TV Turn off week

My family has successfully navigated tv turn off week! The great thing about it was that the kids didn't even seem to miss it. They never asked to turn it on at all. The bad thing about it was that we came back from sunny Florida to rainy cold Maine and we were stuck inside. In the late afternoons, we attended programs put on by the Curtis Memorial Library. (Our fabulous library.) We went to kids yoga, and to a family game night. On Friday evening, the school had a May day contra dance that was lots of fun. I must say that life without the tv felt like a lot more work for me. I use it as a chance to make a quiet phone call, write on the blog, or make dinner. I'd like the kids to be more self-motivated when I need these short rest times during the day. I suppose that will happen when they are a little older.

On another note. My wonderful husband made me a light box so I can easily trace my sketches onto final paper. Yea! I had been working with the tracing paper and final paper taped to the window of my studio to use the sunlight. Now I can work in the evenings too when children are sleeping.

I was able to complete an illustration using photoshop and submit it to the SCBWI illustration contest that happens every six weeks or so. I definetly see errors now, but for me it is more an issue of just taking the step to enter the contest. A few years ago I would have fretted over it until the deadline past and then complained that I didn't have enough time. (A lot of the time I don't have goes into the tv.) I think that is progress.

I hope I can take the lessons from tv turn off week( a lot can get done if you walk away from the tv) and vacation (relax, don't yell) and be more productive. I am itching to settle on a new postcard design and send out another round of promotion to art directors. Speaking of art directors... that's another post.