Barrington Love...

I was up in Barrington, the art building, until almost 1am last night. I had to redo this project, and it had to be done by 9am today. I was tired and frustrated and less then thrilled about the situation.

So at 10pm, after seeing Enchanted April, which, by the way, was fantastic, and while all my friends were heading over to the dance party in Jenks Library, I shuffled up the stairs with a sigh. I wanted to go to bed. I was exhausted, I had been all week.

But then... there is something peaceful about Barrington at night.
I got into the studio. I shuffled around a bit, not really sure what I was doing. And then I grabbed paint. I grabbed brushes. I grabbed tracing paper, transfer paper, and an x-acto knife. And I started to work.
I'd forgotten how much I love being in that building at night, with no one else around, just me, my art, my music, and God. One of the few places you can really think and be alone on campus. So I thought and I worked and the ideas came and the process flowed. My iPod was on shuffle and provided the soundtrack, ranging from David Crowder, to Elvis, to the Ramones, to Deathcab, to Regina Spektor. Just my art and me and no distractions.
And it felt so good, so fulfilling and I'd forgotten that. I'd forgotten how much I loved to just create, because in the hustle and bustle of recent weeks, I feel like there has been much more destruction, things cracking, breaking, then there has been creation, building up. And I remembered once again how good I felt, how satisfied. How I was meant to make art.

At 12:49, I was finished. My new piece, while no masterpiece, was a vast improvement over the first. And I felt good. And as I walked back from Barrington to Ferrin in the warm spring air, I couldn't help smiling. It seemed silly, walking along at 1 am, iPod still playing, in the dark, grinning to myself. But I couldn't help it. I just felt good.
And I got back to my dorm, and I crawled in to my bed and went to sleep. And then I slept until 10, which was a miracle itself.

So, while this week was hard, I made it. And it ended well, and all those little cracks that were appearing so quickly earlier are slowly being filled in.

Life is beautiful. God has blessed me.