Whirlwind | Dawn Originals

‘Cupcake’, ‘Sweetie’, ‘Honey’, were endearing nicknames given my little friends by their family.

My Mom called me “Hurricane”.

Eventually, as a sensitive adolescent, I suggested the destructive meaning of the name was a bit offensive.

“Ok,” she said. “How about Whirlwind?” with a twinkle in her eye. The irony not lost on her, I was under 5 feet tall, less than 100 pounds.

A Force of Nature, she said.

My brother calls me “Taz” for the cartoon character, Tasmanian Devil. “In a really good way.” he adds.

Its this positive force of energy I often channel in the studio. Finding balance between this kinetic enthusiasm and calm deliberation is key.

After all, the turtle wins.. channeling the hare in spurts. Like HIIT.

HIIT training emerged into the fitness world by storm in 2010. The appeal reaches beyond health benefits, attracting those with less time for fitness.

High Intensity Interval Training is applying quick intense bursts of effort alternating with periods of rest, or of lower intensity.

HIIT also great practice for creating art.

Artist demonstration ‘shorts’ ( brief glimpse of process) and artist work-in-progess videos are a popular request. Onlookers want to be entertained. Interactive multi media viewers want to know methods. SEE the action condensed to 10 second video.

Skills long developed may look effortless, giving the impression the art ‘arrived’ to the artist unbidden, unperceived, without intention.

Much of an artists process is problem solving internally. If you can’t see the struggle, like in a running race, it’s hard to convince there is any kind of deliberation.

Prolific doesn’t mean easy. Fast doesn’t necessarily mean “skilled” nor does slow.