What would I do without the internet?

Morocco and Spain (NASA, International Space Station, 12/31/11) (Photo credit: NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center) What would I do without the internet?

Finally, after days of problem with the internet, everything seems to be sorted out now. Yesterday was spent catching up with my online work, and that took quite a few hours.

I love the internet, as my regular readers will know. It has enabled me to work, and in Spain that it no small thing. Because my work is based in another european country, I can remain relatively safe in my work and for this I feel blessed. Local work is almost impossible to obtain now, and unemployment amongst young people here in Andalucía now runs at 55%. That´s over half of all the under 25´s without employment, and it is causing great distress.

As this recession drags on for yet another year, the effects are now impossible to ignore. I am surrounded by ordinary people who´s lives have been reduced to a struggle by the unimaginable greed of bankers, and I remain as angry about it now as I was when I first realised how much we were all being forced to pay for the sins of the men and women who continue to get rich.

I am definitely due another rant here about bankers, but it will have to wait a while yet. Today I am still getting everything back onto an even keel after my internet free days. This enforced separation from my beloved internet has made me realise that by working via the internet I have put myself in a fairly vulnerable position; I lose the internet, I lose my work and I also lose the ability to sell my art.

This is a problem where I live. My internet does seem to go down with no warning, and take days to put back up. I´m not really too sure why this should be but my service does seem a little dodgy. I hate to rely upon one way of making my living, and would prefer to be able to work and sell paintings in a more direct way but it just is not possible for me here in such a small town in Spain.

So the thing I am very grateful for is also the thing I wish I could do without. It would be lovely to work down the road and sell my art locally. It would be great to actually meet my buyers in person and see how they react to my work, but for the time being the internet is going to be the only way I can make my living.

I did find time to get to my craft group yesterday, so I was able to chat to some real life people for a while, and very enjoyable it was too. I have temporarily abandoned my quilting while I make a patchwork bag for a friend. I´m actually enjoying the change and it may encourage me to work a little harder at my poor unloved quilting once I return to it. I really must take some photos of the lovely work of my fellow crafters, they are incredibly talented.

So, back to painting:The rest of today I plan to get started on my new painting and I have a few ideas already lined up for it. After really having to push myself to complete my last one I now feel more energised and ready to get going again. Hopefully this one will flow a little more easily and will soon be ready to show you all , via my lovely internet of course……

Have a good day everyone,

Judy xxx