Exhausted

imageI'm really tired! Is it ok for me to admit that?With all the "hustlin'" and "grindin'" everyone claims to be doing these days, it seems bad to mention wanting a little bit of downtime or a slower pace every now and then. If you do dare to speak such talk, apparently you weren't 'bout that life in the first place. Damn! There's no in-between, huh? Just grind endlessly or go home? Hashtag "teamnosleep?" Man, fuck that. I guess I'll be Team #turndownforchillin.I've committed myself to participating in more shows and producing more work this year. At the time of setting those goals, it all seemed so exciting and possible! I'm aware that it takes work and that there are mental, emotional, and even social costs to increasing production and visibility as an artist. I can grind and grind, promote, prepare, research, and network - things that one is supposed to do to be set up for success when a period of positive momentum hits. All of those things are tiring enough even when nothing is happening, but you can become accustomed to it. There's an awareness of the tasks to complete and some fatigue, sure, but there's not as much urgency during stages of famine or when one is in-between projects. It's manageable. However, recently I've learned that when a stride really does hit, you have to do all of those same tasks to the umpteenth power. All of that plus anything else that comes up while gaining momentum. The tired I've felt during "downtime" is nothing compared to what I'm feeling during this time of progress. I really have to be ON. Especially tonight, because tonight is the opening reception of my latest solo show:Flyy_Kinky FlyerI have to shake hands and kiss babies, and make the shit look easy. Even though on the inside I'm filled with anxiety, doubt and a bunch of other ambivalent thoughts and emotions. I have to self-promote and market everything like crazy. No one tells you how weird that feels. And I have to do it across every social media platform that I have. Nigga, what...? I have to actually tell people to buy my work, I can't JUST ask them to come. Semantics! That's another thing that feels weird which no one tells you about. I don't want to have to think about that. Oh, and also, I have to work a full-time job and still stay on track with a schedule of creating new work. Thankfully I have a little bit of time to kill now that this new show is up, but I can't sit still for too long. Yo, ya girl is tired!But would I trade? Helllll nah! I'm exhausted and a little overwhelmed right now but the progress is intoxicating. I can't think about doing anything else but making good work that feels authentic to me, getting it out there and connecting with people through it. But to do so means pushing past a lot of things that I may perceive as limitations, or even annoyances. "It's levels to this," and I think I might have finally stepped up one. I've done too much to be able to reach the stride I've hit right now. Who knows how long it will last? So if it means I have to be tired to get to that then so be it. A friend of mine recently suggested that being tired is a good thing, and I think that he may be right....But forreal though, right now all I want is to be naked with a big ass plate of ribs, in a warm bed, while getting a body massage. Can I just get that about now???

Recap! Nude Nite 2015 - Tampa

[et_pb_section admin_label="section"][et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text"]Traci Turner, Traci L Turner, art, painting, Nude Nite Tampa 2015I apologize for the lack of posts lately. I've been super busy over the last month or so. My schedule has changed a lot over the last few weeks, and I've been working hard trying to finalize and prepare for my next solo show to debut in a couple of days. I'm exhausted. But that's for the next post.This post is to recap my recent trip to Tampa, Florida to attend Nude Nite 2015! Two of my paintings were on display amongst a plethora of amazing artwork that all featured the nude figure. Nude Nite is more than just a pop-up gallery, it's an experience. I was so excited to have been accepted into a show in a place where I've never lived, that I decided that I had to be there to capture the milestone. There were burlesque dancers, live painting, body art, performance art and so much more. It was a very free and welcoming environment. The attendees were as much a part of the show as the performers! I decided that I had to do my part and show quite a bit of my body too, and I loved that I could do that with no worries. I was still considered pretty covered up compared to others at the event! It was all great though. I wanted to share pictures that I took at the event. Please forgive the photo quality and weird cropping, I used my phone to take pictures. I also was not able to keep track of all of the artists in the pictures, which is terrible on my part and I apologize for that. I know better. For what it's worth, I was having such a great time and had a VERY generous gin and ginger. So I'll blame it on that.If you attended the event, what were your favorite parts or artwork? Did you appreciate the bartender's pour as much as I did? Enjoy the pictures!