Time for input

I heard an interview with legendary guitarist Peter Frampton where he talked about the necessity of taking time to recharge one's creative batteries.  "In order to get good output," he said, "you need to allow time for input."

I have had a lot of output since we moved our lives to Okotoks, went through a renovation process, and settled into a daily routine of getting up early and out to the studio by 6:30 am.  I have been doing this faithfully for at least five months, seven days a week.  And while I've taken some time to get out and smell the roses, or the crisp winter air in more recent days, I'm feeling the need to give myself a more extended break.  That removal from routine is fast approaching, as Rob and I will depart for Cambodia at the end of the month.

This trip will be a little different than the ones I have previously taken.  Heather and Ben are staying back to watch after Coco.  They will go on a trip of their own as soon as I return to Canada in mid-February.  And while Rob is travelling to southeast Asia with me, he is opting to stay in that part of the world longer than I.  So, I will be making the trip home solo, an experience I have never had. 

I always go on these trips with an open mind and heart.  In other words, I don't over plan anything.  I prefer to see what happens while we are there and just go with it.  I anticipate spending lots of time in the village where the house we have sponsored will be built, getting to know the families and the neighbours.  I also imagine that Rob and I will spend a day out at Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world.

My camera will always be close by, capturing the experience and providing fodder for future paintings. As I sit here typing, I'm thinking that it would be interesting to do a collage of all the paintings that have emerged from my time in southeast Asia. (I took a few minutes to put that together.  It is at the top of this blog post.) This will be trip number three for those who are following along.