The Wonderful Obsessions

I don’t like art. I LOVE it. I love everything about it. There’s nothing like going into a museum or gallery or art show and getting a visual picture of someone else’s imagination. It makes me think. It brings back memories. It scares me out of my flip-flops. And then I’m inspired.

I go home and start a new piece of my own artwork. I love the smell of sharpened pencils and brand-new Strathmore drawing paper. I love the feel of waxy Prismacolor pencils gliding across the paper, creating a rainbow or a waterfall or a face. My breathing slows. My thoughts mellow. It’s a happy place, but it’s also filled with adventure. I love trying hard subjects or new mediums and going through the learning curves and, after several failures, finally making something I’m happy with. Artist’s high!

Yes. This is a wonderful obsession!

Most people have at least one – or two or three. Happy people do. I highly recommend them.

Disclaimer (before you get mad): There are Less-Than-Desirable Obsessions (LTDO’s). They lead to less-than-desirable circumstances. I don’t want to go there.

Let’s just go for the good ones, ones that make the people you live with smile, and hopefully improve their world. After all, your obsession will be shared by your loved ones whether they like it or not.

It should NOT replace your loved ones. They don’t like that very much.

So, if you’re not sure about which kind yours is, you can do a simple ‘honey test’. As in, “Honey, what do you think about me collecting Brazilian poison-arrow frogs?” or “Honey, remember how I always wanted to paint blazing fire down the side of your car?”

If you get a smile or raised eyebrows, it’s usually okay. A frown, an “Uhnnnn . . .”, or “Are you out of your addled mind?!”, will tell you that you’re heading right into LTDO territory. If you want to keep that loved one, you might want to reevaluate.

However, when you find one that works: blood pressure goes down, smile-lines go up, and life is the creamy citrus frosting on a seven-layer cake.

I know someone who raises seahorses. I had no idea they were that tiny or fragile. A friend a few houses down has the greenest thumb and the most beautiful flowers that I’ve ever seen. There are biker dudes and babes, coin collectors, dancers, gourmet chefs, and yes, (shudder), even people who read the National Enquirer. If you willingly pay for and read more than one, that would definitely be walking the LTDO line – unless your loved ones like it, too. Then I guess you’re okay? Maybe? I dunno. You might not want to tell anyone else about it. You might not want to invite people over. You might want to get a new obsession. Quick.

So, here we are. You know one of mine. I’d love to hear about yours. (And if you really do like the National Enquirer, I apologize.) What is your Wonderful Obsession? What do you like about it? Please post a comment. You'll make my day!