Wayfaring: Artist Is Working

I'm in the middle of a Tumblr introspection challenge, and today was "Love Yourself Day." I was challenged to drink some tea, listen to good music, and read a book. I only did one thing out of those three, but I made it my own twist. I slept in until 11, took my time getting ready this morning, and then set out on a mini-adventure.

I've been in the mood for art lately. Since I started work at 4 today, I couldn't go to DC. I remembered that Hagerstown has a nice Art Museum in its city park, but it's closed on Mondays. So, I found the Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center in Downtown Frederick. I don't go into Frederick often and when I do, it's never downtown. I don't know the roads very well, but I decided it couldn't be that hard to find the art center, right? I had just watched a Do Lecture about a couple who sold everything they had and decided to bike down the Pacific Coastal Highway, from Washington State to the Mexican border, and one of the running themes that stuck with me was, "If you're not uncomfortable at least once a day, then you're not doing something memorable." Watch it here, and check out the site. There are a lot of cool lectures.

So, with that being in mind, I decided to do something uncomfortable. I listened to some wonderful music on the ride to and from Frederick, and I drank water instead of tea, read artist info instead of books. I got there and basically had the whole gallery to myself. It was filled with photography, watercolors, and acrylic pieces by local artists. It's small, and runs on donations, so if you ever go, don't be afraid to give them your pocket change or a check. Their gift store is amazing, with a lot of prints and hand-crafted jewelry and accessories. Frederick is definitely a cultural city; it has old, historic aspects but also a great contemporary food, art, and music scene. Worth the trip, every time.

Afterward, I walked along the Carroll Creek Promenade, which is always wonderful. The creek was frozen solid, and there weren't a lot of people out because of the cold, understandably. I was able to spend an hour in the area before heading to the Visitor Center, which has only been in its current location for three years. The lady at the front desk gave me a ton of brochures and suggested a 14-min movie that runs on a loop. It's actually really good, so if you go there, plan 14 minutes for it, and pick up maps on the C&O Canal, the Appalachian Trail, and the Civil War landmarks in the VA-MD area.

Lastly, on my way home, I swung by Sweet Frog and got some frozen yogurt. Everyone was nice that I came across today, and I came into work feeling peaceful and rejuvenated. It was definitely a "Love Yourself Day" for sure. So much fun.