Go Ahead, Use those Coffee Cups

Sometimes we miss out on enjoying simple pleasures because we are saving them for later.  We don’t honor or respect ourselves enough to allow us to enjoy the good stuff on an everyday basis.

With some practice, this can become a way a life.  We save every exciting, new experience for another more convenient day.   Often I catch myself passing up an opportunity to participate in something enjoyable because my husband or my kids aren’t with me.

Sometimes I drive by an incredible new place but don’t go in because I think to myself, “I will wait until the kids are in town and we will all get together and try that place out”.  I go through my closet, passing up what I really want to wear  – not because it is inappropriate for my planned activity -  but because it is too just nice to wear and use up.  Frugal can become a disease if you let it.

Last March I purchased some gloriously colorful coffee cups  (pictured above) at World Market in Buckhead next to Binders Art Supply Store.  This set of coffee cups seemed perfect for an artist since each one is a different color.

“How Inspiring!” , I thought.

They also stack so neatly in their vertical holding rack so that these cups take up very little counter space, yet stay out of the cupboard, displaying their bold, beautiful colors.

After returning home, I began to doubt my worthiness to use these simple coffee cups.  What if I break one?  Then the set will be ruined.  I will never be able to find another single cup that fits into the rack with the others, and if I did, the color wouldn’t match.

“These will be really neat to have when company comes over.”  I continued to scheme.  “  I can set them next to the coffee pot, each guest will be so delighted to have their own uniquly colored cup!”

Today I woke up and thought, What the heck is wrong with me?

I spent a silly$20 bucks on these cups. I love these cups.  Yet I have not drank the first sip of coffee from them.  What am I waiting on?

My Dad came to visit, he used the  cups, but I asked him to be really careful and not break them since they were part of a set.  He just looked at me, and didn’t anything….out loud that is….   Then he continued to drink his coffee.  He used the green one.  I noticed.  The next day, he drank from a different color.  At age 80, he isn’t saving anything for another day.

I am not saving things anymore!  I am using them!  I am going to  live a little!

And to further brag on myself, I am going to get up from here and go to my closet and put on my “good” brown pants.  You know, the ones I am “saving” for when we go out of town.  Like the people out of town will somehow be impressed by these “good” brown pants.  HA!

Thanks for listening to my craziness today.

Studio Notes:  I am working on some large non-representational abstracts for next year.  I rarely paint this way.  Typically you can identify something, someone, or somewhere in my paintings.

I have wanted to do this for a long time, but was holding back.  Non-representational Abstracts have a reputation of being more difficult to sell.  Poop on that!

I am painting them anyway.  I can’t hold them back any longer.  They must run their course.

I think abstract can be about attitude and mood more so than other compostions.  I am hoping my new coffee cup attitude will help with these paintings.  So far the paintings have been quite a struggle for me.

When I working on them, I don’t feel good the way I normally do when painting.

I will learn to embrace this feeling.  I am painting through it.  I am painting this discontent, this uneasiness, all while drinking from my colorful coffee cups!!