Americano in the Morning

Just the smell of fresh ground coffee beans drives me crazy…it’s just so heavenly! I’ve been sick over the past two weeks, and missed my Americano so much. Coffee’s just such a versatile drink. It’s the kick you need in the morning, the drink of good conversations, and to me a latte is the best comfort of all. If I’m really down it must be served in a Parisian bowl (although the bowls aren’t reserved for only that occasion). Anyway, just haven’t raved about my love for coffee in awhile.

The good thing about being sick is sleep, much needed sleep. The schedule of my day leaves me with an average 5 - 6 hours for sleep each night, I do some graphic design work in the evenings, after Jayden’s asleep, but the ideas and images still play on my mind long after my head hits the pillow. Last night I managed to get 2 hours.

I’m thankful for the sleep I get – I certainly don’t mean to complain. I met a sales woman in a store last summer while Jayden slept on my shoulder (when I shop – I go hard. He’ll get used to it; after all it’s only his first year). So the sales lady and I started talking about kids, then our sleep patterns. She only slept 8 hours in a week. The curse of a creative mind I thought. So I asked, and yes, she’s writing a novel. We had fun discussing our creative endeavors and how computers should make everything easier, yet there’s something about paper and pen that is just so freeing. It’s such a thrill when you find someone who can understand the power of this desire to create.

All good things have their downside. I wonder if creativity and lack of sleep go together, because the best ideas come late at night. So here’s an example, I don’t know that it’s a good idea yet – but I’d like to paint it out and see. The other night the image of a little chocolate pig playing hide and seek distracted me from my near sleep state (you know that feeling when you are still aware of your surroundings, but a dream is just beginning). It’s random and strange but the little pig counting against the warm red and orange wall was striking. I noticed the composition and how the light was glistening off his chocolate body and thought “…mmm chocolate, I’m hungry. I wonder where the other pigs are. Does the counting pig have friends, is he lonely? Did they all run away on him or will he find them… or will he be eaten first? And then what does it matter? Why am I thinking about chocolate pigs when I need to sleep?” …and on and on it goes, and I wonder if I should paint it for Jayden’s room? Maybe make it into a children’s book. Why didn’t this image pass by with the rest...

At 6:30 am the coffee beans smell so good. So that's why I love an Americano in the morning!