Monday Post ~ February 28, 2011
“Doing one thing, taking action toward your goal, can be an immediate means of pacifying self-doubt.” ~Cathleen Rountree
What would you like to accomplish creatively this week? Given the specifics of your schedule, decide on a realistic task or a milestone to reach for. Share your goal(s) as a comment to this post, and let us know how things went with your creative plans for last week, if you posted to last week’s Monday Post.
Suggestion: When you’re deciding on your creative intentions, it’s a good idea to think about WHEN you’re going to write those 2,000 words or paint that canvas. Try to schedule the time slots in your calendar (if you keep one), understanding that flexibility may be required. If things don’t happen when you wanted them to, that’s OK. Give yourself a gentle push with one hand, but pat yourself kindly on the shoulder with the other if you don’t reach your goal for a given week. Sometimes it’s easier, sometimes it’s harder. Ride whatever you’ve got.
It’s also useful to have a sense of your minimum requirements (come hell or high water I’m going to write 100 words) while keeping a lookout for sudden opportunities to do more. You know, the day that the baby takes a monster nap or your partner takes the kids out to run errands and you find yourself with an unexpected “extra” half hour. Grab that time for yourself. You can catch up on the dishes and the laundry later. If you keep something creative in the back of your mind for those sudden opportunities, you’ll be more likely to use them to your advantage — rather than squandering your precious bonus moments on Facebook or vacuuming out the sofa cushions.
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Studio Mothers: Life & Art 
Had a bear of a time last week. Simply trying to find new balance in my days, in a technological world that is still quite new to me.
This week I need to develop my website more. Also working on my Etsy site to increase traffic. And that’s not forgetting to work in my studio to increase product. Oh, did I mention I haven’t posted on my blog since Feb. 23? tsk tsk.
All I have to say is that it’s a good thing I’m a process person, or at least I have been all my life. Perhaps it is time I got started on those goals.
I will be posting on “dusting off those dreams of the past”. Hopefully today.
Last week’s goals: My little ones are at Grandma’s through tomorrow, so I’m going to make some serious hay. A blend of work and personal creativity. Update Project Life, finish my personal essay, write a blog post or two. Going to a David Gray concert tonight with my husband. Off to the races!
Outcome: Wow, what a week! I completed a major update in my Project Life album, wrote a blog post, spent an hour and a half on the nonfiction essay, outlined my new coaching website, did my coaching class homework, spent time coaching my volunteer clients, and spent about 12 hours (more, if I actually do the math) on the life assessment tool I’m developing. Finished reading another book. Took a teleseminar with Eric Maisel on focused/structured journaling. While I didn’t finish my essay, I did make progress, so that feels like a success — especially given the other items completed. Definitely flying high right now.
This week: Complete the draft copy for my new website, refine the assessment tool, do my CCA homework, coach my clients, and start working on (or at least thinking about) what I’m doing for the “nest” challenge at Creative Every Day this month. I’d also like to do some focused journaling using a very cool technique outlined in the a teleseminar I took last week. Who knows what else! I’ll be riding this wave for as long as it will carry me.
I did not post last week but I did complete the goal from the week before – The children’s yoga book is going through its final edit for self publishing. I am equal parts happy AND exhausted.
This week: I am working on the survey for Miranda’s creative assessment which I am SUPER EXCITED about. Also I am going to begin putting all my snippets and post its into a document to start formatting a follow up workbook for My Creative Peace workbook that I finished at the beginning of this year.
I want to just say that I am coming up on my one year anniversary with Studio Mothers. I cannot believe how far I have come from stepping into submitting a couple of times a month to now writing on a daily basis for different venues. I am SO GRATEFUL Miranda for what you offer here.
Yay! I did my Pecha Kucha presentation last night, and as I type this I am uploading a video of it to YouTube! So glad to have that done. Now I can start thinking about other things again 😉
Like Robin, I am planning to go through the survey this week. I’m also finishing up my Mothering Authentically course and starting a new visual journalling course. Lots of creativity!
What I really want right now though is a bit of down time. Some nothing time would be great. A long walk, coffee and a good book. That would be lovely! I am thinking about asking a friend if I can borrow her apartment for a night away from home. I have a girl’s retreat weekend planned for next month, but I would like some down time sooner.