In class the other day we were discussing Georia O'Keefe and Alfred Stieglitz. Stieglitz dissuaded O'Keefe from having children because it would divert her focus and passion away from her art and to a child. Painting was her child and she needed to nurture it. This stemmed from a discussion about Offenbach's Tales of Hoffmann, which we are working on in class right now. In the opera, Hoffmann is torn between Love and Art. Muse must keep Hoffmann from falling in love, because if he does he will no longer create art and poetry and story. Hoffmann must choose between his Muse or love. I think it's time to examine this as it relates to my own life. Not that I'm putting tons of effort into finding love, but the pursuit of love constantly fills my thoughts. And it's hurting my work. I've never seen myself as someone who could split equal time between art and personal life. In fact, I probably have an unhealthy devotion to creativity. This page for instance. And every other page I've ever done. The countless hours I've spent creating paintings, stories, poems, drawings, web pages, and errata that nobody has ever seen but me. All of the time I've spent nurturing and stoking ideas that I've discarded. All in a futile pursuit of some level of perfection that I don't think I'll ever obtain. For now, my life will be devoted to me and my work. My life only has time for love or art, not both... and for now I've made a decision as to what is more important. It may not be the right decision, but it's mine.