Or Raves and Rants on the Imagination
Diana Claire Douglas
"I love the imagination!"
I love the imagination! It's the best! This has been a life-long love affair - although not always a conscious one. I have loved exploring my inner world, through daydreams and night dreams. Also, I've always made things - cut-and-paste as a child, quilted wallhangings as a young adult, and now intuitive paintings. In the making, I have felt deeply at home, at one with mySelf.
As an adult, for the last umpteen years, I have explored spirituality and consciousness. Who am I? Why am I here? Where do I belong? Whom am I serving? These have been some of the questions that have guided me on my inner journey. Learning how to bring awareness to all aspects of life - that is the challenge!
Ten years ago - can it be that long already? - I wanted to learn how to successfully self-publish my own books. If I could do that, I imagined, I would be creating a bridge from my inner world - that happy, abundant, alive place - with the outer world of manifestation and doing. I would be able to bring my gifts to the world.
I met an author, John Kehoe, who had been wildly successful in self-publishing - at the time having sold over half a million copies of his book Mindpower. He offered a class on how to manifest (long before The Secret!) I imagined that what I would learn was a description of how the mind actually worked in order to manifest - you know, a how-to manual of the
underlying structure of the mind. Although the class was helpful - we were given many exercises where we had to use our imaginations - the manual was missing. (And I'm grateful that it was - thanks John!)
I can remember sitting on a green fabric-covered chair, in a crowded and darkened hotel conference room, excitement in the air - we too could manifest our dreams like John had done! In popped these thoughts: he isn't explaining how the mind and/or imagination works, just that it works. Something is missing here. Anyway, what is the imagination, really?
At which point I had a little conversation with the Universe - my response to the inspiration I had just received. DC to universe: Now that's a good question! A very good question! Oh, You want me to do something with the question? Like what? Just keep asking the question and see what happens. Ok, that I can do!
So, it is true, for ten years I have been asking the question, of myself and many, many others: What is the imagination, really? It's been quite the trip! And now - who would have imagined it back then - I get to blog about - THE IMAGINIATION! I can hardly wait.
And, perhaps, while you wait for the next installment, you might ask yourself: What is the imagination?
-------------------------
Diana Claire Douglas is an intuitive painter, sometime writer, educator and creativity and publishing coach. She has painted innumerable paintings and published three books. She loves asking big questions that take her on great adventures! One of these questions is: What is the imagination, really? So far she has asked over 120 people this question as well as kept a journal for two years on how she uses her own imagination. She has learned a lot about the imagination and hopes to keep on learning more by sharing her rants and raves on this blog. One of her websites is www.paintingwithspirit.com
Read more!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
THE SPIRIT OF CREATIVITY FROM THE ISLANDS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
Andrea Avari, Ph.D.
Living in Creative Chaos
I have begun to make friends with uncertainty. It hasn’t been easy. I watch the ocean rolling forward with certainty in a high tide and then retreating from the shore and exposing the oyster beds with a regularity that is comforting. The tide tables have the changes described to the exact meter and the exact time each transition will occur.
I see the same pattern in my own thinking and behaviors at times. I like the safety and security that it affords until I realize that it is becoming restricting. My creativity is limited to moments of “feeling good”.
We all have times of wanting to be in control and to exercise our power. Our ego wants its “way.” We don’t want to make mistakes; we like “getting it right the first time.” We are not as interested in the process of observing and supporting ourselves as we work through obstacles as we are in “being perfect”. We bring in the judgments of ourselves as though these fear-based thoughts would actually motivate us to connect with our innate creativity from our Source. Because it is an old repeating behavior pattern, it tends to feel known and comforting even though it is blocking our wellspring of creativity that originates within our inner Self.
Other times we restrict ourselves to limiting our creative boundaries because we instinctively want approval from others. That is old behavior that served us well when we needed to be part of a group for survival. Moving beyond that point we can now access our potential of transformation into that which we really are…..the Self that is unbounded. It is the Source of our most precious creativity, the expression of who we truly are.
The Self exists in the present moment of uncertainty. The tide that is calm and inviting to a kayaker may suddenly turn windy and rough. A log may be around the corner, a big wave that came out of nowhere, no one knows for certain. If the kayaker holds onto fear and operates out of the energy of anxiety, the creative response will be rigid and limiting. If the rider can focus on trusting one’s inner process of the present moment instead, the rider will know instinctively how to be with the kayak so that it will flow naturally with the movement of the water.
Creativity comes into its essence when we are uncertain. When we live each moment as an opening to what is possible rather than presupposing how it “should be”, we are in the flow of our authentic self. If we can allow ourselves to appreciate the uncertainty of the moment, the ego can step aside and spirit flows through us. If we choose fear, the ego steps in to protect us, limiting us to our contracted worldly-self, emitting sporadic spurts of creativity.
Learning to hold ourselves steady in moments of uncertainty means that we allow the opportunity of the unlimited unknown to bring us into newness. In every moment we can choose to release old thoughts that no longer serve us, letting go of stereotypical thinking, moving limiting energy from our bodies, and changing our behavioral responses to life’s opportunities for growth in our creative process.
Whether we are creating visually, through the verbal or written word, in dreams, or with our bodies, every moment in our lives ask us to make a choice to live in the ultimate creative expression of who we are. If we learn to ride the waves of uncertainty, we can know that we are truly present and living in the flowing energy of our creativity.
___
Andrea Avari, Ph.D. is the author of A Hit of Heaven: a soul’s journey through illusion. She may be contacted through her website at andeaavari.com or andrea@andreaavari.com. Read more!
Living in Creative Chaos
I have begun to make friends with uncertainty. It hasn’t been easy. I watch the ocean rolling forward with certainty in a high tide and then retreating from the shore and exposing the oyster beds with a regularity that is comforting. The tide tables have the changes described to the exact meter and the exact time each transition will occur.
I see the same pattern in my own thinking and behaviors at times. I like the safety and security that it affords until I realize that it is becoming restricting. My creativity is limited to moments of “feeling good”.
We all have times of wanting to be in control and to exercise our power. Our ego wants its “way.” We don’t want to make mistakes; we like “getting it right the first time.” We are not as interested in the process of observing and supporting ourselves as we work through obstacles as we are in “being perfect”. We bring in the judgments of ourselves as though these fear-based thoughts would actually motivate us to connect with our innate creativity from our Source. Because it is an old repeating behavior pattern, it tends to feel known and comforting even though it is blocking our wellspring of creativity that originates within our inner Self.
Other times we restrict ourselves to limiting our creative boundaries because we instinctively want approval from others. That is old behavior that served us well when we needed to be part of a group for survival. Moving beyond that point we can now access our potential of transformation into that which we really are…..the Self that is unbounded. It is the Source of our most precious creativity, the expression of who we truly are.
The Self exists in the present moment of uncertainty. The tide that is calm and inviting to a kayaker may suddenly turn windy and rough. A log may be around the corner, a big wave that came out of nowhere, no one knows for certain. If the kayaker holds onto fear and operates out of the energy of anxiety, the creative response will be rigid and limiting. If the rider can focus on trusting one’s inner process of the present moment instead, the rider will know instinctively how to be with the kayak so that it will flow naturally with the movement of the water.
Creativity comes into its essence when we are uncertain. When we live each moment as an opening to what is possible rather than presupposing how it “should be”, we are in the flow of our authentic self. If we can allow ourselves to appreciate the uncertainty of the moment, the ego can step aside and spirit flows through us. If we choose fear, the ego steps in to protect us, limiting us to our contracted worldly-self, emitting sporadic spurts of creativity.
Learning to hold ourselves steady in moments of uncertainty means that we allow the opportunity of the unlimited unknown to bring us into newness. In every moment we can choose to release old thoughts that no longer serve us, letting go of stereotypical thinking, moving limiting energy from our bodies, and changing our behavioral responses to life’s opportunities for growth in our creative process.
Whether we are creating visually, through the verbal or written word, in dreams, or with our bodies, every moment in our lives ask us to make a choice to live in the ultimate creative expression of who we are. If we learn to ride the waves of uncertainty, we can know that we are truly present and living in the flowing energy of our creativity.
___
Andrea Avari, Ph.D. is the author of A Hit of Heaven: a soul’s journey through illusion. She may be contacted through her website at andeaavari.com or andrea@andreaavari.com. Read more!
NOTES FROM A HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO
Michele Zimmerman
Dust particles dance around me
My very first posting in this new blog. I have to read what I wrote months ago:
Notes from a Heart in San Francisco
Musings from one woman who strives for the authentic / creative self.
Oh yeah. ThatÆs right. IÆm searching for the authentic / creative self. Life has been a distraction for that search. Or has it?
Remember when you were a child and a ray of sunshine would allow you to see dust flying all over your room as you lie in your bed, early in the morning? Remember how youÆd wonder if these little dots flying all over and around you were always there? Trying to imagine that even without that light beam there are millions and trillions of dust particles dancing around you every moment of the dayàI remember trying to catch them. I never could.
This is what searching for the authentic self feels like to me. Like these familiar little dust particles, it really is around me (and you) all the time. Every once in a while if I am lucky enough, I might get a glimpse of it. And when I get a glimpse of it, it is not because I searched hard enough and found it. It is because I didnÆt search. It just happened.
And these familiar little dust particles are not really around you only, but in you as you breathe them in and out; they are on your fingers and move around every time your fingers moveàthe authentic self is really not something that is out there to be found. It already is in youàit is every atom and cell of who you are. It is your skin, your hair, your blood, your brain, your mindàit is all of you and more.
And so why is it so difficult to feel authentic all the time? YeahàitÆs that age old Nature / Nurture dilemma. When you look at a newborn, you see the authentic self in its purest form. It is real. It is raw. Soon enough though, the invisible layers of environmental influences begin to attach themselves to your every cell, atom, skin, hair, blood, brain, mindàyou become more and more a reflection of the surroundings you were born into. And so, the distractions begin. You become self-conscious. You react to exterior stimuli. You adjust to the cards you were drawn. You might be a white privileged child in South Africa; or a little farmerÆs girl in a remote village in China; or the child of a crack addictàof a movie staràof a homeless woman with HIV in Indiaàof a schoolteacher in Scotlandàor you are abandoned and raised in a neglected orphanage in Rumaniaàand you are distracted by the pressures to perform, by the expectations to succeed, by the need to survive, by the desire to find food and shelter.
The authentic self is very very far from your mind. You donÆt even know it exists.
And yet some of us randomly stumble upon it. Some of us are introduced to it. And we begin the ôsearchö backwards. We begin to look at the layers and try to remove them. We look for tools that help us do that: therapy, meditation, yoga, prayer, artà
And we begin to walk the path of constant frustration and pain. We fear the rawness below each layer. We run away from it. We distract ourselves. When things calm down we turn around again and slowly walk towards it. Some of us jump off the cliff. Some of us give up.
But we are now aware of the little dust particles. We now know that they exist. And every once in a while for a moment, for an hour, for a dayàwe are in love. We feel it in our breath. We see it in the trees. We hear it in a song. And because we taste it, we always end up back on the path. We always long for the gentle breath of the newborn that we once were.
And yesàI am one of these. So are you. I am not there yet. I taste it every once in a while. Enough for me not to give up.
And where does creativity fit in? Is it the result of what we discover on our search or is it another tool that helps us along the way? IÆd like to believe that it is both. Creativity has become my teacher. It is also becoming the portal to expressing every emotion along the way. It is becoming my way to expose my struggles and my epiphanies to the world. It is becoming my confession to the world: I am desperately longing to be my authentic Self.
And soàthe dust particles dance around me. I see them right now. I am in love.
****************************************
In German:
Mein allererstes Schreiben f³r dieses neue Blog. Ich muss was ich vor Monaten geschrieben hatte wieder lesen.
Anmerkungen einer Frau die nach dem authentischen / kreativen Selbst sucht.
Ach ja. Das warÆs. Ich suche nach dem authentischen / kreativen Selbst. Das Leben hat mich von dieser Suche abgelenkt. Oder hat es?
Erinnerst du dich als Du ein kleines Kind warst und ein Sonnenstrahl erlaubte Dir den Staub zu sehen der in deinem Zimmer rum flog, ganz fr³h morgens? Erinnerst Du dich wie du dich wundertest ob diese kleine Punkte die um dich flogen immer da waren? Sich vorzustellen dass es Millionen und Trillionen solche Staubteilchen auch ohne Lichtstrahl gibt...Ich erinnere mich wie ich versuchte sie zu fangen. Ich habe es nie geschafft.
Und so ist es f³r mich zu versuchen mein authentisches Selbst zu finden. Genau wie diese kleine Staubteilchen ist das Selbst immer um mich (und dich). Ab und zu, wenn ich mal Gl³ck habe, sehe ich es f³r einen kurzen Moment. Und wenn ich es kurz sehe, ist es nicht weil ich danach schwer gesucht und gefunden habe. Es ist weil ich nicht gesucht habe. Es ist einfach passiert.
Genau wie die bekannten kleinen Staubteilchen nicht nur um dich sind, sie existieren in deinem Atem, sie sind auf deine Finger und bewegen sich jedes Mal wenn deine Finger sich bewegen...das authentische Selbst ist wirklich nichts äda drau▀enô das man finden muss. Es existiert schon in dich...es ist in deiner Zelle, in deinem Atom. Es ist in deiner Haut, deinem Haar, deinem Blut, deinem Gehirn, deinem Verstand...es ist dein Ganzes und noch mehr.
Warum also ist es so schwierig sich immer authentisch zu f³hlen? Ja...es ist das alte Dilemma zwischen angeborenen und anerzogenen Entwicklungsfaktoren. Wenn Du dir ein Neugeborenes Kind anschaust, siehst du das Authentische. Es ist pur. Es ist echt. Es ist roh. Kurz danach fangen die unsichtbaren Schichten der Umwelteinwirkungen sich an jeder Zelle, Atom, Haut, Haar, Blut, Gehirn, Verstand zu kleben. Du wirst mehr und mehr das Spiegelbild deines Umfeldes. Und dann fangen die Ablenkungen an. Du wirst selbstbewusst. Du reagierst auf õu▀ere Anregungen. Du passt dich an die Karten an die du gezogen hast. Vielleicht bist du ein privilegiertes wei▀es Kind in S³d Afrika. Oder ein kleines Bauernkind in einem kleinen Dorf in China. Oder ein Kind einer Cracks³chtigen Frau...eines Film Stars...einer obdachlosen HIV-infektierten Frau in Indien...eines Lehrers in Schotland...oder du bist aufgegeben und in einem vernachlõssigten Waisenhaus in Rumõnien aufgewachsen...und du wirst abgelenkt von dem Leistungsdruck, von den Erwartungen erfolgreich zu sein, ³berleben zu m³ssen, essen und Wohnung zu finden...
Das authentische Selbst ist sehr weit entfernt. Du wei▀t gar nicht dass es existiert.
Und doch gibt es einige von uns die zufõllig drauf sto▀en. Einige von lernen es kennen. Und wir beginnen die "Suche" von r³ckwõrts an. Wir beginnen uns die Schichten anzuschauen und versuchen Sie zu entfernen. Wir suchen Werkzeuge, die uns damit helfen: Therapie, Meditation, Yoga, Gebet, Kunstà
Und wir beginnen zu Fu▀ den Weg der stõndigen Frustration und Schmerz zu gehen. Wir f³rchten uns von der Rohheit unterhalb jeder Schicht. Wir laufen von ihr weg. Wir lenken uns ab. Wenn die Lage sich beruhigt drehen wir uns um und gehen wieder langsam in ihrer Richtung. Einige von uns springen von der Klippe. Einige von uns geben auf.
Aber wir sind uns jetzt von den kleinen Staubteilchen bewusst. Wir wissen jetzt, dass sie existieren. Und ab und zu sind wir f³r einen kurzen Moment, f³r eine Stunde, einen Tagà verliebt. Wir sp³ren es in unseren Atem. Wir sehen es in den Bõumen. Wir h÷ren es in einem Lied. Und weil wir es auch schmecken, finden wir uns letztendlich immer wieder auf den Weg. Wir sehnen uns immer wieder nach den sanften Atem des Neugeborenen, den wir einmal waren.
Und jaà Ich bin eine von diesen. Du auch. Ich bin noch nicht angekommen. Ich schmecke es immer wieder ab und zu. Genug um nicht aufzugeben.
Und wohin passt die Kreativitõt? Ist es das Ergebnis von dem, was wir auf unserer Suche entdecken oder ist es ein weiteres Werkzeug, das uns auf dem Weg hilft? Ich w³rde gern glauben, dass es beides ist. Kreativitõt ist mein Lehrer geworden. Es ist auch das Portal jede Emotion auf dem Weg zum Ausdruck zu bringen. Es ist mein Weg, um meinen Kampf und meine Erleuchtung der Welt blo▀zustellen. Immer wieder ist es mein Bekenntnis zur Welt: Ich sehne mich verzweifelt nach meinem authentischen Selbst.
Und soà tanzen die Staubteilchen um mich herum. Ich sehe sie. Ich bin verliebt.
********************************
MichÞle lives in San Francisco and works part-time with InternationalStudents. The other half of her time is spent walking the crooked path towards complete authenticity, creative expression and a simpledesire to be real. She bears no titles or PhDs. She just is and dares to share her struggles and epiphanies with the world. Her current blog: http://www.mikkelina.wordpress.com
Read more!
Dust particles dance around me
My very first posting in this new blog. I have to read what I wrote months ago:
Notes from a Heart in San Francisco
Musings from one woman who strives for the authentic / creative self.
Oh yeah. ThatÆs right. IÆm searching for the authentic / creative self. Life has been a distraction for that search. Or has it?
Remember when you were a child and a ray of sunshine would allow you to see dust flying all over your room as you lie in your bed, early in the morning? Remember how youÆd wonder if these little dots flying all over and around you were always there? Trying to imagine that even without that light beam there are millions and trillions of dust particles dancing around you every moment of the dayàI remember trying to catch them. I never could.
This is what searching for the authentic self feels like to me. Like these familiar little dust particles, it really is around me (and you) all the time. Every once in a while if I am lucky enough, I might get a glimpse of it. And when I get a glimpse of it, it is not because I searched hard enough and found it. It is because I didnÆt search. It just happened.
And these familiar little dust particles are not really around you only, but in you as you breathe them in and out; they are on your fingers and move around every time your fingers moveàthe authentic self is really not something that is out there to be found. It already is in youàit is every atom and cell of who you are. It is your skin, your hair, your blood, your brain, your mindàit is all of you and more.
And so why is it so difficult to feel authentic all the time? YeahàitÆs that age old Nature / Nurture dilemma. When you look at a newborn, you see the authentic self in its purest form. It is real. It is raw. Soon enough though, the invisible layers of environmental influences begin to attach themselves to your every cell, atom, skin, hair, blood, brain, mindàyou become more and more a reflection of the surroundings you were born into. And so, the distractions begin. You become self-conscious. You react to exterior stimuli. You adjust to the cards you were drawn. You might be a white privileged child in South Africa; or a little farmerÆs girl in a remote village in China; or the child of a crack addictàof a movie staràof a homeless woman with HIV in Indiaàof a schoolteacher in Scotlandàor you are abandoned and raised in a neglected orphanage in Rumaniaàand you are distracted by the pressures to perform, by the expectations to succeed, by the need to survive, by the desire to find food and shelter.
The authentic self is very very far from your mind. You donÆt even know it exists.
And yet some of us randomly stumble upon it. Some of us are introduced to it. And we begin the ôsearchö backwards. We begin to look at the layers and try to remove them. We look for tools that help us do that: therapy, meditation, yoga, prayer, artà
And we begin to walk the path of constant frustration and pain. We fear the rawness below each layer. We run away from it. We distract ourselves. When things calm down we turn around again and slowly walk towards it. Some of us jump off the cliff. Some of us give up.
But we are now aware of the little dust particles. We now know that they exist. And every once in a while for a moment, for an hour, for a dayàwe are in love. We feel it in our breath. We see it in the trees. We hear it in a song. And because we taste it, we always end up back on the path. We always long for the gentle breath of the newborn that we once were.
And yesàI am one of these. So are you. I am not there yet. I taste it every once in a while. Enough for me not to give up.
And where does creativity fit in? Is it the result of what we discover on our search or is it another tool that helps us along the way? IÆd like to believe that it is both. Creativity has become my teacher. It is also becoming the portal to expressing every emotion along the way. It is becoming my way to expose my struggles and my epiphanies to the world. It is becoming my confession to the world: I am desperately longing to be my authentic Self.
And soàthe dust particles dance around me. I see them right now. I am in love.
****************************************
In German:
Mein allererstes Schreiben f³r dieses neue Blog. Ich muss was ich vor Monaten geschrieben hatte wieder lesen.
Anmerkungen einer Frau die nach dem authentischen / kreativen Selbst sucht.
Ach ja. Das warÆs. Ich suche nach dem authentischen / kreativen Selbst. Das Leben hat mich von dieser Suche abgelenkt. Oder hat es?
Erinnerst du dich als Du ein kleines Kind warst und ein Sonnenstrahl erlaubte Dir den Staub zu sehen der in deinem Zimmer rum flog, ganz fr³h morgens? Erinnerst Du dich wie du dich wundertest ob diese kleine Punkte die um dich flogen immer da waren? Sich vorzustellen dass es Millionen und Trillionen solche Staubteilchen auch ohne Lichtstrahl gibt...Ich erinnere mich wie ich versuchte sie zu fangen. Ich habe es nie geschafft.
Und so ist es f³r mich zu versuchen mein authentisches Selbst zu finden. Genau wie diese kleine Staubteilchen ist das Selbst immer um mich (und dich). Ab und zu, wenn ich mal Gl³ck habe, sehe ich es f³r einen kurzen Moment. Und wenn ich es kurz sehe, ist es nicht weil ich danach schwer gesucht und gefunden habe. Es ist weil ich nicht gesucht habe. Es ist einfach passiert.
Genau wie die bekannten kleinen Staubteilchen nicht nur um dich sind, sie existieren in deinem Atem, sie sind auf deine Finger und bewegen sich jedes Mal wenn deine Finger sich bewegen...das authentische Selbst ist wirklich nichts äda drau▀enô das man finden muss. Es existiert schon in dich...es ist in deiner Zelle, in deinem Atom. Es ist in deiner Haut, deinem Haar, deinem Blut, deinem Gehirn, deinem Verstand...es ist dein Ganzes und noch mehr.
Warum also ist es so schwierig sich immer authentisch zu f³hlen? Ja...es ist das alte Dilemma zwischen angeborenen und anerzogenen Entwicklungsfaktoren. Wenn Du dir ein Neugeborenes Kind anschaust, siehst du das Authentische. Es ist pur. Es ist echt. Es ist roh. Kurz danach fangen die unsichtbaren Schichten der Umwelteinwirkungen sich an jeder Zelle, Atom, Haut, Haar, Blut, Gehirn, Verstand zu kleben. Du wirst mehr und mehr das Spiegelbild deines Umfeldes. Und dann fangen die Ablenkungen an. Du wirst selbstbewusst. Du reagierst auf õu▀ere Anregungen. Du passt dich an die Karten an die du gezogen hast. Vielleicht bist du ein privilegiertes wei▀es Kind in S³d Afrika. Oder ein kleines Bauernkind in einem kleinen Dorf in China. Oder ein Kind einer Cracks³chtigen Frau...eines Film Stars...einer obdachlosen HIV-infektierten Frau in Indien...eines Lehrers in Schotland...oder du bist aufgegeben und in einem vernachlõssigten Waisenhaus in Rumõnien aufgewachsen...und du wirst abgelenkt von dem Leistungsdruck, von den Erwartungen erfolgreich zu sein, ³berleben zu m³ssen, essen und Wohnung zu finden...
Das authentische Selbst ist sehr weit entfernt. Du wei▀t gar nicht dass es existiert.
Und doch gibt es einige von uns die zufõllig drauf sto▀en. Einige von lernen es kennen. Und wir beginnen die "Suche" von r³ckwõrts an. Wir beginnen uns die Schichten anzuschauen und versuchen Sie zu entfernen. Wir suchen Werkzeuge, die uns damit helfen: Therapie, Meditation, Yoga, Gebet, Kunstà
Und wir beginnen zu Fu▀ den Weg der stõndigen Frustration und Schmerz zu gehen. Wir f³rchten uns von der Rohheit unterhalb jeder Schicht. Wir laufen von ihr weg. Wir lenken uns ab. Wenn die Lage sich beruhigt drehen wir uns um und gehen wieder langsam in ihrer Richtung. Einige von uns springen von der Klippe. Einige von uns geben auf.
Aber wir sind uns jetzt von den kleinen Staubteilchen bewusst. Wir wissen jetzt, dass sie existieren. Und ab und zu sind wir f³r einen kurzen Moment, f³r eine Stunde, einen Tagà verliebt. Wir sp³ren es in unseren Atem. Wir sehen es in den Bõumen. Wir h÷ren es in einem Lied. Und weil wir es auch schmecken, finden wir uns letztendlich immer wieder auf den Weg. Wir sehnen uns immer wieder nach den sanften Atem des Neugeborenen, den wir einmal waren.
Und jaà Ich bin eine von diesen. Du auch. Ich bin noch nicht angekommen. Ich schmecke es immer wieder ab und zu. Genug um nicht aufzugeben.
Und wohin passt die Kreativitõt? Ist es das Ergebnis von dem, was wir auf unserer Suche entdecken oder ist es ein weiteres Werkzeug, das uns auf dem Weg hilft? Ich w³rde gern glauben, dass es beides ist. Kreativitõt ist mein Lehrer geworden. Es ist auch das Portal jede Emotion auf dem Weg zum Ausdruck zu bringen. Es ist mein Weg, um meinen Kampf und meine Erleuchtung der Welt blo▀zustellen. Immer wieder ist es mein Bekenntnis zur Welt: Ich sehne mich verzweifelt nach meinem authentischen Selbst.
Und soà tanzen die Staubteilchen um mich herum. Ich sehe sie. Ich bin verliebt.
********************************
MichÞle lives in San Francisco and works part-time with InternationalStudents. The other half of her time is spent walking the crooked path towards complete authenticity, creative expression and a simpledesire to be real. She bears no titles or PhDs. She just is and dares to share her struggles and epiphanies with the world. Her current blog: http://www.mikkelina.wordpress.com
Read more!
BERLIN BRIEFE
On being a parent and an artist at the same time
Katrin Stehle
„WHY ARE YOU SO STRANGE AT THE MOMENT?“
- Mum writes a sad novel -
The publishing industry is slow. A few year ago I submitted an expose and some pages for a young-adult-novel. Finally they want to publish it. The novel is sad, it’s about someone whose twin-brother kills himself.
During the process of writing and as I try to get into the mood of the book, I usually kind of turn into my characters while I used to write in one big session. It was a bit like a trip lasting for about 7 days. Afterwards my flat looked like a dump – I was on a high before I got very, very tired, but could not slep because I finally realise how the novel would be so much better, if I just...
Now I have a one and half year old son. And I am living together with my boyfriend. I can’t have these long writing sessions anymore, I have to write in between, for short time-spans. It takes me about half an hour to get into the flow. When I am completely immersed in my writing I have to stop, go to the playground, cook or clean up the mess while my son is hanging on my leg or chasing me around with a water-pistol. I try to save my computer and my books...
My boyfriend comes home from his studio and asks: „What’s going on? Why are you so sad again?“
„I am not sad. I am writing“.
„But why are you doing that when it makes you sad?“
What should I say? I love to be sad? Because I love to write?
Then the „I-am-a-bad-mother-thought“ hits me. If I am not happy and balanced in a minute he won’t sleep at night. And who knows what kind of damage it will do to him? I try to breathe. Finally I am balanced again and then there is some time, writing-time. I need half an hour to get back into writing-mood...
My son will have to learn to live with it, I tell myself, and that it would be worse if I did not write. Then I would always be in a bad mood but as long as I write there is always the chance of a happy book...
And that way kids learn that their mother is a human being, who has her own interests. And that’s good says one book I have been reading.
If you ask me, I would swap mums. I would kind of like to have myself for a mother. Even if mine was a stay-at-home mother whos house was always tidy. But you can not choose. Sadly. Maybe I am going to tell that to my son, if he is old enough to complain...
___
Katrin Stehle is a writer who has published 5 children/teenager/young-adult novels so far and is developing performance theatre pieces in an interactive process. At the moment she is trying to survive financially, balancing her work with being a mother to her one year old son and living with her partner, who is a visual artist. If you like to contact Katrin visit her website at www.katrinstehle.de or email her at katrin.stehle@web.de
German Version:
„Warum bist du schon wieder so KOMISCH?“
- Mama schreibt ein trauriges Buch -
Die Buchindustrie arbeitet langsam. Vor Jahren habe ich ein Expose und ein paar Probeseiten geschrieben. Nun soll es bald veröffentlicht werden. Das Buch ist traurig, es handelt von einem Mädchen, deren Zwillingsbruder Selbstmord begeht. Während dem Schreiben verwandle ich mich teilweise in meine Charaktere, versuche so in die jeweilige Stimmung zu kommen.
Früher habe ich durchgeschrieben, Schreiben war ein ungefähr sieben Tage langer Rausch, bei dem ich abends vom Computer ins Bett gefallen bin und morgens wieder an den Schreibtisch. Danach sah meine Wohnung aus wie ein Schlachtfeld und ich war high. Bevor die große Erschöpfung folgte. Lag ich dann im Bett ließen die Zweifel mich nicht einschlafen, das Buch wäre so viel besser, wenn ich nur...
Jetzt habe ich einen eineinhalbjährigen Sohn und lebe mit ihm und meinem Partner zusammen. Ich schreibe nicht mehr am Stück sondern in den Zwischenräumen. Es dauert eine halbe Stunde bis ich in die richtige Stimmung komme. Und wenn ich so richtig im Schreiben drin bin, heißt es aufhören. Spielplatzgehen oder Kochen oder zu versuchen das Chaos irgendwie zu beseitigen, während mein Sohn an meinem Bein hängt oder mich mit einer Wasserpistole jagt. Ich rette meinen Computer und meine Bücher als erstes...
Mein Partner fragt: „Was ist denn los? Warum bist du schon wieder so traurig?“.
„Ich bin nicht traurig, ich schreibe.“
„Aber warum tust du das, wenn du davon traurig wirst?“
Was soll ich sagen? Ich bin gerne traurig? Weil ich gerne schreibe?
Das „Ich-bin-eine-schlechte-Mutter-Gewissen“ schlägt zu. Wenn ich jetzt nicht fröhlich und ausgeglichen bin, schläft der Kleine abends wieder nicht und er wird total verunsichert und wer weiß was das für Spätfolgen hat? Ich atme durch, schlucke zweimal. Kaum habe ich die Balance wieder hinbekommen, ist die nächste Lücke. Ich brauche eine halbe Stunde um das Schreibgefühl wieder zu bekommen...
Mein Sohn wird lernen müssen damit zu leben, sage ich mir, und dass es viel schlimmer wäre, wenn ich gar nicht schreiben würde. Dann wäre ich dauernd schlecht drauf und so kommt auch mal ein fröhliches Buch... Außerdem lernen die Kinder dadurch, dass die Mutter eine eigene Person ist und auch Interessen hat. Zumindest habe ich das mal gelesen.
Also ich würde tauschen. Ich glaube, ich fände mich als meine eigene Mutter eigentlich ganz gut. Dabei hatte ich eine Hausfrauenmutter, deren Wohnung immer aufgeräumt war.
Aber man sucht sich das nicht aus. Leider. Vielleicht sage ich das meinem Sohn mal, wenn er alt genug ist sich zu beschweren...
Katrin Stehle ist Autorin, die bisher fünf Kinder- und Jugendbücher veröffentlicht hat. Außerdem entwickelt sie Theaterstücke in einem interaktiven Prozess mit den Darstellern. Momentan versucht sie finanziell zu überleben und ihre Arbeit damit zu vereinbaren Mutter für ihren 1 1/2jährigen Sohn zu sein und mit ihrem Partner, der Videokünstler ist zusammen zu leben. Website:www.katrinstehle.de, email:katrin.stehle@web.de
Read more!
Katrin Stehle
„WHY ARE YOU SO STRANGE AT THE MOMENT?“
- Mum writes a sad novel -
The publishing industry is slow. A few year ago I submitted an expose and some pages for a young-adult-novel. Finally they want to publish it. The novel is sad, it’s about someone whose twin-brother kills himself.
During the process of writing and as I try to get into the mood of the book, I usually kind of turn into my characters while I used to write in one big session. It was a bit like a trip lasting for about 7 days. Afterwards my flat looked like a dump – I was on a high before I got very, very tired, but could not slep because I finally realise how the novel would be so much better, if I just...
Now I have a one and half year old son. And I am living together with my boyfriend. I can’t have these long writing sessions anymore, I have to write in between, for short time-spans. It takes me about half an hour to get into the flow. When I am completely immersed in my writing I have to stop, go to the playground, cook or clean up the mess while my son is hanging on my leg or chasing me around with a water-pistol. I try to save my computer and my books...
My boyfriend comes home from his studio and asks: „What’s going on? Why are you so sad again?“
„I am not sad. I am writing“.
„But why are you doing that when it makes you sad?“
What should I say? I love to be sad? Because I love to write?
Then the „I-am-a-bad-mother-thought“ hits me. If I am not happy and balanced in a minute he won’t sleep at night. And who knows what kind of damage it will do to him? I try to breathe. Finally I am balanced again and then there is some time, writing-time. I need half an hour to get back into writing-mood...
My son will have to learn to live with it, I tell myself, and that it would be worse if I did not write. Then I would always be in a bad mood but as long as I write there is always the chance of a happy book...
And that way kids learn that their mother is a human being, who has her own interests. And that’s good says one book I have been reading.
If you ask me, I would swap mums. I would kind of like to have myself for a mother. Even if mine was a stay-at-home mother whos house was always tidy. But you can not choose. Sadly. Maybe I am going to tell that to my son, if he is old enough to complain...
___
Katrin Stehle is a writer who has published 5 children/teenager/young-adult novels so far and is developing performance theatre pieces in an interactive process. At the moment she is trying to survive financially, balancing her work with being a mother to her one year old son and living with her partner, who is a visual artist. If you like to contact Katrin visit her website at www.katrinstehle.de or email her at katrin.stehle@web.de
German Version:
„Warum bist du schon wieder so KOMISCH?“
- Mama schreibt ein trauriges Buch -
Die Buchindustrie arbeitet langsam. Vor Jahren habe ich ein Expose und ein paar Probeseiten geschrieben. Nun soll es bald veröffentlicht werden. Das Buch ist traurig, es handelt von einem Mädchen, deren Zwillingsbruder Selbstmord begeht. Während dem Schreiben verwandle ich mich teilweise in meine Charaktere, versuche so in die jeweilige Stimmung zu kommen.
Früher habe ich durchgeschrieben, Schreiben war ein ungefähr sieben Tage langer Rausch, bei dem ich abends vom Computer ins Bett gefallen bin und morgens wieder an den Schreibtisch. Danach sah meine Wohnung aus wie ein Schlachtfeld und ich war high. Bevor die große Erschöpfung folgte. Lag ich dann im Bett ließen die Zweifel mich nicht einschlafen, das Buch wäre so viel besser, wenn ich nur...
Jetzt habe ich einen eineinhalbjährigen Sohn und lebe mit ihm und meinem Partner zusammen. Ich schreibe nicht mehr am Stück sondern in den Zwischenräumen. Es dauert eine halbe Stunde bis ich in die richtige Stimmung komme. Und wenn ich so richtig im Schreiben drin bin, heißt es aufhören. Spielplatzgehen oder Kochen oder zu versuchen das Chaos irgendwie zu beseitigen, während mein Sohn an meinem Bein hängt oder mich mit einer Wasserpistole jagt. Ich rette meinen Computer und meine Bücher als erstes...
Mein Partner fragt: „Was ist denn los? Warum bist du schon wieder so traurig?“.
„Ich bin nicht traurig, ich schreibe.“
„Aber warum tust du das, wenn du davon traurig wirst?“
Was soll ich sagen? Ich bin gerne traurig? Weil ich gerne schreibe?
Das „Ich-bin-eine-schlechte-Mutter-Gewissen“ schlägt zu. Wenn ich jetzt nicht fröhlich und ausgeglichen bin, schläft der Kleine abends wieder nicht und er wird total verunsichert und wer weiß was das für Spätfolgen hat? Ich atme durch, schlucke zweimal. Kaum habe ich die Balance wieder hinbekommen, ist die nächste Lücke. Ich brauche eine halbe Stunde um das Schreibgefühl wieder zu bekommen...
Mein Sohn wird lernen müssen damit zu leben, sage ich mir, und dass es viel schlimmer wäre, wenn ich gar nicht schreiben würde. Dann wäre ich dauernd schlecht drauf und so kommt auch mal ein fröhliches Buch... Außerdem lernen die Kinder dadurch, dass die Mutter eine eigene Person ist und auch Interessen hat. Zumindest habe ich das mal gelesen.
Also ich würde tauschen. Ich glaube, ich fände mich als meine eigene Mutter eigentlich ganz gut. Dabei hatte ich eine Hausfrauenmutter, deren Wohnung immer aufgeräumt war.
Aber man sucht sich das nicht aus. Leider. Vielleicht sage ich das meinem Sohn mal, wenn er alt genug ist sich zu beschweren...
Katrin Stehle ist Autorin, die bisher fünf Kinder- und Jugendbücher veröffentlicht hat. Außerdem entwickelt sie Theaterstücke in einem interaktiven Prozess mit den Darstellern. Momentan versucht sie finanziell zu überleben und ihre Arbeit damit zu vereinbaren Mutter für ihren 1 1/2jährigen Sohn zu sein und mit ihrem Partner, der Videokünstler ist zusammen zu leben. Website:www.katrinstehle.de, email:katrin.stehle@web.de
Read more!
A VOICE FROM SEATTLE
Tess Hardwick
Squeezing Writing Time into my Saturday
I'm half way through the second revision of my first novel. It's taken me over a year of dutiful daily writing to get here, which is actually somewhat of a miracle, given I have two small daughters, ages five and two. The most common question I get from friends and family –
How have you accomplished this with two small children?
The answer is not pretty - by the sheer force of will, a lot of unwashed dishes, unfolded clothes, teenaged babysitters and dare I admit, the PBS Kids channel. My personal rule is I must write at least an hour a day and that includes holidays, weekends and vacations. Weekdays I write two to four hours a day, derived from early mornings, afternoon naptimes, late nights and babysitters.
Yesterday was Saturday and my husband prepared in the garage for a week long Boyscout camping trip with my stepson. The girls played with their older brother and I crept upstairs to my 'office' - a small desk in the corner of my bedroom - to work. I hoped to squeeze in an hour before anyone clued into where I was and begged for water, juice, lunch, hugs, a book - you get my drift?
So, here I am, writing covertly in my office, really on a roll, I might add, and Emerson's sweet voice drifts up the stairs. She swings open my bedroom door like the ringmaster at a circus and announces both through her odoriferous presence and the word 'poop', sung over and over in the melody of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", that she needs to be changed.
However, worse than the smell and anticipation of the cleansing of said poop- she has no diaper on.
I jump from my chair, catch her and hold her at arm's length, praying nothing plops from her cute plump bottom onto my clean beige carpet, or my somewhat clean shorts. She wriggles and flails her legs as I move toward her bedroom, my mind on the location of the discarded diaper and yet still swimming in the fictional scene in which I was so deeply immersed only moments before.
Think how much more I'll accomplish once she's potty trained!
Creating meaningful fiction in the middle of a busy life raising two small daughters, a teenage stepson and a husband.
--
Tess Hardwick
My Authentic Path
m: (206) 355-1735
b: http://myauthenticpath.typepad.com/
w: www.myauthenticpath.com
Read more!
Squeezing Writing Time into my Saturday
I'm half way through the second revision of my first novel. It's taken me over a year of dutiful daily writing to get here, which is actually somewhat of a miracle, given I have two small daughters, ages five and two. The most common question I get from friends and family –
How have you accomplished this with two small children?
The answer is not pretty - by the sheer force of will, a lot of unwashed dishes, unfolded clothes, teenaged babysitters and dare I admit, the PBS Kids channel. My personal rule is I must write at least an hour a day and that includes holidays, weekends and vacations. Weekdays I write two to four hours a day, derived from early mornings, afternoon naptimes, late nights and babysitters.
Yesterday was Saturday and my husband prepared in the garage for a week long Boyscout camping trip with my stepson. The girls played with their older brother and I crept upstairs to my 'office' - a small desk in the corner of my bedroom - to work. I hoped to squeeze in an hour before anyone clued into where I was and begged for water, juice, lunch, hugs, a book - you get my drift?
So, here I am, writing covertly in my office, really on a roll, I might add, and Emerson's sweet voice drifts up the stairs. She swings open my bedroom door like the ringmaster at a circus and announces both through her odoriferous presence and the word 'poop', sung over and over in the melody of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", that she needs to be changed.
However, worse than the smell and anticipation of the cleansing of said poop- she has no diaper on.
I jump from my chair, catch her and hold her at arm's length, praying nothing plops from her cute plump bottom onto my clean beige carpet, or my somewhat clean shorts. She wriggles and flails her legs as I move toward her bedroom, my mind on the location of the discarded diaper and yet still swimming in the fictional scene in which I was so deeply immersed only moments before.
Think how much more I'll accomplish once she's potty trained!
Creating meaningful fiction in the middle of a busy life raising two small daughters, a teenage stepson and a husband.
--
Tess Hardwick
My Authentic Path
m: (206) 355-1735
b: http://myauthenticpath.typepad.com/
w: www.myauthenticpath.com
Read more!
AN ARTIST EMPOWERED
You can't outsource your soul work
Eden Maxwell
Mind Control
It can be insidiously easy to fall into mindless cultural bias, customs, rote, habits, and meaningless, yet powerful belief systems. Aware of these generational traps, creators are mindful to avoid them. Can you recall the last time your standard had been challenged?
There is nothing new about mind control in images or words.
Recall George Orwell¹s dire vision of the future in his 1949 novel Nineteen-Eighty-Four where newspeak (the politically correct speech of Oceania) manipulated the language and, as a direct result, controlled the minds of its citizens--where Œreality¹ meant white was black, black was white, and where Œthoughtcriminals¹ received their final form of punishment in Room 101 as dispensed by the Ministry of Love.
Freedom of speech must be matched with freedom of thought--this is the power of art made manifest. How can you create original work if you think and feel along party lines, or in clichés?
__________
Painter, writer, and kiteflier of some note, Eden Maxwell grew up on the mean streets of the inner city and fought his way out of the projects to find his walking shoes. He has contributed to many publications--from Popular Science to the Encyclopedia Britannica, and his art is in private collection here and abroad. Eden's the bestselling author of Kiteworks and The Magnificent Book of Kites, Sterling Publishing; he's also ghostwritten books for HarperCollins and Kensington publishers.
Eden blogs regularly about purpose, meaning, and persevering as an artist on his website--where you can also find out more about about his powerful and exciting new book, An Artist Empowered: Define and Establish Your Value as an Artist--Now (2008); you may email him at artist@edensart.com
http://www.edensart.com Read more!
Eden Maxwell
Mind Control
It can be insidiously easy to fall into mindless cultural bias, customs, rote, habits, and meaningless, yet powerful belief systems. Aware of these generational traps, creators are mindful to avoid them. Can you recall the last time your standard had been challenged?
There is nothing new about mind control in images or words.
Recall George Orwell¹s dire vision of the future in his 1949 novel Nineteen-Eighty-Four where newspeak (the politically correct speech of Oceania) manipulated the language and, as a direct result, controlled the minds of its citizens--where Œreality¹ meant white was black, black was white, and where Œthoughtcriminals¹ received their final form of punishment in Room 101 as dispensed by the Ministry of Love.
Freedom of speech must be matched with freedom of thought--this is the power of art made manifest. How can you create original work if you think and feel along party lines, or in clichés?
__________
Painter, writer, and kiteflier of some note, Eden Maxwell grew up on the mean streets of the inner city and fought his way out of the projects to find his walking shoes. He has contributed to many publications--from Popular Science to the Encyclopedia Britannica, and his art is in private collection here and abroad. Eden's the bestselling author of Kiteworks and The Magnificent Book of Kites, Sterling Publishing; he's also ghostwritten books for HarperCollins and Kensington publishers.
Eden blogs regularly about purpose, meaning, and persevering as an artist on his website--where you can also find out more about about his powerful and exciting new book, An Artist Empowered: Define and Establish Your Value as an Artist--Now (2008); you may email him at artist@edensart.com
http://www.edensart.com Read more!
SCULPTING A LIFE
Susan Gallacher-Turner’s turn in the Pacific Northwest.
When I wrote the proposal for this blog with Eric Maisel, I was dreaming of what my life ‘after kids’ would look like, feel like, be like. My reality at the time was more like a series of bad dreams.
I’ve shown my work in galleries for years in a row, then, this year, I didn’t get into the show that I wanted. I broke my wrist. I had unexpected family changes that shook my nice, secure studio world upside down.
But within and around all the pain, physical therapy, upheaval and fear, my new life took shape. It grew and formed itself in spite of my efforts at the time to keep to my old, familiar, comfortable routines. I see now, that I needed those old routines to be the armature to help me sculpt something new.
It all started innocently enough. I joined the Pacific Northwest Sculpture Guild and put a few pieces in a group show at SE ArtWalk. Went to a few meetings. Met a few new people. Took the risk of applying to Portland Open Studios Tour. Did three demonstrations at the Museum of Contemporary Craft. Met a few more people. Got accepted into Portland Open Studios Tour. Met a few more people. Volunteered to write artist profiles for the Portland Open Studios Tour blog. Met even more people. And so far this year, I’ve shown my work in Art&Design online gallery, The Nipple Project show in Santa Anna, California, and the Justice Center July window show. I’ll be showing work in August and opening up my studio for the tour in October.
For the fourth year, I taught my mask workshop at Llewellyn Elementary school in May. And now, I’ve got workshops scheduled for July, September, October and November in four different places.
Then, there’s writing. I’m doing artist profiles, author interviews and investigating freelance opportunities. Ok, so my novel has taken a back seat, but, well, a few things got put on hold so I could prioritize and get new work done.
I’ve finished and framed 3 new copper repousse’ landscapes. I’m doing patina finishing on #4 and starting #5. My screening triptych is moving along. And a new artist friend is going to help me learn a finishing technique that I can use on some clay pieces that have been sitting in my closet for years now. Because, you see, I thought I was done with clay. But yesterday, I bought some clay to start sculpting again.
So, I guess, this really shows the power of intention, doesn’t it? I wrote about sculpting a new life, not knowing what, where, when, or how it would happen. Yet, just like I sculpt one of my pieces, starting with a dream or an idea, then, day by day, mark by mark, it forms itself like it has a life of its own. Now, I guess, so do I.
Susan Gallacher-Turner
Mixed media sculpture
www.susangt.com
http://sculpturepdx.blogspot.com
http://www.myspace.com/sgtsculpture
Read more!
When I wrote the proposal for this blog with Eric Maisel, I was dreaming of what my life ‘after kids’ would look like, feel like, be like. My reality at the time was more like a series of bad dreams.
I’ve shown my work in galleries for years in a row, then, this year, I didn’t get into the show that I wanted. I broke my wrist. I had unexpected family changes that shook my nice, secure studio world upside down.
But within and around all the pain, physical therapy, upheaval and fear, my new life took shape. It grew and formed itself in spite of my efforts at the time to keep to my old, familiar, comfortable routines. I see now, that I needed those old routines to be the armature to help me sculpt something new.
It all started innocently enough. I joined the Pacific Northwest Sculpture Guild and put a few pieces in a group show at SE ArtWalk. Went to a few meetings. Met a few new people. Took the risk of applying to Portland Open Studios Tour. Did three demonstrations at the Museum of Contemporary Craft. Met a few more people. Got accepted into Portland Open Studios Tour. Met a few more people. Volunteered to write artist profiles for the Portland Open Studios Tour blog. Met even more people. And so far this year, I’ve shown my work in Art&Design online gallery, The Nipple Project show in Santa Anna, California, and the Justice Center July window show. I’ll be showing work in August and opening up my studio for the tour in October.
For the fourth year, I taught my mask workshop at Llewellyn Elementary school in May. And now, I’ve got workshops scheduled for July, September, October and November in four different places.
Then, there’s writing. I’m doing artist profiles, author interviews and investigating freelance opportunities. Ok, so my novel has taken a back seat, but, well, a few things got put on hold so I could prioritize and get new work done.
I’ve finished and framed 3 new copper repousse’ landscapes. I’m doing patina finishing on #4 and starting #5. My screening triptych is moving along. And a new artist friend is going to help me learn a finishing technique that I can use on some clay pieces that have been sitting in my closet for years now. Because, you see, I thought I was done with clay. But yesterday, I bought some clay to start sculpting again.
So, I guess, this really shows the power of intention, doesn’t it? I wrote about sculpting a new life, not knowing what, where, when, or how it would happen. Yet, just like I sculpt one of my pieces, starting with a dream or an idea, then, day by day, mark by mark, it forms itself like it has a life of its own. Now, I guess, so do I.
Susan Gallacher-Turner
Mixed media sculpture
www.susangt.com
http://sculpturepdx.blogspot.com
http://www.myspace.com/sgtsculpture
Read more!
Monday, July 14, 2008
CAREER INKLINGS FROM COLUMBIA
Janet M. Ruck
Creative Kayaking
As a fugitive from full-time work, I resist the urge to return to the workplace. This urge is not due to a need for money. I’ve come to realize it as a need for structure, to fill time, to be part of the millions who work. Paradoxically, this is why I removed myself from this structured world. Controlled and dictated by others, work is a place where the sand is always shifting, and the rules and the players are always changing. There is usually little control or joy on my part.
Time heals, life changes, I progress. As the weather improved on the east coast and Mother Nature roused herself from winter’s slumber, I felt the work-induced bonds slowly slip away. I began to create my own work, as the embodiment and expression of who I am. My work evolved into creative and physical pursuits. On a weekly basis, I began to participate in “kayaking Thursdays” with two other 50-something women who are also seeking more authenticity and magic than the expectations of a boss.
Each Thursday, we paddle down a different body of water, immersed in the beauty of the outdoors. Bald eagles, osprey, great blue herons, snowy white egrets all welcome us to their world. We have the chance to be part of a magnificent plan in which all beings are equal and all have their unique role.
Paddling and rowing, the sharp edges of a harsh world melt into the azure blue sky dotted by puff white clouds and diving osprey. I am enriched by the splendor of solitude and serenity bestowed upon us by our Mother. We’re all in this together, very much unlike the false starts and stops that take place in a workplace embroiled in the competitiveness and dysfunction which often accompany a lack of purpose.
My lesson is a simple one. To find meaning and a sense of self in a world filled with angry voices one must go into the quiet, which for me resides within the soul of self and Mother Nature. That is where my bliss awaits.
___
Janet Ruck is as an escapee from the world of full-time work. As a career consultant and writer, she is consumed with helping people identify their passions, uniqueness, interests and talents to keep them from slipping into the faceless abyss of the workplace. Janet encourages herself and her clients through the use of journaling and creative self-expression as means of gaining perspective and insight into their authentic selves. She helps clients create and sustain satisfying careers by recognizing their own personal magic. Contact her at janetruck@yahoo.com.
Read more!
Creative Kayaking
As a fugitive from full-time work, I resist the urge to return to the workplace. This urge is not due to a need for money. I’ve come to realize it as a need for structure, to fill time, to be part of the millions who work. Paradoxically, this is why I removed myself from this structured world. Controlled and dictated by others, work is a place where the sand is always shifting, and the rules and the players are always changing. There is usually little control or joy on my part.
Time heals, life changes, I progress. As the weather improved on the east coast and Mother Nature roused herself from winter’s slumber, I felt the work-induced bonds slowly slip away. I began to create my own work, as the embodiment and expression of who I am. My work evolved into creative and physical pursuits. On a weekly basis, I began to participate in “kayaking Thursdays” with two other 50-something women who are also seeking more authenticity and magic than the expectations of a boss.
Each Thursday, we paddle down a different body of water, immersed in the beauty of the outdoors. Bald eagles, osprey, great blue herons, snowy white egrets all welcome us to their world. We have the chance to be part of a magnificent plan in which all beings are equal and all have their unique role.
Paddling and rowing, the sharp edges of a harsh world melt into the azure blue sky dotted by puff white clouds and diving osprey. I am enriched by the splendor of solitude and serenity bestowed upon us by our Mother. We’re all in this together, very much unlike the false starts and stops that take place in a workplace embroiled in the competitiveness and dysfunction which often accompany a lack of purpose.
My lesson is a simple one. To find meaning and a sense of self in a world filled with angry voices one must go into the quiet, which for me resides within the soul of self and Mother Nature. That is where my bliss awaits.
___
Janet Ruck is as an escapee from the world of full-time work. As a career consultant and writer, she is consumed with helping people identify their passions, uniqueness, interests and talents to keep them from slipping into the faceless abyss of the workplace. Janet encourages herself and her clients through the use of journaling and creative self-expression as means of gaining perspective and insight into their authentic selves. She helps clients create and sustain satisfying careers by recognizing their own personal magic. Contact her at janetruck@yahoo.com.
Read more!
SANTA BARBARA OCEAN INSPIRATIONS
Janice McShane
Breathe, just breathe………
At times when I am sitting on her beaches and able to settle into the free movement, the gentle dance of her waters, I begin to realize the limitations that I have placed on my self, my life. I believe it’s when I get caught up in “what’s expected of me” or “what I think is expected of me”, the box I’ve put myself in becomes smaller and smaller. It’s the lack of oxygen in my small confined space that startles me awake, reminding me to breathe….
It’s through the journey of these little experiences that draw me back into what is real and grounds me a little deeper into the healing of self. Each and every experience becomes a milestone, an incredible piece to my story, my life. With every new breath a tiny piece of the beauty that lies dormant within is revived and brought to new life.
My hope is to share with you my Capacitar experiences in self healing through simple techniques that will help “you” remember to breathe……..
Jan M
fullcirclejourney@hotmail.com Read more!
Breathe, just breathe………
At times when I am sitting on her beaches and able to settle into the free movement, the gentle dance of her waters, I begin to realize the limitations that I have placed on my self, my life. I believe it’s when I get caught up in “what’s expected of me” or “what I think is expected of me”, the box I’ve put myself in becomes smaller and smaller. It’s the lack of oxygen in my small confined space that startles me awake, reminding me to breathe….
It’s through the journey of these little experiences that draw me back into what is real and grounds me a little deeper into the healing of self. Each and every experience becomes a milestone, an incredible piece to my story, my life. With every new breath a tiny piece of the beauty that lies dormant within is revived and brought to new life.
My hope is to share with you my Capacitar experiences in self healing through simple techniques that will help “you” remember to breathe……..
Jan M
fullcirclejourney@hotmail.com Read more!
NEWS FROM NOWHERE
Dani Greer
Naked Came the.... What?
“Naked Came the Stranger” was a book written in the late 1960s as a critical statement of the demise of good writing in those times. Meant to be a spoof of sex-riddled novels, it was cobbled together by a group of journalists who each wrote a chapter without knowing what came in the chapters prior, then handed the manuscript to the next irreverent writer. The book (not surprisingly and though horribly written by intent), became a bestseller and a cult classic. It also spawned a series of copycat tomes written, we might speculate, as much in a spirit of fun as for the creative exploration. I don't think the idea has ever been explored in the most creative way of all though – by Creatives themselves exploring the subject of creativity. But why not?
Think how a group project like this could stimulate the creative juices. I could start with Chapter One, explaining to readers that very most vital aspect of the creative process, at least to my way of thinking. Then I could hand off my essay to another “imagineer” – all the better if I don't know the person - who would read my chapter and either build on the concepts presented, or flat-out refute them in his own Chapter Two. Then Writer Three would take over, and so on. What fascinating ground the exploration might reveal!
After a dozen or so rounds of progressively more challenging ingredients, some creative cook would have to whip the dish together into a seeming whole. Perhaps an experienced creativity coach could add the final touches. Someone with the flair to frost a dozen opinionated and lively essays, and add meaning to the mix.
And what would we call a progressive piece of writing like this? How about “Naked Came the Muse”? It might not even have to end with one go-round. Wouldn't the concept work as a classroom assignment? A group of writers could as easily use the tactic to write a book about creative writing. The technique would work for painters, too. Or even engineers, some of the most creative minds on earth, despite their bad publicity to the contrary.
Could we have a series as popular as Chicken Soup for the Soul here? Hope springs eternal! Well, who knows where ideas like this can lead - we could have a blast just taking on the challenge for no reason but to see what might develop.
Which just goes to show you that sometimes a really bad idea is the best way to get to a potentially good one. More on that thought in a future post.
___
Dani Greer, professional artist and writer, explores the heights and depths of creativity on the very flat High Plains. Her new blog, News From Nowhere, will explore other crazy ideas propagated by too much sun and wind.
Read more!
Naked Came the.... What?
“Naked Came the Stranger” was a book written in the late 1960s as a critical statement of the demise of good writing in those times. Meant to be a spoof of sex-riddled novels, it was cobbled together by a group of journalists who each wrote a chapter without knowing what came in the chapters prior, then handed the manuscript to the next irreverent writer. The book (not surprisingly and though horribly written by intent), became a bestseller and a cult classic. It also spawned a series of copycat tomes written, we might speculate, as much in a spirit of fun as for the creative exploration. I don't think the idea has ever been explored in the most creative way of all though – by Creatives themselves exploring the subject of creativity. But why not?
Think how a group project like this could stimulate the creative juices. I could start with Chapter One, explaining to readers that very most vital aspect of the creative process, at least to my way of thinking. Then I could hand off my essay to another “imagineer” – all the better if I don't know the person - who would read my chapter and either build on the concepts presented, or flat-out refute them in his own Chapter Two. Then Writer Three would take over, and so on. What fascinating ground the exploration might reveal!
After a dozen or so rounds of progressively more challenging ingredients, some creative cook would have to whip the dish together into a seeming whole. Perhaps an experienced creativity coach could add the final touches. Someone with the flair to frost a dozen opinionated and lively essays, and add meaning to the mix.
And what would we call a progressive piece of writing like this? How about “Naked Came the Muse”? It might not even have to end with one go-round. Wouldn't the concept work as a classroom assignment? A group of writers could as easily use the tactic to write a book about creative writing. The technique would work for painters, too. Or even engineers, some of the most creative minds on earth, despite their bad publicity to the contrary.
Could we have a series as popular as Chicken Soup for the Soul here? Hope springs eternal! Well, who knows where ideas like this can lead - we could have a blast just taking on the challenge for no reason but to see what might develop.
Which just goes to show you that sometimes a really bad idea is the best way to get to a potentially good one. More on that thought in a future post.
___
Dani Greer, professional artist and writer, explores the heights and depths of creativity on the very flat High Plains. Her new blog, News From Nowhere, will explore other crazy ideas propagated by too much sun and wind.
Read more!
THE ARTFUL LIFE -- A HOLISTIC APPROACH
Integrating creativity and every day madness
Lisa A. Riley
RX: Daily Dose of Creativity
At the beginning of a day or week, when one sits down
to practice the common ritual of creating a “To Do”
list, are there items that can be categorized as
“Have-Tos” and “Want-Tos?” Or does the list only
include the “Have-Tos?” The items that we aspire to do
usually contain the very things in which we express
our creative selves, such as painting a sunset,
writing a poem, journaling, arranging flowers picked
from the garden, trying a new recipe, daydreaming.
These morsels of creative nourishment often take a
back seat in our lives as we regularly place them at
the bottom of the list or leave them for those extra
free hours we hope to have at the end of the day.
The other night I watched a movie titled, “Pollock”
which showed the turmoil and successful life of artist
Jackson Pollock. In one scene they depicted a day in
his life. Every morning he would roll out of bed, grab
a cigarette, a cup of coffee and first thing, head out
to the studio to paint. Doing his art was as essential
as having breakfast in the morning. Although he
struggled with Bipolar Disorder and alcohol abuse, he
appeared most at peace when he spent his time painting
or laying in the grass on his 1.5 acre property,
watching the clouds drift over head.
Our lives may not always accommodate the same luxury,
but perhaps adopting some of those similar practices
on a daily bases might enrich our lives with deeper
meaning. It isn’t always necessary to dedicate an
entire day to doing art or quit our day job and become
a starving artist. Even an hour or two a day can be
enough to keep the creativity alive and well while
still attending to the “Have-Tos” list.
Making time to nourish the creative aspects of
ourselves should become as equally important as
the time we take to eat, take our supplements, go to
doctor appointments, exercise. Yet we often leave our
time for art on the back burner. Creativity is not
only an essential part of being human, but can also
sustain our emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
Honoring pockets of our creative expression can
prevent irritability, bouts of discontent, apathy and
boredom. If we starve our soul, does our soul begin to
scream out in the form of neurosis? Whether it be over
eating, drinking, spacing out in front of the TV or
depression.
A life supplied with regular doses of imagination,
inspiration and even good common daydreaming is an
essential part of being a whole person. Not only do we
honor our gifts and aspirations, we also validate the
authentic part of us; the part of us that calls us to
“come out and play,” to draw doodles in the sand or
mold clay with our hands.
Next time you sit down to draw up your “To-Do” list
consider placing the act of doing your art and
expressing yourself creatively near the top,
Therefore, making these nurturing morsels a priority
and a required supplement to living a balance artful
life.
***
Lisa Riley is a Marriage & Family Therapist Intern,
painter and writer. She has spent the last 25 years
integrating various forms of self-expression as a way
of life and an avenue towards healing. Lisa has her
own private practice in Southern California. She feels
a strong connection with the creative person and can
understand the unique challenges that accompany being
creative. In the last 5 years she has had the pleasure
of working with artists, writers, actors and musicians
in helping them gain self-awareness, healing and a
deeper understanding of themselves as artists.
For more information feel free to visit her site at
TheArtofMind.com or if you wish to reach her, you can
email her at theartofmind@gmail.com
Read more!
Lisa A. Riley
RX: Daily Dose of Creativity
At the beginning of a day or week, when one sits down
to practice the common ritual of creating a “To Do”
list, are there items that can be categorized as
“Have-Tos” and “Want-Tos?” Or does the list only
include the “Have-Tos?” The items that we aspire to do
usually contain the very things in which we express
our creative selves, such as painting a sunset,
writing a poem, journaling, arranging flowers picked
from the garden, trying a new recipe, daydreaming.
These morsels of creative nourishment often take a
back seat in our lives as we regularly place them at
the bottom of the list or leave them for those extra
free hours we hope to have at the end of the day.
The other night I watched a movie titled, “Pollock”
which showed the turmoil and successful life of artist
Jackson Pollock. In one scene they depicted a day in
his life. Every morning he would roll out of bed, grab
a cigarette, a cup of coffee and first thing, head out
to the studio to paint. Doing his art was as essential
as having breakfast in the morning. Although he
struggled with Bipolar Disorder and alcohol abuse, he
appeared most at peace when he spent his time painting
or laying in the grass on his 1.5 acre property,
watching the clouds drift over head.
Our lives may not always accommodate the same luxury,
but perhaps adopting some of those similar practices
on a daily bases might enrich our lives with deeper
meaning. It isn’t always necessary to dedicate an
entire day to doing art or quit our day job and become
a starving artist. Even an hour or two a day can be
enough to keep the creativity alive and well while
still attending to the “Have-Tos” list.
Making time to nourish the creative aspects of
ourselves should become as equally important as
the time we take to eat, take our supplements, go to
doctor appointments, exercise. Yet we often leave our
time for art on the back burner. Creativity is not
only an essential part of being human, but can also
sustain our emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
Honoring pockets of our creative expression can
prevent irritability, bouts of discontent, apathy and
boredom. If we starve our soul, does our soul begin to
scream out in the form of neurosis? Whether it be over
eating, drinking, spacing out in front of the TV or
depression.
A life supplied with regular doses of imagination,
inspiration and even good common daydreaming is an
essential part of being a whole person. Not only do we
honor our gifts and aspirations, we also validate the
authentic part of us; the part of us that calls us to
“come out and play,” to draw doodles in the sand or
mold clay with our hands.
Next time you sit down to draw up your “To-Do” list
consider placing the act of doing your art and
expressing yourself creatively near the top,
Therefore, making these nurturing morsels a priority
and a required supplement to living a balance artful
life.
***
Lisa Riley is a Marriage & Family Therapist Intern,
painter and writer. She has spent the last 25 years
integrating various forms of self-expression as a way
of life and an avenue towards healing. Lisa has her
own private practice in Southern California. She feels
a strong connection with the creative person and can
understand the unique challenges that accompany being
creative. In the last 5 years she has had the pleasure
of working with artists, writers, actors and musicians
in helping them gain self-awareness, healing and a
deeper understanding of themselves as artists.
For more information feel free to visit her site at
TheArtofMind.com or if you wish to reach her, you can
email her at theartofmind@gmail.com
Read more!
SOUTHWEST RAMBLINGS
Thoughts on Making and Living Art
Linda Moran
Monsoon has struck southern Arizona, and we revel in humidity over 15 percent. It¹s an unusual time of year, where thunder and lightning make their presence known most afternoons, and succulents and cacti of all kinds stand up and salute once again.
One of the best gifts, beyond the rain, is a refreshening of the spirit, as the air crackles and life reawakens, much like our creative souls. For me, monsoon marks almost the end of summer vacation, as we in Arizona go back to school the beginning of August. It also marks the rejuvenation of fiber projects for me, as I finish old friends and baste together new ideas.
Fiber is an interesting medium, much like the monsoon. Depending on your location in Tucson, for example, you can get a downpour or a few drops to dirty the windshield. There are days when I can¹t stop the ideas, and days when nothing happens beyond winding a bobbin. The arroyos (washes) flood with rushing water and the detritus of a dry ten months. I use my dwindling hours before school starts to rush through some ideas, only to find I¹ve forgotten where I was several months ago, when lesson plans took over my
creativity.
Almost daily the newspapers are full of stories of motorists stuck in arroyos because they tried to drive through the rushing water and never made it across, prompting a rescue by the fire department. Tucson has a ³stupid motorist law² that says if you drive through the rushing water and get stuck, you pay for the rescue. I have my own version I call the ³stupid sewer² - I think my stitch tension is fine, and I cover several inches of the fiber, only to discover I need to spend the next hour with the seam ripper, when all I had to do was stop and check.
Lately I¹ve been finding interesting metaphors about life in some very unusual places. Maybe it¹s a major birthday, maybe it¹s realizing I am mortal and not appreciating that fact. Maybe it¹s more awakening of the artist in my soul and the recognition that I need to make art in whatever time I have left to me.
********
Linda Moran is a fiber artist working with hand-created marbled fabrics. This centuries-old art form originally limited to paper takes on new life when used on fabric. Join her for musings on the fiber field, art in the Southwest, and the challenges of creating fiber art. See her work and contact her at The Art of Fabric, http://www.marbledfab.com, or reading her art musings on her blog, http://marbledmusings.blogspot.com. Read more!
Linda Moran
Monsoon has struck southern Arizona, and we revel in humidity over 15 percent. It¹s an unusual time of year, where thunder and lightning make their presence known most afternoons, and succulents and cacti of all kinds stand up and salute once again.
One of the best gifts, beyond the rain, is a refreshening of the spirit, as the air crackles and life reawakens, much like our creative souls. For me, monsoon marks almost the end of summer vacation, as we in Arizona go back to school the beginning of August. It also marks the rejuvenation of fiber projects for me, as I finish old friends and baste together new ideas.
Fiber is an interesting medium, much like the monsoon. Depending on your location in Tucson, for example, you can get a downpour or a few drops to dirty the windshield. There are days when I can¹t stop the ideas, and days when nothing happens beyond winding a bobbin. The arroyos (washes) flood with rushing water and the detritus of a dry ten months. I use my dwindling hours before school starts to rush through some ideas, only to find I¹ve forgotten where I was several months ago, when lesson plans took over my
creativity.
Almost daily the newspapers are full of stories of motorists stuck in arroyos because they tried to drive through the rushing water and never made it across, prompting a rescue by the fire department. Tucson has a ³stupid motorist law² that says if you drive through the rushing water and get stuck, you pay for the rescue. I have my own version I call the ³stupid sewer² - I think my stitch tension is fine, and I cover several inches of the fiber, only to discover I need to spend the next hour with the seam ripper, when all I had to do was stop and check.
Lately I¹ve been finding interesting metaphors about life in some very unusual places. Maybe it¹s a major birthday, maybe it¹s realizing I am mortal and not appreciating that fact. Maybe it¹s more awakening of the artist in my soul and the recognition that I need to make art in whatever time I have left to me.
********
Linda Moran is a fiber artist working with hand-created marbled fabrics. This centuries-old art form originally limited to paper takes on new life when used on fabric. Join her for musings on the fiber field, art in the Southwest, and the challenges of creating fiber art. See her work and contact her at The Art of Fabric, http://www.marbledfab.com, or reading her art musings on her blog, http://marbledmusings.blogspot.com. Read more!
METAPHORS FROM THE MINNEAPOLIS MUSE
Sandy Nelson
Walkabout Inspiration
Wandering about the Farmers market in downtown Minneapolis was exhilarating. Walking within the frenzy of happy people in the heart of this city nibbling cobs of roasted corn and hot dogs was like watching a jazz festival unfold. Crowded aisles with vendors selling maple syrup, bison, ostrich and lamb meat, cheese, honey, soap, smoked fish all locally grown and produced. Minneapolis has a large Hmong population and they grow luscious crops of vegetables and greens along with plants and flowers. They also stitch remarkable items in vibrant colors. Many tell their heritage in stories depicted in the expertly executed appliqué.
Musicians played a variety of music. A now local group from South America has graced our fairs for years selling CD's of lively timeless melodies. They played their handmade instruments as the crowds paused. Another artist played accordion songs reminiscent of Paris. A family with musical children perched in one market aisle and the kids played a repertoire of their lessons.
The smells of food cooking, fresh baked bread, herbs and flowers mixed with fresh clean prairie air, was intoxicating. Artisans sold their glass wind chimes and willow furniture. Another one made metal garden art in delightful uncommon styles of trellis's and sculpture from dress forms to aardvarks. People smiled and laughed. Friends greeted with hugs.
One of my favorite creative activities is to go on walkabouts. I discover all kinds of new things. I go anywhere and do anything. I see new colors and different interplay between texture and shadow. I hear new sounds and my body feels different. I smell scents and my memory writes a new story. I love to discover new energetic patterns in the way people and places interact. On this day my hands carried sacks of food and flowers away from the Farmers Market, and my head and heart were brimming with inspiration!
Do you find walkabouts inspiring? What is your latest adventure? What inspiration did you claim?
___
Sandy Nelson started her art career with a degree in Apparel Design after which she ran her own Fashion Design business. Her love of people, textiles and history led to expanding into Textile Conservation and work conserving museum textiles. She continued her education with a self designed degree in Studio Arts and Arts and Education. She's a Creativity Coach and consultant, running a consulting firm with her partner.
She also paints, writes, sculpts, makes fiber art, teaches studio art, and works for publications. She is a Master Lace maker, Art Educator, writes a Celtic newsletter, written and illustrated several books, is energized by nature and has a passion for inspiring other folks to play and create in the arts. www.art-of-creations.com
Read more!
Walkabout Inspiration
Wandering about the Farmers market in downtown Minneapolis was exhilarating. Walking within the frenzy of happy people in the heart of this city nibbling cobs of roasted corn and hot dogs was like watching a jazz festival unfold. Crowded aisles with vendors selling maple syrup, bison, ostrich and lamb meat, cheese, honey, soap, smoked fish all locally grown and produced. Minneapolis has a large Hmong population and they grow luscious crops of vegetables and greens along with plants and flowers. They also stitch remarkable items in vibrant colors. Many tell their heritage in stories depicted in the expertly executed appliqué.
Musicians played a variety of music. A now local group from South America has graced our fairs for years selling CD's of lively timeless melodies. They played their handmade instruments as the crowds paused. Another artist played accordion songs reminiscent of Paris. A family with musical children perched in one market aisle and the kids played a repertoire of their lessons.
The smells of food cooking, fresh baked bread, herbs and flowers mixed with fresh clean prairie air, was intoxicating. Artisans sold their glass wind chimes and willow furniture. Another one made metal garden art in delightful uncommon styles of trellis's and sculpture from dress forms to aardvarks. People smiled and laughed. Friends greeted with hugs.
One of my favorite creative activities is to go on walkabouts. I discover all kinds of new things. I go anywhere and do anything. I see new colors and different interplay between texture and shadow. I hear new sounds and my body feels different. I smell scents and my memory writes a new story. I love to discover new energetic patterns in the way people and places interact. On this day my hands carried sacks of food and flowers away from the Farmers Market, and my head and heart were brimming with inspiration!
Do you find walkabouts inspiring? What is your latest adventure? What inspiration did you claim?
___
Sandy Nelson started her art career with a degree in Apparel Design after which she ran her own Fashion Design business. Her love of people, textiles and history led to expanding into Textile Conservation and work conserving museum textiles. She continued her education with a self designed degree in Studio Arts and Arts and Education. She's a Creativity Coach and consultant, running a consulting firm with her partner.
She also paints, writes, sculpts, makes fiber art, teaches studio art, and works for publications. She is a Master Lace maker, Art Educator, writes a Celtic newsletter, written and illustrated several books, is energized by nature and has a passion for inspiring other folks to play and create in the arts. www.art-of-creations.com
Read more!
MUSE QUEST PDX
Romancing the Creative Life in Portland, Oregon
Kim Switzer
Inspiration and Enthusiasm
Charles Kinsley said, “We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about.” I agree wholeheartedly. I would add that we need to do something with that enthusiasm, although being enthusiastic about something generally leads to some sort of action. I also would add that for a creative life, we need to nurture and cherish our enthusiasms and seek out new ones. These passions fuel our creations and keep inspired so that we keep creating. Enthusiasm is creativity’s driving force.
Those are nice, rather philosophical ideas, aren’t they? But creativity does have a practical, concrete side to it. So how do enthusiasms become finished creative works? There are different ways. I’ll show you how it works for me sometimes:
This week, I’m completely fascinated with 16th Century Italy and 19th Century England (I belong to two different historical recreation groups that focus on these time periods). I’m especially intrigued by the similarities between what, at first glance, appear to be wildly different eras.
For example, if you look at dress styles from the early 1500s in Italy and from the early 1800s in England, you will see remarkable similarities. What we call the “empire waistline” in 2008 was the style of the day in Italy in 1508 and again in England in 1808. And the clothing of the later 16th Century with its Elizabethan styles has quite a lot in common with the Victorian era styles of two hundred years later. I am even finding similarities in embroidery styles from the two eras, which is giving me all sorts of ideas of patterns to play with.
So where’s the inspiration in all of this? Mostly in my head right now. While I meant to write this first post about inspiration for my writing, which is my first love, my muse has taken hold of my obsession of the week, and she is pulling me to design a modern embroidery piece that combines elements from early 16th Century Italy and early 19th Century England. I’m still in the early stages of planning, so I am not sure exactly what direction I’m going in, but I’m very excited by the whole thing, and as I mentioned at the beginning, excitement is the fuel we need to bring our creative ideas to life. And I know if I let myself follow my enthusiasms, there will always be more interests and inspirations to keep me going.
On that note, I will leave you to your enthusiasms while I go off to chase mine. Wishing you a week full of creativity and enthusiasms!
Kim Switzer is an aspiring novelist and avid dabbler in various visual and fiber arts, especially embroidery, beaded embroidery, oil painting, and her new-found love--art quilting. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her boyfriend, her cat, and various incarnations of her muse. For more information or to contact Kim, you can use the following links:
Website: http://www.mythicwriters.org
Blog: http://www.wordcolors.blogspot.com
E-mail: kimswitzer@mythicwriters.org
Read more!
Kim Switzer
Inspiration and Enthusiasm
Charles Kinsley said, “We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about.” I agree wholeheartedly. I would add that we need to do something with that enthusiasm, although being enthusiastic about something generally leads to some sort of action. I also would add that for a creative life, we need to nurture and cherish our enthusiasms and seek out new ones. These passions fuel our creations and keep inspired so that we keep creating. Enthusiasm is creativity’s driving force.
Those are nice, rather philosophical ideas, aren’t they? But creativity does have a practical, concrete side to it. So how do enthusiasms become finished creative works? There are different ways. I’ll show you how it works for me sometimes:
This week, I’m completely fascinated with 16th Century Italy and 19th Century England (I belong to two different historical recreation groups that focus on these time periods). I’m especially intrigued by the similarities between what, at first glance, appear to be wildly different eras.
For example, if you look at dress styles from the early 1500s in Italy and from the early 1800s in England, you will see remarkable similarities. What we call the “empire waistline” in 2008 was the style of the day in Italy in 1508 and again in England in 1808. And the clothing of the later 16th Century with its Elizabethan styles has quite a lot in common with the Victorian era styles of two hundred years later. I am even finding similarities in embroidery styles from the two eras, which is giving me all sorts of ideas of patterns to play with.
So where’s the inspiration in all of this? Mostly in my head right now. While I meant to write this first post about inspiration for my writing, which is my first love, my muse has taken hold of my obsession of the week, and she is pulling me to design a modern embroidery piece that combines elements from early 16th Century Italy and early 19th Century England. I’m still in the early stages of planning, so I am not sure exactly what direction I’m going in, but I’m very excited by the whole thing, and as I mentioned at the beginning, excitement is the fuel we need to bring our creative ideas to life. And I know if I let myself follow my enthusiasms, there will always be more interests and inspirations to keep me going.
On that note, I will leave you to your enthusiasms while I go off to chase mine. Wishing you a week full of creativity and enthusiasms!
Kim Switzer is an aspiring novelist and avid dabbler in various visual and fiber arts, especially embroidery, beaded embroidery, oil painting, and her new-found love--art quilting. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her boyfriend, her cat, and various incarnations of her muse. For more information or to contact Kim, you can use the following links:
Website: http://www.mythicwriters.org
Blog: http://www.wordcolors.blogspot.com
E-mail: kimswitzer@mythicwriters.org
Read more!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
DON'T QUIT YOUR DAY JOB
Finding Your Muse After Putting In A Full Day…
By Colleen Gonzalez
I am a writer. That sentence is difficult for me to type. I do not make a living as a writer, nor have I published anything you would have read. I know that what you truly are comes from within, yet it can be difficult to give ourselves a label that doesn’t put food on our tables.
Currently, I have what would be defined as a “real job.” I work in an office Monday through Friday. I’m a paper-pusher and my job has no creativity to it. Everything needs to be done a certain way, accurately, timely, day in and day out. I fell into this job because I needed to earn a living and I never had enough confidence in my creative abilities to just GO FOR IT!
I’m sure this rings true for many of you out there. Over time though, it gets increasingly difficult to deny our true calling. Some people wake up one day and walk away from it all. Others have mid-life crises. I hope to take a different, more constructive journey and I hope you will follow me.
Most days, I can’t imagine that I can have one more thing on my plate. The responsibilities as a wife, mother, employee, take up so much of my time and zap all of my creative juices. Still, I’ve decided that I can no longer let time pass me by. I have vowed to learn how to feed my muse on a daily basis.
So, even if I have piles of laundry, dishes in the sink and a floor you probably shouldn’t eat off of, I will find a way to put my butt in the chair each day and write. I’m currently working on a novelization of my childhood pet, starting a website/blog and writing essays for possible publication.
Time is a constant challenge for me. I would never describe myself as a “high energy” person. I also tend to take the safe road. With these personality realizations, I’m not going to drastically change my life. I have responsibilities to my family that I can’t put aside to pursue my dreams full time. So, it comes down to finding a way to put another thing on my plate. At this time in my life success equates to feeling confident when I say…I Am A Writer!
Read more!
By Colleen Gonzalez
I am a writer. That sentence is difficult for me to type. I do not make a living as a writer, nor have I published anything you would have read. I know that what you truly are comes from within, yet it can be difficult to give ourselves a label that doesn’t put food on our tables.
Currently, I have what would be defined as a “real job.” I work in an office Monday through Friday. I’m a paper-pusher and my job has no creativity to it. Everything needs to be done a certain way, accurately, timely, day in and day out. I fell into this job because I needed to earn a living and I never had enough confidence in my creative abilities to just GO FOR IT!
I’m sure this rings true for many of you out there. Over time though, it gets increasingly difficult to deny our true calling. Some people wake up one day and walk away from it all. Others have mid-life crises. I hope to take a different, more constructive journey and I hope you will follow me.
Most days, I can’t imagine that I can have one more thing on my plate. The responsibilities as a wife, mother, employee, take up so much of my time and zap all of my creative juices. Still, I’ve decided that I can no longer let time pass me by. I have vowed to learn how to feed my muse on a daily basis.
So, even if I have piles of laundry, dishes in the sink and a floor you probably shouldn’t eat off of, I will find a way to put my butt in the chair each day and write. I’m currently working on a novelization of my childhood pet, starting a website/blog and writing essays for possible publication.
Time is a constant challenge for me. I would never describe myself as a “high energy” person. I also tend to take the safe road. With these personality realizations, I’m not going to drastically change my life. I have responsibilities to my family that I can’t put aside to pursue my dreams full time. So, it comes down to finding a way to put another thing on my plate. At this time in my life success equates to feeling confident when I say…I Am A Writer!
Read more!
GARDEN VIEWS
Lois J. de Vries
Garden Time
Gardeners can lose themselves in preparing a planting hole, imagining what a particular blue flower will look like in a certain location, or making their “rounds,” of the gardens, in the same way that fine artists lose themselves in their paintings, or novelists enter their stories. A while back, I asked Eric, what gardeners can do to string together more of these “being-in-the-flow” events.
Eric's Answer: "The main thing is to re-imagine time. We often get it into our heads that five minutes or fifteen minutes or half-an-hour isn’t “enough time” to get anything done. This is a big mistake. If we are holding a certain kind of experience, like writing our novel or making our garden rounds, as meaningful, then it is abundantly meaningful to turn to it for short periods of time during the day rather than holding that ,unless you have a huge expanse of time, there is no reason to bother. If you have fifteen free minutes, you could certainly glance at the newspaper and take in some news you don’t need—or you could do the thing your heart actually wants to do, which is visit your garden. The trick is to consider those fifteen minutes as vast and not negligible."
This echoes the sentiments expressed by garden writer Marianne Binetti who believes that gardening is a legitimate task to be incorporated into every garden writer’s workday and that time should be set aside for it like other assignments or appointments. Marianne suggests the carrot-and-stick approach, in which the gardening interval is a reward for completing our less palatable duties.
It seems much easier to get into the garden, than to get out of it, however. All serious gardeners are familiar with the elasticity of time, something we are told is a fixed unit. We’re taught that every second is the same length, determined by atomic clocks based on the hyperfine (microwave) transitions in hydrogen-1, cesium-133, and rubidium-7. Each minute equals 60 seconds, etc.
Nevertheless, in the garden we seem to enter Einstein’s realm of relativity. Well, maybe not exactly. Einstein’s theory says that time expands or contracts depending on how fast the observer is moving. My theory of gardening relativity is that garden time expands or contracts depending upon how much fun the gardener is having. Not much fun = expanding time. Lots of fun = contracting time.
Last year, I inserted some gardening work between the time I first start writing and the time I shower (seemed like a practical decision). I take the cell phone with me for two reasons: For 911 calls in case I accidentally slice off one of my own limbs, and to know when garden time is up. Usually, I was having way too much fun and garden time ended too soon. On auspicious days, I’d find any excuse to justify staying in the garden. Looking back now, each of these were times that I, as Eric advises, allowed myself to “do the thing your heart actually wants to do.”
I thought I needed at least 30 – 60 minutes, but I look forward to experimenting with the idea of considering fifteen, or even five, minutes in the garden as vast.
___
Lois de Vries' thoughts on gardening and environmental issues run the gamut from gardening in her own back yard to promoting land management practices that reconnect people to the Earth. Lois is seeking a publisher for her book, The Transformational Power of Gardening. Visit her blog at http://loisdevries.blogspot.com . To contact Lois, drop her an e-mail at loisj7@gmail.com .
Read more!
Garden Time
Gardeners can lose themselves in preparing a planting hole, imagining what a particular blue flower will look like in a certain location, or making their “rounds,” of the gardens, in the same way that fine artists lose themselves in their paintings, or novelists enter their stories. A while back, I asked Eric, what gardeners can do to string together more of these “being-in-the-flow” events.
Eric's Answer: "The main thing is to re-imagine time. We often get it into our heads that five minutes or fifteen minutes or half-an-hour isn’t “enough time” to get anything done. This is a big mistake. If we are holding a certain kind of experience, like writing our novel or making our garden rounds, as meaningful, then it is abundantly meaningful to turn to it for short periods of time during the day rather than holding that ,unless you have a huge expanse of time, there is no reason to bother. If you have fifteen free minutes, you could certainly glance at the newspaper and take in some news you don’t need—or you could do the thing your heart actually wants to do, which is visit your garden. The trick is to consider those fifteen minutes as vast and not negligible."
This echoes the sentiments expressed by garden writer Marianne Binetti who believes that gardening is a legitimate task to be incorporated into every garden writer’s workday and that time should be set aside for it like other assignments or appointments. Marianne suggests the carrot-and-stick approach, in which the gardening interval is a reward for completing our less palatable duties.
It seems much easier to get into the garden, than to get out of it, however. All serious gardeners are familiar with the elasticity of time, something we are told is a fixed unit. We’re taught that every second is the same length, determined by atomic clocks based on the hyperfine (microwave) transitions in hydrogen-1, cesium-133, and rubidium-7. Each minute equals 60 seconds, etc.
Nevertheless, in the garden we seem to enter Einstein’s realm of relativity. Well, maybe not exactly. Einstein’s theory says that time expands or contracts depending on how fast the observer is moving. My theory of gardening relativity is that garden time expands or contracts depending upon how much fun the gardener is having. Not much fun = expanding time. Lots of fun = contracting time.
Last year, I inserted some gardening work between the time I first start writing and the time I shower (seemed like a practical decision). I take the cell phone with me for two reasons: For 911 calls in case I accidentally slice off one of my own limbs, and to know when garden time is up. Usually, I was having way too much fun and garden time ended too soon. On auspicious days, I’d find any excuse to justify staying in the garden. Looking back now, each of these were times that I, as Eric advises, allowed myself to “do the thing your heart actually wants to do.”
I thought I needed at least 30 – 60 minutes, but I look forward to experimenting with the idea of considering fifteen, or even five, minutes in the garden as vast.
___
Lois de Vries' thoughts on gardening and environmental issues run the gamut from gardening in her own back yard to promoting land management practices that reconnect people to the Earth. Lois is seeking a publisher for her book, The Transformational Power of Gardening. Visit her blog at http://loisdevries.blogspot.com . To contact Lois, drop her an e-mail at loisj7@gmail.com .
Read more!
GRASPING WONDERS WITH SLIPPERY FINGERS
Creativity and Children
Ginger Carlson, MA Ed.
Grasping Wonder with Slippery Fingers
Do you know that feeling when you are in the shower and you reach down to pick up the soap, and it just slips out of your fingers? So you
try again, this time using both hands, and plop!...there goes the soap
flying across the shower floor. And on and on, until finally you
grasp the little sucker with your finger nails so it can?t get away.
It will do its job for you. When it is done doing its job, and only
then, will it be able slip back into its comfortable nook on the
shower wall, only to slide off again at your feet, at which point you
just leave it there, sitting over the grate letting the rest of your
shower water begin to assist in its slow disintegration. You sigh and
just let it be. After all, it did what you asked it to do, and you are
clean now, so there is no need to go through that whole rigmarole again.
As adults, we often go through our own processes trying to hold onto
our own individual creative soaps. We are searching for our voice,
learning to create again, or developing a particular style with art,
cooking, music, or any number of ways we wish to express ourselves.
Oftentimes, we are working to take off layers of upbringing, possibly
even addictions or other roads that may have lead us astray from our
creative paths. We do it because creativity and being able to
uniquely express ourselves is our birthright, but it is often hard
work. So how do we rear thoughtful creative children, the kind of
children who grow up to be thoughtful creative adults, who are somehow able to continue to nimbly grasp their own true creative, yet
slippery, wonder?
Luckily, there?s more than one way to do so, and this little journey
we call parenting is as unique as our kids are. Still, if we can
release for a moment the urge to control; if we can allow true
expression; if we can honor the creative impulses that arise, and do
so early and often, then we encourage the creative life we want and
strive for ourselves.
So it is later in the afternoon and you walk into the bathroom. The
shower curtain is still pulled back and you see that the soap is still
guarding the grate, just as you left it. You reach down again and
easily pluck the soap up and place it back on the shelf. It stays
put. A second later your out-loud, expressive, energetic, creative
kid goes running down the hallway dressed as the super-human master of the underworld, flaming red scarves trailing behind. The energy
settles on your whole being, and you smile, because maybe, just maybe, when he grows up he won?t have such a hard time holding onto his soap.
---
Ginger Carlson, MA Ed, is a speaker, education consultant, and the
author of Child of Wonder: Nurturing Creative and Naturally Curious
Children (Common Ground Press 2008). She leads creativity-building
workshops throughout the US for parents and educators. Please visit
her at http://www.gingercarlson.com to learn more, see her blogs about living creatively and cooking with children, or sign up for
Wonderwise, her free newsletter. Read more!
Ginger Carlson, MA Ed.
Grasping Wonder with Slippery Fingers
Do you know that feeling when you are in the shower and you reach down to pick up the soap, and it just slips out of your fingers? So you
try again, this time using both hands, and plop!...there goes the soap
flying across the shower floor. And on and on, until finally you
grasp the little sucker with your finger nails so it can?t get away.
It will do its job for you. When it is done doing its job, and only
then, will it be able slip back into its comfortable nook on the
shower wall, only to slide off again at your feet, at which point you
just leave it there, sitting over the grate letting the rest of your
shower water begin to assist in its slow disintegration. You sigh and
just let it be. After all, it did what you asked it to do, and you are
clean now, so there is no need to go through that whole rigmarole again.
As adults, we often go through our own processes trying to hold onto
our own individual creative soaps. We are searching for our voice,
learning to create again, or developing a particular style with art,
cooking, music, or any number of ways we wish to express ourselves.
Oftentimes, we are working to take off layers of upbringing, possibly
even addictions or other roads that may have lead us astray from our
creative paths. We do it because creativity and being able to
uniquely express ourselves is our birthright, but it is often hard
work. So how do we rear thoughtful creative children, the kind of
children who grow up to be thoughtful creative adults, who are somehow able to continue to nimbly grasp their own true creative, yet
slippery, wonder?
Luckily, there?s more than one way to do so, and this little journey
we call parenting is as unique as our kids are. Still, if we can
release for a moment the urge to control; if we can allow true
expression; if we can honor the creative impulses that arise, and do
so early and often, then we encourage the creative life we want and
strive for ourselves.
So it is later in the afternoon and you walk into the bathroom. The
shower curtain is still pulled back and you see that the soap is still
guarding the grate, just as you left it. You reach down again and
easily pluck the soap up and place it back on the shelf. It stays
put. A second later your out-loud, expressive, energetic, creative
kid goes running down the hallway dressed as the super-human master of the underworld, flaming red scarves trailing behind. The energy
settles on your whole being, and you smile, because maybe, just maybe, when he grows up he won?t have such a hard time holding onto his soap.
---
Ginger Carlson, MA Ed, is a speaker, education consultant, and the
author of Child of Wonder: Nurturing Creative and Naturally Curious
Children (Common Ground Press 2008). She leads creativity-building
workshops throughout the US for parents and educators. Please visit
her at http://www.gingercarlson.com to learn more, see her blogs about living creatively and cooking with children, or sign up for
Wonderwise, her free newsletter. Read more!
CREATIVE CIRCLE RECOVERY MINNESOTA USA
10000 lakes, 12 steps, 2 worlds
Pamela Yates
Decide to be Fully Alive!
Welcome, I hope you find this blog enjoyable and interesting. In it I hope to explore ideas about creativity, recovery and culture. Essentially I hope to inspire you to grasp opportunities to be free of alcohol and drug addition if that's a problem for you - and further, to nurture your desire to find the creative work that your heart calls you to do, to reclaim your natural creative nature. As part of this process I hope I can also nurture your intent to set aside cultural taboos to keep you from doing all you can to live sober, happy and free. Your life is in the balance. Once we are sober and well we move on to make deeper choices about the traditions we want to live by. First we have to choose to live. And live fully.
What does it mean to reclaim our creative nature? People apply their creativity in many different ways. It goes without saying that I'm talking about creativity expressed in healthy ways. Creativity is endless in its manifestations and expressions. If we look at the big picture from the first ochre drawing on a cave wall to a complex symphony, from snowshoe designs to mandellas, from a wedding feast to a woven blanket we can see our personal alignment with the enormous creative energy of the natural world around us. So, what does that have to do with recovery and culture? That's a very good question.
I've noticed that people in recovery yearn to express their creativity. Many of them don't choose to explore that but they yearn nevertheless. There's no convenient label to put on what we yearn for because it could be anything from becoming a better more creative parent to deciding to earn a commission to paint 30 murals, earn a high school diploma, design a beautiful garden, carve stone, build a tipi or become a t'ai chi expert, massage therapist, violin player or teacher. What's your dream? Mine was to paint again and more deeply. OK. So next, what about culture? What does that have to do with anything? Another very good question. And one that I'll answer next time on this blog.
I hope you enjoyed your visit and that you'll check back for the next issue.
Until then, nurture your dreams and happy creating!
Pamela
****
Pamela Yates is a painter, creativity coach and transplanted Australian writing about the adventures of a creative person in recovery living in Minnesota USA. Her insights about life in recovery come from indigenous and western perspectives on healing our creative spirit: recovery and creativity seamlessly nurtured by tribal values. Her journey of healing includes 20-years as a sober contemporary artist supported by multi-cultural extended family including recovery from alcoholism, anxiety and sexual trauma. Her storytelling has roots in 12-step programs, the Red Road and teachings from the restorative Circle process. Her clients and paintings are in communities across the USA and abroad. To learn more about recovery and creativity visit Pamela's web site at http://www.circlepathways.com and her online portfolio at http://www.pamelayatesfinart.com or contact her via email at pamela@pamelayates.com.
**** Read more!
Pamela Yates
Decide to be Fully Alive!
Welcome, I hope you find this blog enjoyable and interesting. In it I hope to explore ideas about creativity, recovery and culture. Essentially I hope to inspire you to grasp opportunities to be free of alcohol and drug addition if that's a problem for you - and further, to nurture your desire to find the creative work that your heart calls you to do, to reclaim your natural creative nature. As part of this process I hope I can also nurture your intent to set aside cultural taboos to keep you from doing all you can to live sober, happy and free. Your life is in the balance. Once we are sober and well we move on to make deeper choices about the traditions we want to live by. First we have to choose to live. And live fully.
What does it mean to reclaim our creative nature? People apply their creativity in many different ways. It goes without saying that I'm talking about creativity expressed in healthy ways. Creativity is endless in its manifestations and expressions. If we look at the big picture from the first ochre drawing on a cave wall to a complex symphony, from snowshoe designs to mandellas, from a wedding feast to a woven blanket we can see our personal alignment with the enormous creative energy of the natural world around us. So, what does that have to do with recovery and culture? That's a very good question.
I've noticed that people in recovery yearn to express their creativity. Many of them don't choose to explore that but they yearn nevertheless. There's no convenient label to put on what we yearn for because it could be anything from becoming a better more creative parent to deciding to earn a commission to paint 30 murals, earn a high school diploma, design a beautiful garden, carve stone, build a tipi or become a t'ai chi expert, massage therapist, violin player or teacher. What's your dream? Mine was to paint again and more deeply. OK. So next, what about culture? What does that have to do with anything? Another very good question. And one that I'll answer next time on this blog.
I hope you enjoyed your visit and that you'll check back for the next issue.
Until then, nurture your dreams and happy creating!
Pamela
****
Pamela Yates is a painter, creativity coach and transplanted Australian writing about the adventures of a creative person in recovery living in Minnesota USA. Her insights about life in recovery come from indigenous and western perspectives on healing our creative spirit: recovery and creativity seamlessly nurtured by tribal values. Her journey of healing includes 20-years as a sober contemporary artist supported by multi-cultural extended family including recovery from alcoholism, anxiety and sexual trauma. Her storytelling has roots in 12-step programs, the Red Road and teachings from the restorative Circle process. Her clients and paintings are in communities across the USA and abroad. To learn more about recovery and creativity visit Pamela's web site at http://www.circlepathways.com and her online portfolio at http://www.pamelayatesfinart.com or contact her via email at pamela@pamelayates.com.
**** Read more!
ARTIST ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Beth Barany
Start from Where You Are
I am an Artist Entrepreneur. Or more specifically a Writer Entrepreneur. Or is it an Authorpreneur? I am a writer, but prefer the term, Artist Entrepreneur because my art of choice is more than just writing fiction and nonfiction, and also includes teaching, coaching, product production, photography and film.
A word about my brand, Artist Entrepreneurship. I had chosen as my brand focus, "Story as the New Frontier: Change Your Story, Change Your life." I had intended to share about how storytelling tools can greatly enhance our awareness and ability to live fully. I still intend to do that, only with a more narrow focus, that of Artist Entrepreneurship.
An Artist Entrepreneur Defined
An Artist Entrepreneur is an artist first, entrepreneur second. Priority to her well-being, she works diligently and faithfully on her art and craft. As an artist, she desires to be recognized and compensated for the art she produces, and as an entrepreneur, she applies the structure of business and its tools of planning, budgeting, marketing and sales to bring her art out into the world's marketplace.
Storytelling Tools Applied
The first tool from storytelling that I will apply to Artist Entrepreneurship is the GMC tool. This fabulous tool was developed by writer, publisher, speaker, Debra Dixon (debradixon.com), in her book, GMC: Goal, Motivation and Conflict. In GMC, Deb Dixon teaches this tool for character development to add dimension to fiction characters and depth to plot. I have adapted this tool to the creative process and more specifically to the book creation process in The Writer's Adventure™ Method. Now I will apply it to the story of being an Artist Entrepreneur.
For the purposes of this blog, I will use my journey as an Artist Entrepreneur as a test case. I will be posting interviews of other Artist Entrepreneur at my blog, blog.writersfunzone.com, and digesting and integrating what I learn for you in my weekly posts here at the Joy of Living Creatively blog. So, stay tuned!
I will also be presenting some of my Artist Entrepreneurship findings at the 1st Annual International Creativity Conference, Creativity: Let it be Life!™ presented by the Creativity Coaching Association in Lake George, New York, October 4 and 5, 2008. Join us there! More at www.creativitycoachingassociation.com.
GMC and S for Beth Barany as Artist Entrepreneur
Each Goal, Motivation, Conflict, and Strength (I added that one) have an inner and outer component, as you'll see below.
Goal
Inner: To live my truth, to live in truth, to see who I am through my all my creativity, creative projects, especially fiction writing.
Outer: My goal in being an artist entrepreneur is to give first priority to my art, which in the immediate future and the present is writing fiction, first, and nonfiction, second. Third priority is running a successful business.
Motivation
Inner: I am motivated by my desire to share my light with the world, to let as many people as possible know they can tap into their creativity too. I desire to be a shining beacon of light, living my creative life to the fullest. I am motivated by joy, compassion to myself, and love of the deliciousness of life.
Outer: I am motivated by the positive effect I can have on those around me by teaching what I most love: the creative process of book writing.
Conflict
Inner: I am currently challenged by the mental chatter that tells me not to take care of myself first, and tells me to be a little hamster on the never-ending treadmill of a to-do list.
Outer: Uh, making a living. It's a challenge we all face. Making a living is the sandy grit that will make me do the work to bring my artist self into the world.
Strengths
Inner: Resilience, confidence, excitement at doing what I love, joy, writing, teaching, organizational, networking, marketing and selling skills, my health and vitality, gratitude for the gift of life I have received.
Outer: Wonderful support from family and friends, strong professional network, good laptop, library of resources, good weather, lots of sunshine. Thank you all!
Now what? Next Steps
Now that I've done my initial assessment of where I am in my Artist Entrepreneurship Adventure™, I am more clear on what next steps I can take today and moving forward.
Number 1: Truly, putting my art first is vital.
Number 2: The only way for me to see my way clearly is to clear my mind. Meditation is the key for that.
Number 3: Continue to give thanks for this wonderful opportunity to create my life anew each and every day.
Today I presented Stage 1 of the Artist Entrepreneur's Adventure™: Start From Where You Are. I presented to you where I was, and what my vital next steps are. Now it's your turn. Write in, post your comments, and share with us where you are on your Artist Entrepreneur's journey, what your goals, motivations, conflicts and strengths are. I'd love to hear them.
Thanks for being a part of this adventure with me, and thanks to Eric Maisel for sparking my own journey, and for providing this wonderful forum.
___
Beth Barany, a CCA certified creativity coach, helps creative individuals go on their own Writer's Adventure™, and become the hero of their book writing adventure. A fiction and nonfiction writer, Beth has worked in the book industry for over 20 years: in libraries and bookstores, as a book publicist, book reviewer, journalist, editor, book project manager, and book layout artist. As a sole proprietor and entrepreneur, she has channeled her passion for writing, books, and the creative process into a business, balancing the demands of her writing career with that of her coaching and consulting business. Blog: blog.writersfunzone.com. Site: www.bethbarany.com.
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IOWA WRITING COACH
Suzanne Kelsey
Why We Feel Better When We Create
It turns out that science may help explain why creative types feel better when we draw, write, paint, sing, or make a movie. Robert Gitchell, a retired orthopaedic surgeon, writes in a recent University of Iowa publication that when people engage in creative activities, “they change the production of interleukins, the cytokines that play an important role in the function of the immune system, enhancing beneficial cytokines and reducing those related to stress.” In fact, manmade cytokine injections are actually used to boost the immune system, and a certain type of interleukin is used in treating certain cancers, says Gitchell.
In other words, taking time to create something makes good stuff go on inside your body. So what’s keeping us from writing that shaky first draft or making that ugly painting? Apparently it doesn’t even have to be good on the outside in order to feel good inside.
___
--Suzanne Kelsey inspires people to live their passions and to find miracles even in the mundane. As a writing coach, writer, editor, and visual artist from Eastern Iowa, she keeps us connected to the freelancing life, Midwest Bohemia, nature, creativity, visual journaling, and living large in a small town. Visit Suzanne’s web site at www.suzannekelsey.com. Email her at suzannekelsey@msn.com. See more of her blog posts at www.iowawritingcoach.blogspot.com.
Read more!
Why We Feel Better When We Create
It turns out that science may help explain why creative types feel better when we draw, write, paint, sing, or make a movie. Robert Gitchell, a retired orthopaedic surgeon, writes in a recent University of Iowa publication that when people engage in creative activities, “they change the production of interleukins, the cytokines that play an important role in the function of the immune system, enhancing beneficial cytokines and reducing those related to stress.” In fact, manmade cytokine injections are actually used to boost the immune system, and a certain type of interleukin is used in treating certain cancers, says Gitchell.
In other words, taking time to create something makes good stuff go on inside your body. So what’s keeping us from writing that shaky first draft or making that ugly painting? Apparently it doesn’t even have to be good on the outside in order to feel good inside.
___
--Suzanne Kelsey inspires people to live their passions and to find miracles even in the mundane. As a writing coach, writer, editor, and visual artist from Eastern Iowa, she keeps us connected to the freelancing life, Midwest Bohemia, nature, creativity, visual journaling, and living large in a small town. Visit Suzanne’s web site at www.suzannekelsey.com. Email her at suzannekelsey@msn.com. See more of her blog posts at www.iowawritingcoach.blogspot.com.
Read more!
WRITING IN WHITE ROCK, BC
A writer's daily struggle for focus, authenticity, and joy
Jeanne Ainslie
Sense of Place
Hemingway had Paris, and the Beats had San Francisco. I have White Rock, BC, a small town of almost 19,000 on Semiahmoo Bay, two miles from the International border. My place for writing is on the beach in White Rock, sitting on a log, one of many that has drifted miles from Vancouver island across the Georgia Strait to Boundary Bay. When I’m sitting on my small hand crafted wooden chair at low tide, I move my chair backwards or forwards, depending on whether the tide is coming in or going out. Blaine, Birch Point, the Cascades, the San Juan Islands, the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island are misty in the distance. I feel like I’m on vacation. Always I feel like the beachcombing author of First You Learn to Row a Boat. Content and happy, free to dream, I am totally committed to making my dream a reality. I feel like I’m a kid again, with the warm sun and fresh breeze on my face, and the luxury to be distracted by two kayakers coming ashore.
___
Jeanne Ainslie (BSc Hons, MSc) is a published author (novels and articles) and a freelance editor (www.westcoastediting.com). A Country Girl, Jeanne's bestselling erotic novel will soon be back in print (www.acountrygirl.com). Read more!
Jeanne Ainslie
Sense of Place
Hemingway had Paris, and the Beats had San Francisco. I have White Rock, BC, a small town of almost 19,000 on Semiahmoo Bay, two miles from the International border. My place for writing is on the beach in White Rock, sitting on a log, one of many that has drifted miles from Vancouver island across the Georgia Strait to Boundary Bay. When I’m sitting on my small hand crafted wooden chair at low tide, I move my chair backwards or forwards, depending on whether the tide is coming in or going out. Blaine, Birch Point, the Cascades, the San Juan Islands, the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island are misty in the distance. I feel like I’m on vacation. Always I feel like the beachcombing author of First You Learn to Row a Boat. Content and happy, free to dream, I am totally committed to making my dream a reality. I feel like I’m a kid again, with the warm sun and fresh breeze on my face, and the luxury to be distracted by two kayakers coming ashore.
___
Jeanne Ainslie (BSc Hons, MSc) is a published author (novels and articles) and a freelance editor (www.westcoastediting.com). A Country Girl, Jeanne's bestselling erotic novel will soon be back in print (www.acountrygirl.com). Read more!
MIXING IT UP DOWN UNDER
Jan Allsopp
The Sydney Biennale is full steam ahead at the moment and I travelled the 570 kms to see it. I’ve seen some past Biennales and found them largely inaccessible with only the odd beacon of light to show my brain, eyes and heart the way. I’m not sure if this years Biennale just seems better to me or if it actually is. I’ve got a few more years stored below deck and my studies are drawing maps in my thinking, but my companions on board were equally thrilled with our discoveries as we navigated the waters of several art galleries.
OK, even I think that’s enough with the maritime metaphors! What’s so watery about the Biennale anyway? Well, for the first time the best of the best of the Biennale are exhibited on Cockatoo Island, the largest island in Sydney Harbour which has been an imperial prison, industrial school, reformatory, gaol and shipyards and now a heritage site. The fact that the art works have been set up in several locations on the island adds to the idea that visiting is like an exploration expedition across the water and into the unknown.
If no man is an island, Australia certainly is. We are a long way from just about everywhere. In the past the artistic distance has been almost untraversable; three months on a ship meant only a small percentage of Australians viewed key works ‘in the flesh’. Air travel has meant many of us have now seen the real Mona Lisa but it is still 24 hours on a plane and many thousands of dollars to do so. Consequently most of my art education, and many other Aussie’s, has been primarily from books. So imagine how I felt seeing Duchamp’s first Ready-made Bicycle Wheel. It looks like he made it yesterday! Beautiful. At the Art Gallery of New South Wales I also saw works by other names I’d only read about before: Joseph Beuys, Bruce Nauman, Jean Tinguely and learned to love many new-to-me artists, especially Gianni Colombo and his Elastic Space. I was swimming in a sea of conceptual art ideas. I literally drowned (ok, not literally, but it seemed so) in the video work of an artist whose name I’m sorry to say I can’t recall. [Out of time. Going to Cockatoo Island tomorrow.]
[Overnight rain, cocktail party. Slow morning start.] The ferry to Cockatoo Island leaves from in front of the Museum of Contemporary Art at The Rocks which turns out to also be the venue for the Aroma Festival: Chocolate, Coffee and Spice on that day. The whole area was packed when we arrive so we retreated into the MCA first. The island could wait an hour or two.
The very first work you see as you enter is Leon Ferrari’s Western Christian Civilisation which I suspect the organisers where hoping would be controversial and drive the entrance numbers up. I was looking forward to seeing it. The thing I love most about art is its ability to communicate ideas and concepts that are either difficult to describe in words, or impossible. Ferrari’s Christ crucified on a scaled replica of a US FG 107 fighter plane had done just that to me when I viewed photos in books. Disappointingly not so when I saw it as it was hung so badly that all meaning and interest is immediately diffused. Maurizio Cattelan’s Novecento did the reverse, with its materials list “leather, rope, horse” it is strangely affecting. It is in the same room with some hanging wooden sculptures, which I actually saw some people carelessly bump their heads into as they made their way to a wall exhibit. No one could approach the horse in this manner. I saw people determined to walk under it as it dangled at a great height. Unable to do so, they tried again with their eyes tightly closed, still unable to desecrate the life force around this powerful taxidermied body. Another great pleasure was spending time (not enough time, never enough time) with two Alexander Calder mobiles, one black, one white. I could have watched the elegantly unfolding motion of the white mobile for many, many hours but Cockatoo Island called.
Outside the Aroma festival had flourished into an odorous crush. The queue for the ferry was long and the time remaining until it closed was short. [Plenty of time for Cockatoo Island tomorrow.]
To Be Continued.
---
Jan Allsopp is a visual artist living in Coffs Harbour, Australia. Jan will be keeping us in touch with the art scene in coastal New South Wales as well sharing her exploits, as mid-career and mid-life, she decides to change art forms. View Jan's art and browse her shop at www.janallsopp.com.au
Read more!
The Sydney Biennale is full steam ahead at the moment and I travelled the 570 kms to see it. I’ve seen some past Biennales and found them largely inaccessible with only the odd beacon of light to show my brain, eyes and heart the way. I’m not sure if this years Biennale just seems better to me or if it actually is. I’ve got a few more years stored below deck and my studies are drawing maps in my thinking, but my companions on board were equally thrilled with our discoveries as we navigated the waters of several art galleries.
OK, even I think that’s enough with the maritime metaphors! What’s so watery about the Biennale anyway? Well, for the first time the best of the best of the Biennale are exhibited on Cockatoo Island, the largest island in Sydney Harbour which has been an imperial prison, industrial school, reformatory, gaol and shipyards and now a heritage site. The fact that the art works have been set up in several locations on the island adds to the idea that visiting is like an exploration expedition across the water and into the unknown.
If no man is an island, Australia certainly is. We are a long way from just about everywhere. In the past the artistic distance has been almost untraversable; three months on a ship meant only a small percentage of Australians viewed key works ‘in the flesh’. Air travel has meant many of us have now seen the real Mona Lisa but it is still 24 hours on a plane and many thousands of dollars to do so. Consequently most of my art education, and many other Aussie’s, has been primarily from books. So imagine how I felt seeing Duchamp’s first Ready-made Bicycle Wheel. It looks like he made it yesterday! Beautiful. At the Art Gallery of New South Wales I also saw works by other names I’d only read about before: Joseph Beuys, Bruce Nauman, Jean Tinguely and learned to love many new-to-me artists, especially Gianni Colombo and his Elastic Space. I was swimming in a sea of conceptual art ideas. I literally drowned (ok, not literally, but it seemed so) in the video work of an artist whose name I’m sorry to say I can’t recall. [Out of time. Going to Cockatoo Island tomorrow.]
[Overnight rain, cocktail party. Slow morning start.] The ferry to Cockatoo Island leaves from in front of the Museum of Contemporary Art at The Rocks which turns out to also be the venue for the Aroma Festival: Chocolate, Coffee and Spice on that day. The whole area was packed when we arrive so we retreated into the MCA first. The island could wait an hour or two.
The very first work you see as you enter is Leon Ferrari’s Western Christian Civilisation which I suspect the organisers where hoping would be controversial and drive the entrance numbers up. I was looking forward to seeing it. The thing I love most about art is its ability to communicate ideas and concepts that are either difficult to describe in words, or impossible. Ferrari’s Christ crucified on a scaled replica of a US FG 107 fighter plane had done just that to me when I viewed photos in books. Disappointingly not so when I saw it as it was hung so badly that all meaning and interest is immediately diffused. Maurizio Cattelan’s Novecento did the reverse, with its materials list “leather, rope, horse” it is strangely affecting. It is in the same room with some hanging wooden sculptures, which I actually saw some people carelessly bump their heads into as they made their way to a wall exhibit. No one could approach the horse in this manner. I saw people determined to walk under it as it dangled at a great height. Unable to do so, they tried again with their eyes tightly closed, still unable to desecrate the life force around this powerful taxidermied body. Another great pleasure was spending time (not enough time, never enough time) with two Alexander Calder mobiles, one black, one white. I could have watched the elegantly unfolding motion of the white mobile for many, many hours but Cockatoo Island called.
Outside the Aroma festival had flourished into an odorous crush. The queue for the ferry was long and the time remaining until it closed was short. [Plenty of time for Cockatoo Island tomorrow.]
To Be Continued.
---
Jan Allsopp is a visual artist living in Coffs Harbour, Australia. Jan will be keeping us in touch with the art scene in coastal New South Wales as well sharing her exploits, as mid-career and mid-life, she decides to change art forms. View Jan's art and browse her shop at www.janallsopp.com.au
Read more!
THE GAME OF WRITING
Literary-Mystical Puzzles for Writers
Jill Dearman
Letter Meditation Number One: The Aleph
I get my best ideas in the country.
Although I was raised on the mean streets of Queens, New York (there's a reason Archie Bunker called the borough his home!) and spent much of my life as a certified city mouse, in recent years my soul has pulled me (feet first) into the country. Over 4th of July weekend we were upstate with our good friend, our good dog, and a cavalcade of wild life. Chipmunks and cows, rabbits and vultures, hawks and hummingbirds, foxes and badgers, deer and fish, horses and frogs, cats and crows, and so many other creatures that we did not have strong enough sensory powers to see.
Ah, to be a human with six lame and lazily developed senses!
Driving up from Brooklyn on Friday, the 4th, I felt at one with the universe, so very peaceful and alive as we turned off the main highway into our weekend town. We rolled down the windows to breathe in the country air. Within moments I felt a jolt of adrenalin surge through me as a low-flying Buteo Hawk, holding a gopher in its beak, passed right in front of our windshield, so close we could almost hear its broad wings flap. I'd already eased my foot onto the brake, in silent sync with the predatory bird. There was a thrill of life and death existing all at once; my mind immediately flew back in time to countless rides through Times Square with my cab driver father, now dead for over two decades. He hadn't lived long enough to teach me to drive; and I waited till I was 33 before getting my license. But driving out of the boroughs, and into Colombia County, made me feel like I was traversing a series of opposite universes: the living and the dead, the animal and the human, the city and the country. At once I was inside of all of them, and my vantage point was clear and clean; I could see through each lens, with no overlap, no confusion.
And then I thought of The Aleph.
Aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each of the letters contains within it a primordial meaning, in the case of the Aleph it is simultaneously a letter of individuality (the number "one"), and a letter that contains within it the whole universe. "The Aleph", of course, is also an iconic short story by Jorge Luis Borges. A Kabbalist himself, Borges explored the concept of the Aleph as an earthly as well as spiritual creation, which contains multitudes within:
"Does the Aleph exist within the heart of a stone? Did I see it when I saw all things, and then forget it?" Borges wrote.
In Kabbalistic thought (the ancient Jewish mystical tradition) the Aleph is formed by drawing the letter Yud, signifier of the spark of an idea and the momentum that follows, two times, and separating the one above and the one below with the letter Vav, symbol of connection.
As writers, it seems we are always trying to navigate two worlds and find the connection between them –– the world inside, and the world outside. Buddhist Baritone Leonard Cohen nailed the cold, lonely and vivid experience of the former through his song "In My Secret Life". And as for the world of the latter, the world outside, sometimes it seems that we are less connected to it now than ever before, during this era of dominating technology, when each of us is encouraged in a
myriad of different ways to tune out "the other" and claim myspace (sic), how do we look beyond our secret worlds, and into the lives of others? How do we form a meaningful connection between the two?
On Sunday, while I happily puzzled over this, my mind turned to part of our Saturday night entertainment at the country house. On the piano sat the most random and amusing collection of sheet music, all gathered into one silly sing-along book. The songs ranged from the Alka Seltzer commercial theme ("Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz, Oh What a Relief It Is!") to Gospel shout-outs, Gershwin tunes, and a whole mess o' '70s and '80s hits –– eternal ("Evergreen") to hysterical ("Eye of the Tiger"). I practiced "As Time Goes By" (it was easier than I realized), Steven provided bassy anti-Bette vocals for "The Rose", and I karaoked like Krazy as Anne banged out a rocking rendition of "Stairway to Heaven."
What an epic song! And how at one with the universe once more I felt as I sang-bellowed, "And as we wind on down the road, our shadows taller than our souls …there walks a LIIIDY we all know-whoa…!!!" all of us sharing the live experience of our exuberant moment together, yet all of us inside ourselves.
And on that next morning, a mercurial Sunday in which no one could predict whether there'd be sun or rain, as I walked downstairs to make the coffee and take a moment to meditate and to let Roody the dog outside, I had a memory of a Hopper painting, "Stairway". A set of stairs in a country house, an open door exposing a background of mysterious countryside. Although it is a scene far away from the city, because it is Hopper, it contains the feeling of the absence of the city within it.
And so it was that morning, before that first sip of coffee reached my lips, I already felt awakened by a dazzling moment of recognition: every bite of literature and music, taste of art and experience of nature has nourished me, so that within me an entire labyrinth of imagined and observed worlds co-exist magically with the memories of experienced life and the fresh moment of life I experience with each breath. I felt caffeinated and nourished and hungry to write. And so I did. And so can you …so read on, write on and Right On, Baby!
Letter Exercise #1 "The Aleph": Write one page exploring (in whatever form you choose) a scene in which the first moment of an experience is somehow embedded in the last. Try making the first letter of the first word the same as the last letter of the last word. Your job is to use all the words in between to form a connection between the beginning of your tale and the end.
Puzzle of the Moment #1: Write one page (invisibly) using any three of the references (mystical, artistic, animal or otherwise) above as jumping off points. Find a way to narratively connect the dots.
I hope it leads you down a stairway to a shadowy country path that contains within it an endless series of invisible cities! May the Aleph be with you!
Further Reading, Listening and Looking (please write in with illuminating comments on the text above or on the delicious list below!)
"The Aleph" (short story, 1949) by Jorge Luis Borges
Invisible Cities (novel, 1972) by Italo Calvino
"In My Secret Life" (song, 2001) by Leonard Cohen
"Stairway to Heaven" (song, 1971) by Led Zeppelin
"Stairway" (painting, 1949) by Edward Hopper
---
Jill Dearman, the "BLOCKS-Busting Writing Coach" is the author of the forthcoming book, Bang the Keys: 4 Steps to a Lifelong Writing Practice. Her short stories, essays and journalism have been published widely in books, magazines and newspapers. Jill is a writing coach and editor as well as a part-time Professor of Journalism at New York University. Please visit her at www.jilldearman.com and write to her at JillDearman@gmail.com for more. Read more!
Jill Dearman
Letter Meditation Number One: The Aleph
I get my best ideas in the country.
Although I was raised on the mean streets of Queens, New York (there's a reason Archie Bunker called the borough his home!) and spent much of my life as a certified city mouse, in recent years my soul has pulled me (feet first) into the country. Over 4th of July weekend we were upstate with our good friend, our good dog, and a cavalcade of wild life. Chipmunks and cows, rabbits and vultures, hawks and hummingbirds, foxes and badgers, deer and fish, horses and frogs, cats and crows, and so many other creatures that we did not have strong enough sensory powers to see.
Ah, to be a human with six lame and lazily developed senses!
Driving up from Brooklyn on Friday, the 4th, I felt at one with the universe, so very peaceful and alive as we turned off the main highway into our weekend town. We rolled down the windows to breathe in the country air. Within moments I felt a jolt of adrenalin surge through me as a low-flying Buteo Hawk, holding a gopher in its beak, passed right in front of our windshield, so close we could almost hear its broad wings flap. I'd already eased my foot onto the brake, in silent sync with the predatory bird. There was a thrill of life and death existing all at once; my mind immediately flew back in time to countless rides through Times Square with my cab driver father, now dead for over two decades. He hadn't lived long enough to teach me to drive; and I waited till I was 33 before getting my license. But driving out of the boroughs, and into Colombia County, made me feel like I was traversing a series of opposite universes: the living and the dead, the animal and the human, the city and the country. At once I was inside of all of them, and my vantage point was clear and clean; I could see through each lens, with no overlap, no confusion.
And then I thought of The Aleph.
Aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each of the letters contains within it a primordial meaning, in the case of the Aleph it is simultaneously a letter of individuality (the number "one"), and a letter that contains within it the whole universe. "The Aleph", of course, is also an iconic short story by Jorge Luis Borges. A Kabbalist himself, Borges explored the concept of the Aleph as an earthly as well as spiritual creation, which contains multitudes within:
"Does the Aleph exist within the heart of a stone? Did I see it when I saw all things, and then forget it?" Borges wrote.
In Kabbalistic thought (the ancient Jewish mystical tradition) the Aleph is formed by drawing the letter Yud, signifier of the spark of an idea and the momentum that follows, two times, and separating the one above and the one below with the letter Vav, symbol of connection.
As writers, it seems we are always trying to navigate two worlds and find the connection between them –– the world inside, and the world outside. Buddhist Baritone Leonard Cohen nailed the cold, lonely and vivid experience of the former through his song "In My Secret Life". And as for the world of the latter, the world outside, sometimes it seems that we are less connected to it now than ever before, during this era of dominating technology, when each of us is encouraged in a
myriad of different ways to tune out "the other" and claim myspace (sic), how do we look beyond our secret worlds, and into the lives of others? How do we form a meaningful connection between the two?
On Sunday, while I happily puzzled over this, my mind turned to part of our Saturday night entertainment at the country house. On the piano sat the most random and amusing collection of sheet music, all gathered into one silly sing-along book. The songs ranged from the Alka Seltzer commercial theme ("Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz, Oh What a Relief It Is!") to Gospel shout-outs, Gershwin tunes, and a whole mess o' '70s and '80s hits –– eternal ("Evergreen") to hysterical ("Eye of the Tiger"). I practiced "As Time Goes By" (it was easier than I realized), Steven provided bassy anti-Bette vocals for "The Rose", and I karaoked like Krazy as Anne banged out a rocking rendition of "Stairway to Heaven."
What an epic song! And how at one with the universe once more I felt as I sang-bellowed, "And as we wind on down the road, our shadows taller than our souls …there walks a LIIIDY we all know-whoa…!!!" all of us sharing the live experience of our exuberant moment together, yet all of us inside ourselves.
And on that next morning, a mercurial Sunday in which no one could predict whether there'd be sun or rain, as I walked downstairs to make the coffee and take a moment to meditate and to let Roody the dog outside, I had a memory of a Hopper painting, "Stairway". A set of stairs in a country house, an open door exposing a background of mysterious countryside. Although it is a scene far away from the city, because it is Hopper, it contains the feeling of the absence of the city within it.
And so it was that morning, before that first sip of coffee reached my lips, I already felt awakened by a dazzling moment of recognition: every bite of literature and music, taste of art and experience of nature has nourished me, so that within me an entire labyrinth of imagined and observed worlds co-exist magically with the memories of experienced life and the fresh moment of life I experience with each breath. I felt caffeinated and nourished and hungry to write. And so I did. And so can you …so read on, write on and Right On, Baby!
Letter Exercise #1 "The Aleph": Write one page exploring (in whatever form you choose) a scene in which the first moment of an experience is somehow embedded in the last. Try making the first letter of the first word the same as the last letter of the last word. Your job is to use all the words in between to form a connection between the beginning of your tale and the end.
Puzzle of the Moment #1: Write one page (invisibly) using any three of the references (mystical, artistic, animal or otherwise) above as jumping off points. Find a way to narratively connect the dots.
I hope it leads you down a stairway to a shadowy country path that contains within it an endless series of invisible cities! May the Aleph be with you!
Further Reading, Listening and Looking (please write in with illuminating comments on the text above or on the delicious list below!)
"The Aleph" (short story, 1949) by Jorge Luis Borges
Invisible Cities (novel, 1972) by Italo Calvino
"In My Secret Life" (song, 2001) by Leonard Cohen
"Stairway to Heaven" (song, 1971) by Led Zeppelin
"Stairway" (painting, 1949) by Edward Hopper
---
Jill Dearman, the "BLOCKS-Busting Writing Coach" is the author of the forthcoming book, Bang the Keys: 4 Steps to a Lifelong Writing Practice. Her short stories, essays and journalism have been published widely in books, magazines and newspapers. Jill is a writing coach and editor as well as a part-time Professor of Journalism at New York University. Please visit her at www.jilldearman.com and write to her at JillDearman@gmail.com for more. Read more!
WILD WOMAN OF QUEENS
Notes on Urban Creativity from across the East River
Sandra Lee Schubert
Title: Know Your Audience
Traveling the New York City transit system is an adventure, requiring stamina, skill, patience and a reasonable sense of humor. Most times you catch up on your reading, chat with a friend or zone out. Other times you are treated to the spectacle of high drama; a lover’s spat, a really sick man doing something unspeakable in public, or a child incessantly reciting her ABC’s in singsong until the whole car is singing with her. The subway is a traveling circus that you pay very little to attend. The entertainment is equivalent to the price of admission. Vaudevillian in nature, the acts come in quickly and are gone by the next stop. Last week while reading my new copy of Fast Company magazine I could hear someone singing opera down at the other end of the car. The sound built in volume until it was a full blown aria. I’m not an opera buff and can only tell you it was familiar. Finally from the throngs of mostly disinterested morning commuters emerged a homeless man. Here was this lovely baritone voice, clear, deep and powerful pouring forth from a man who clearly had seen better days. He took a few moments to give a speech that I couldn’t understand and went back to his singing and I got off the train.
Two hours later I was back on the train with another homeless man with a portable keyboard who played some funk. He had the car rocking to his beat, throwing money at him while he blessed his good fortune. Clearly funk pays or you must know your audience. The 1st ride was early. Most commuters, me included, can barely function. We are a cranky, slightly irritated bunch rushing to get to work so we can get home. Opera is lovely, but the first man would have done better on the Broadway line that swings past Lincoln Center. Those riders will pay for additional entertainment if you are good enough. Maybe the Opera guy was just warming up his chops and later collected some real cash on the corner of 67th and Broadway. Or maybe he was just doing it for the love of opera. I can’t be sure. But it does take some nerve to practice your art on an unwilling and somewhat captive audience, maybe they warmed up after 9 AM.
___
Sandra Lee Schubert is a creative vagabond, a poet, writer and dabbler in the arts and online entrepreneur. She co-facilitates the Wild Angels Poets and Writers Group at the historic Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine. She is also the creator of the e-course Writing for Life: Creating a Story of Your Own. Visit her blog: http://www.writing4life.com. Email her info@writing4life.com or @writing4life via twitter.
Read more!
Sandra Lee Schubert
Title: Know Your Audience
Traveling the New York City transit system is an adventure, requiring stamina, skill, patience and a reasonable sense of humor. Most times you catch up on your reading, chat with a friend or zone out. Other times you are treated to the spectacle of high drama; a lover’s spat, a really sick man doing something unspeakable in public, or a child incessantly reciting her ABC’s in singsong until the whole car is singing with her. The subway is a traveling circus that you pay very little to attend. The entertainment is equivalent to the price of admission. Vaudevillian in nature, the acts come in quickly and are gone by the next stop. Last week while reading my new copy of Fast Company magazine I could hear someone singing opera down at the other end of the car. The sound built in volume until it was a full blown aria. I’m not an opera buff and can only tell you it was familiar. Finally from the throngs of mostly disinterested morning commuters emerged a homeless man. Here was this lovely baritone voice, clear, deep and powerful pouring forth from a man who clearly had seen better days. He took a few moments to give a speech that I couldn’t understand and went back to his singing and I got off the train.
Two hours later I was back on the train with another homeless man with a portable keyboard who played some funk. He had the car rocking to his beat, throwing money at him while he blessed his good fortune. Clearly funk pays or you must know your audience. The 1st ride was early. Most commuters, me included, can barely function. We are a cranky, slightly irritated bunch rushing to get to work so we can get home. Opera is lovely, but the first man would have done better on the Broadway line that swings past Lincoln Center. Those riders will pay for additional entertainment if you are good enough. Maybe the Opera guy was just warming up his chops and later collected some real cash on the corner of 67th and Broadway. Or maybe he was just doing it for the love of opera. I can’t be sure. But it does take some nerve to practice your art on an unwilling and somewhat captive audience, maybe they warmed up after 9 AM.
___
Sandra Lee Schubert is a creative vagabond, a poet, writer and dabbler in the arts and online entrepreneur. She co-facilitates the Wild Angels Poets and Writers Group at the historic Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine. She is also the creator of the e-course Writing for Life: Creating a Story of Your Own. Visit her blog: http://www.writing4life.com. Email her info@writing4life.com or @writing4life via twitter.
Read more!
CREATIVE CONNECTIONS
Lauri Griffin
Finding Support
I’ve been thinking a lot about support lately. Finding support for dreams, for artistic meanderings, for anything outside the norm, is so hard.
In one of Neal Peart’s books he talks about visiting a well known and prolific writer friend. The frient wanted to make Peart his special lasagna, but his wife pressed him to finish his day’s writing instead. In the book the wife comes out a little controlling. Personally, I can’t imagine telling my husband he couldn’t cook lasagna for a friend, much less a famous rock star. But even as I thought wow, she needs to relax a little, I was also thinking that we should all be so lucky. No wonder this writer is so prolific!
How many of us have someone who believes in that us to that extent? How many of us have someone who cares more about our writing and our projects than about what is for dinner? How many of us have people that push us daily to get our writing done, to work on our creative projects, to take the time necessary for our dreams?
CREATIVE CONNECTIONS
Connecting creativity with everyday life
Lauri Griffin
Lauri Griffin is a published short story writer who is currently revising some longer works. She holds degrees in educational psychology and gifted education, and is employed as the instructional coordinator for a literacy program. Lauri is fascinated by the many different ways our brains learn and by the creative process. Visit her personal blog on creativity, writing, and parenting three sons at www.laurireflections.blogspot.com.
Read more!
Finding Support
I’ve been thinking a lot about support lately. Finding support for dreams, for artistic meanderings, for anything outside the norm, is so hard.
In one of Neal Peart’s books he talks about visiting a well known and prolific writer friend. The frient wanted to make Peart his special lasagna, but his wife pressed him to finish his day’s writing instead. In the book the wife comes out a little controlling. Personally, I can’t imagine telling my husband he couldn’t cook lasagna for a friend, much less a famous rock star. But even as I thought wow, she needs to relax a little, I was also thinking that we should all be so lucky. No wonder this writer is so prolific!
How many of us have someone who believes in that us to that extent? How many of us have someone who cares more about our writing and our projects than about what is for dinner? How many of us have people that push us daily to get our writing done, to work on our creative projects, to take the time necessary for our dreams?
CREATIVE CONNECTIONS
Connecting creativity with everyday life
Lauri Griffin
Lauri Griffin is a published short story writer who is currently revising some longer works. She holds degrees in educational psychology and gifted education, and is employed as the instructional coordinator for a literacy program. Lauri is fascinated by the many different ways our brains learn and by the creative process. Visit her personal blog on creativity, writing, and parenting three sons at www.laurireflections.blogspot.com.
Read more!
TELEVISION MUSINGS
Rants and Raves of a Romance Writer
Kathy Carpenter
Celebrity Circus
I chose to write about the Celebrity Circus first because being a Circus Performer is an art form in itself.
Growing up I never really cared for the circus per se. I went to a couple circus's but they were so confusing. A lot going on at one time. I did not know where to look and felt I was missing out on something. I never really got the circus thing.
However, we also went to the Circus Circus in Vegas many times. Which performed in those days many different circus acts and I loved the trapeze acts. Of course we were closer to the acts, and the costumes were extra sparkly. Anyway those I did like.
But when I hear the circus is coming to town it does not make my blood race. So when I heard there was going to be a Celebrity Circus show on television I did not say that's something I can't miss.
In fact the first show I did not even catch until the show was almost over. Then I was hooked. The celebrities, the whole reality type atmosphere, the judges, the glamour, and the amazing acts. They were incredible.
You were up close and personal, with current popular songs playing throughout the acts. A whole different feel than Circus Vargas or Ringling Brothers.
The show started with eight celebrities that practiced one of eight different acts, all of which were in the air except for one, for three months. Each Celebrity performs an act then is critiqued by three judges. America then of course calls and votes. ( And even though I watch a ton of these shows, I rarely vote) I watch for the entertainment.
The next week someone goes out. The celebrities then perform a different act. One in which they have only practiced a few days. They work with professional circus performers. However, in many cases the acts they perform take the professional years to learn, and some cases they are so risky the professional won't even attempt them.
These celebrities impressed the heck out of me.
The finale is this week. For anyone watching I predict Stacy Dash will win.
For anyone who wants to chat about the Celebrity Circus.
Email away Kathy.carpenter4@gte,net Read more!
Kathy Carpenter
Celebrity Circus
I chose to write about the Celebrity Circus first because being a Circus Performer is an art form in itself.
Growing up I never really cared for the circus per se. I went to a couple circus's but they were so confusing. A lot going on at one time. I did not know where to look and felt I was missing out on something. I never really got the circus thing.
However, we also went to the Circus Circus in Vegas many times. Which performed in those days many different circus acts and I loved the trapeze acts. Of course we were closer to the acts, and the costumes were extra sparkly. Anyway those I did like.
But when I hear the circus is coming to town it does not make my blood race. So when I heard there was going to be a Celebrity Circus show on television I did not say that's something I can't miss.
In fact the first show I did not even catch until the show was almost over. Then I was hooked. The celebrities, the whole reality type atmosphere, the judges, the glamour, and the amazing acts. They were incredible.
You were up close and personal, with current popular songs playing throughout the acts. A whole different feel than Circus Vargas or Ringling Brothers.
The show started with eight celebrities that practiced one of eight different acts, all of which were in the air except for one, for three months. Each Celebrity performs an act then is critiqued by three judges. America then of course calls and votes. ( And even though I watch a ton of these shows, I rarely vote) I watch for the entertainment.
The next week someone goes out. The celebrities then perform a different act. One in which they have only practiced a few days. They work with professional circus performers. However, in many cases the acts they perform take the professional years to learn, and some cases they are so risky the professional won't even attempt them.
These celebrities impressed the heck out of me.
The finale is this week. For anyone watching I predict Stacy Dash will win.
For anyone who wants to chat about the Celebrity Circus.
Email away Kathy.carpenter4@gte,net Read more!
WHY ARE MADRID CAFÉS SO FULL OF SMOKE?
A writer’s efforts to balance creativity and pregnancy in the heart of Spain
Vivian Watson
Who I was
A few weeks ago I was still me. Life was good. I had a dream and I was pursuing it. The novel I’d been working on for years was finally complete, and the revision process felt like play. Everyday I’d walk to the National Library after work. A part of me delighted on the beautiful streets of Madrid, the flowers on the balconies, the busy cafés, the sunshine. But a deeper part of myself was already splashing around my story, watching the characters busily living their lives, making love, daydreaming, arguing. I’d arrive at the library in a dreamy state of mind, as if crossing the bridge to that other world, so it was easy to get carried away in my writing as soon as I switched my laptop on.
The Spanish National Library is a beautiful, magnificent 18th century building. In the main reading room the names of the Spanish greatest classical writers are spelt out high on the walls, as if Cervantes, Quevedo, Góngora were silent guardian angels watching over you as you work. They knew I was writing a novel and not working on a PhD thesis. And I’d wonder how many fellow library users were writers too, and not students or researchers. Sometimes I knew one or two writers in the room but most of the times it was just me, the silence, the Greats, and the little secret I shared with them. My novel, growing slowly, taking shape. What more could I ask for?
So you can imagine my surprise when that Friday afternoon I arrived at the library, switched on my laptop, Chapter 5 appeared on the screen, and I immediately felt sick with a rancid feeling, the kind of disgust you feel at the smell of garbage. What was going on? Was it my stomach? Indigestion, maybe? No. It was the work in front of me. My novel made me retch.
That was my very first pregnancy symptom, although I didn’t know it then. And now everything has changed completely. Yes, I’m happy, of course, I’ve always wanted to have children, but that’s not the point. The point is, I don’t know who I am anymore. My novel, my writing, my creativity are no longer priorities, and that’s not something I consciously chose. It just happened. I’ve made an effort to keep working on my book, but the enthusiasm is gone. I’d rather surf the web for baby stuff and pregnancy forums.
No more evenings out drinking wine and discussing the literary life with my writer friends in smoke-filled cafés. No more wine. No more smoke. No more cafés. So what’s the point of living in Madrid anyway? And who is this new woman emerging in me? Will I ever be the same again? Will I be able to finish my novel and continue writing while changing diapers and heating bottles? Will I still have my own dreams?
My guess is, I will. But until I can integrate this new woman I’m becoming with what’s left of my old self, I can only guess. This is a journey, an adventure. I’m a writer, so I’ll write about it. Been there? Drop me a line! And stay tuned if you want to see how this story ends. After all, this is just the beginning. *Sigh*.
___
Vivian Watson is a Venezuelan prize-winning journalist, writer and storyteller currently revising her first novel while pregnant with her first child. She lives in Madrid with her husband. She collaborates with the music blog Blue Monk Moods http://www.bluemonkmoods.com and has her own blog (in Spanish): http://sopotocientos.blogia.com. You can drop her a line at
watson.vivian@gmail.com. Read more!
Vivian Watson
Who I was
A few weeks ago I was still me. Life was good. I had a dream and I was pursuing it. The novel I’d been working on for years was finally complete, and the revision process felt like play. Everyday I’d walk to the National Library after work. A part of me delighted on the beautiful streets of Madrid, the flowers on the balconies, the busy cafés, the sunshine. But a deeper part of myself was already splashing around my story, watching the characters busily living their lives, making love, daydreaming, arguing. I’d arrive at the library in a dreamy state of mind, as if crossing the bridge to that other world, so it was easy to get carried away in my writing as soon as I switched my laptop on.
The Spanish National Library is a beautiful, magnificent 18th century building. In the main reading room the names of the Spanish greatest classical writers are spelt out high on the walls, as if Cervantes, Quevedo, Góngora were silent guardian angels watching over you as you work. They knew I was writing a novel and not working on a PhD thesis. And I’d wonder how many fellow library users were writers too, and not students or researchers. Sometimes I knew one or two writers in the room but most of the times it was just me, the silence, the Greats, and the little secret I shared with them. My novel, growing slowly, taking shape. What more could I ask for?
So you can imagine my surprise when that Friday afternoon I arrived at the library, switched on my laptop, Chapter 5 appeared on the screen, and I immediately felt sick with a rancid feeling, the kind of disgust you feel at the smell of garbage. What was going on? Was it my stomach? Indigestion, maybe? No. It was the work in front of me. My novel made me retch.
That was my very first pregnancy symptom, although I didn’t know it then. And now everything has changed completely. Yes, I’m happy, of course, I’ve always wanted to have children, but that’s not the point. The point is, I don’t know who I am anymore. My novel, my writing, my creativity are no longer priorities, and that’s not something I consciously chose. It just happened. I’ve made an effort to keep working on my book, but the enthusiasm is gone. I’d rather surf the web for baby stuff and pregnancy forums.
No more evenings out drinking wine and discussing the literary life with my writer friends in smoke-filled cafés. No more wine. No more smoke. No more cafés. So what’s the point of living in Madrid anyway? And who is this new woman emerging in me? Will I ever be the same again? Will I be able to finish my novel and continue writing while changing diapers and heating bottles? Will I still have my own dreams?
My guess is, I will. But until I can integrate this new woman I’m becoming with what’s left of my old self, I can only guess. This is a journey, an adventure. I’m a writer, so I’ll write about it. Been there? Drop me a line! And stay tuned if you want to see how this story ends. After all, this is just the beginning. *Sigh*.
___
Vivian Watson is a Venezuelan prize-winning journalist, writer and storyteller currently revising her first novel while pregnant with her first child. She lives in Madrid with her husband. She collaborates with the music blog Blue Monk Moods http://www.bluemonkmoods.com and has her own blog (in Spanish): http://sopotocientos.blogia.com. You can drop her a line at
watson.vivian@gmail.com. Read more!
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Creativity Thought of the Day
Each morning get to your creative work before you are even fully awake, so that your dreaming flows into your creating.
****************************************************
for information on Eric Maisel's books and services:
http://www.ericmaisel.com
for information on The Atheist's Way:
http://www.theatheistsway.com
to listen to The Joy of Living Creatively:
http://personallifemedia.com/podcasts/227-joy-of-living-creatively
to listen to Your Purpose-Centered Life
http://personallifemedia.com/podcasts/214-purpose-centered-life
to subscribe to Eric Maisel's weekly electronic newsletter:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ericmaiselnewsletter/?yguid=92889173
to read the Eric Maisel Creativity Central blog:
http://ericmaisel.blogspot.com/
To read The Atheist's Way blog:
http://theatheistsway.blogspot.com/
_________________________________________________________________
Use video conversation to talk face-to-face with Windows Live Messenger.
http://www.windowslive.com/messenger/connect_your_way.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_messenger_video_072008
Read more!
Monday, July 07, 2008
Creativity Thought of the Day
When you create something excellent, you make yourself proud. When did you last make yourself proud?
for information on Eric Maisel's books and services:
http://www.ericmaisel.com
for information on The Atheist's Way:
http://www.theatheistsway.com
to listen to The Joy of Living Creatively:
http://personallifemedia.com/podcasts/227-joy-of-living-creatively
to listen to Your Purpose-Centered Life
http://personallifemedia.com/podcasts/214-purpose-centered-life
to subscribe to Eric Maisel's weekly electronic newsletter:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ericmaiselnewsletter/?yguid=92889173
to read the Eric Maisel Creativity Central blog:
http://ericmaisel.blogspot.com/
To read The Atheist's Way blog:
http://theatheistsway.blogspot.com/
_________________________________________________________________
Need to know now? Get instant answers with Windows Live Messenger.
http://www.windowslive.com/messenger/connect_your_way.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_messenger_072008
Read more!
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Some Early Endorsements of The Atheist's Way
"I find Eric Maisel's writings more witty than Hitchens, more polished and articulate than Harris, and more informative and entertaining than Dawkins. A 5-star read from cover to cover! My only complaint is that Maisel is going to leave the rest of us atheist authors in the dust."
-- David Mills, Atheist Universe
*
"Eric Maisel has given us a lovely, thoughtful book about belief outside of the narrow confines of organized religion. The Atheist's Way offers an uplifting positive answer for anyone interested in how to live life without gods, superstitions or fairytales. For atheists it is a must read; believers should read it as well, so that we can get beyond the divisiveness of belief versus non-belief."
-- Nica Lalli, Nothing: Something to Believe In
*
"With this book, Eric Maisel does what none of the New Atheists have succeeded at doing: elaborating what atheists do believe. Maisel invites religious believers to live life as an atheist would, opening their eyes to worlds a religious outlook cannot see. For people who can't even imagine a Godless outlook, I would gladly hand them this book and say, 'Read this and you'll know what goes through my mind every day.' This is a guidebook for brand-new atheists and for anyone wanting to learn how an atheist thinks."
-- Hemant Mehta, I Sold My Soul on eBay
*
In The Atheist's Way, Eric Maisel takes a giant leap beyond where the New Atheist authors have gone before. Instead of simply criticizing religion or demolishing arguments for the existence of God, Maisel covers new territory and provides a foundation for making meaning and living purposefully without supernatural intervention. A book to be relished by atheists, skeptics, humanists, freethinkers, and unbelievers everywhere.
Donna Druchunas, writerdd on Skepchick.org
for information on Eric Maisel's books and services:
http://www.ericmaisel.com
for information on The Atheist's Way:
http://www.theatheistsway.com
to listen to The Joy of Living Creatively:
http://personallifemedia.com/podcasts/227-joy-of-living-creatively
to listen to Your Purpose-Centered Life
http://personallifemedia.com/podcasts/214-purpose-centered-life
to subscribe to Eric Maisel's weekly electronic newsletter:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ericmaiselnewsletter/?yguid=92889173
to read the Eric Maisel Creativity Central blog:
http://ericmaisel.blogspot.com/
To read The Atheist's Way blog:
http://theatheistsway.blogspot.com/
_________________________________________________________________
It's a talkathon – but it's not just talk.
http://www.imtalkathon.com/?source=EML_WLH_Talkathon_JustTalk
Read more!
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Small Paris Album
Living room window of our Paris rental, chestnut trees beyond
The Bateau Lavoir today, across the square from "our" building
Graffiti, wall of "our" building
Our metro station, rue des abbesses, stairs down
Neighborhood man, stroking whose fingers is reputed to bring good luck, hence shiny fingers
Musicians, on hot bridge between the islands
Traditional Seine scene, 1
Traditional Seine scene, 2
At the Rodin Museum
Last but not least, the Deep Writing Retreat group! Don't we look talented?
Read more!
The Bateau Lavoir today, across the square from "our" building
Graffiti, wall of "our" building
Our metro station, rue des abbesses, stairs down
Neighborhood man, stroking whose fingers is reputed to bring good luck, hence shiny fingers
Musicians, on hot bridge between the islands
Traditional Seine scene, 1
Traditional Seine scene, 2
At the Rodin Museum
Last but not least, the Deep Writing Retreat group! Don't we look talented?
Read more!
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