I feel like I’ve really made progress. I just hope I can carry this patience and sense of accomplishment back into my art making.

Off to rest and then spend 15 minutes in the studio.

~Ginger

www.gingerburrell.com

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Posted in Personal Stories

Tagged Ginger Burrell, hysterectomy, Infertility, recovery, www.gingerburrell.com

Congratulations, it’s a Studio

Posted on April 19, 2012 | 7 comments

Well, it took only 8 months, but the studio I’ve been dreaming of has finally been delivered. My niece, Amelia, who is 8 years old, loves it and thinks it is just the right size for her. That it has its own porch lights and doorbell just made her even more tickled. Right away she began making plans to come over and “play art” and then stay overnight in her house, aka my studio.

As I’m typing to you I am peeling wood glue off of my fingers – it doesn’t seem to matter whether I am making books or building cabinets, I have to wear the glue. Instead of bonefolders and my Kutrimmer I am using drills and screwdrivers to build the cabinets and drawer units for my studio.

My brother asked me, “Aren’t the kitchen cabinets enough? Do you need more?” Do we artists ever have enough storage? What’s funny is that Bryce, who is also a very creative person, is a packrat and rarely gets rid of anything. If anyone understands the need for storage…

This is just one of the many stacks of boxes. It turns out that I had art supplies in and tools in pretty much every room of the old house. When we were moving our stuff everyone kept commenting on how most of it was ending up out at the studio. When you put it all in one space it is a bit overwhelming. The duck – he is a wire frame model I made in 3D class several years ago. I’m not sure if he gets to stay because he’s fun or because I injured my elbow pulling and twisting all that wire. Probably both.

This is the studio bathroom. Hmm. More stuff. That’s a bag of banana tree leaves for paper making over there in the bathtub.

This is the back view behind the studio. Eventually it will be a patio surrounded by plants that can be made into paper. Right now the only plant is one sad weed.

This is one of my favorite views, taken on the way from the house to the studio. I’m looking forward to ending the moving and organizing phase and beginning the welcoming and working phase. Towards the end of the summer I plan to have an open studio.