I did something pretty amazing today. I took out my pastels (vintage 1954) and made a drawing! Not a very good one, mind you—even though I come from a long line of artists, artistic talent is certainly not something of which I have a whole lot. However, I brought my pastels with me to college with the hopes that maybe, if I actually practiced a bit, then my skills would improve. That, sadly, has not happened yet, but at least I am doing something somewhat productive. Unfortunately, I found that my spray fixative from 1987 (yes, I am a connoisseur of vintage art supplies) no longer worked—the aerosol spray valve was broken. I had to buy another can a few days ago ($7.95!) but I guess it was worth it.

I’m rather happy with myself for actually taking the time to draw a bit. College tends to be a lot of work (especially when you have to work to pay for it), and it seems to be a tendency of mine to waste free time with napping or using the computer. However, I’d like to be more productive during my time here, and whipping out the ole’ pastels seems like as good a place as any to start. I do, however, have an idea of several things I would like to do with my free time, instead of just wasting it away:

1. Draw more. Artistry runs in my family (my dad’s side, anyway) but it seems to be something I never picked up. I’d like to be able to draw better, so why not practice? Might take some time, but that’s something I seem to have plenty of (at least, when I’m not doing schoolwork!).
2. Write more. I have a million ideas for various writing projects, but I never seem to get more than a few pages into them. I need to sit down and actually write more often—maybe even every night. I really ought to keep up with my writing notebook, too—especially when I have a good idea. If nothing else, it’s good exercise to write now and again, even if I never use the stuff I put down on paper.
3. Swim more. Swimming’s fun and great exercise, and we have a great pool here at Bucknell—I need to take advantage of that.
4. Play bass guitar more. I’d probably be pretty amazing if I actually practiced bass every now and then; instead, I’m mediocre at best. This is another thing I could spend my valuable time doing.

Although there are surely more things I can add to my list, those are the big ones write now. It’s a good idea to get started on them soon, because (at the risk of sounding clichéd) you never know if you’ll have the time down the road.

In other news, my professor has a doctor’s appointment tomorrow, so my foundation seminar is cancelled. No class in the afternoon—and I can wait until the weekend to write my papers that were due on Friday!