Monday Post ~ June 13, 2011
“My process is an accurate reflection of my life.”
~Christy Hydeck
What are your plans for creative practice this week? Given the specifics of your schedule, decide on a realistic goal or a milestone to reach for. A goal as simple as “I will be creative for 10 minutes every day” is what it’s all about. 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.
Studio Mothers: Life & Art 
last week, made progress, as stated in last week’s post.
this week is the last week of school. this could work to my advantage or disadvantage as the case may be for the next couple of weeks. do i use the time before the boys go to their dad’s as free babysitting for a couple of hours a day, or do i spend engaged time with the boys before they leave for 5 weeks? can i do both? need to work this out.
but this week, i see writing time tues and wed at the library, per usual, barring any unforeseen appts for mil to babysit toots.
Nice! Cathy, I vote for both, if you can swing it! How about a couple of hours of focused family time, followed by a snack/meal and then a bit of brotherly babysitting?
i was thinking the other way around. 😉 toots likes her pbs in the morning with lingering breakfast, a slow waker like mom, who uses slow waking time for online catch up and then writing. mornings are best spent low key for us both. i can rev well on more physical tasks from middday onward, then as she naps (approx 1:30-3:30) i can focus on the guys.
Sounds like a plan!
i’m trying to remember what last week’s goals were, clearly I didn’t stick too closely to them. I did a bunch of blog entries, which is fun, but I see that I actually need to streamline that process so it doesn’t start taking over (the internet being so addictive and all). The kids and I sewed 2 baby blankets for their pregnant teachers, which was a really fun project to work on with them. I’ve jumped into reading a ton of garden design books, and my goal for this next week is to focus on that reading. I’d also like to take a field trip to Garden in the Woods soon; perhaps with the kids after school is out. I also have a continuous list of sewing projects, including a yoga shirt w/ the kids for their dad for father’s day, and copying my favorite new skirt with some really awesome fabric I just got. I love creating my own patterns, the process is always on a wing and a prayer! Today’s project: picking strawberries and assembling supplies for jam.
Just for a day, Jane, I’d like to swap places and do all of YOUR creative projects! If only I knew how to sew (beyond my highly renegade self-taught skills) and put up jam….at the very least, you can SELL me a jar of your jam, if you have any to spare, lol……
Last week’s goals:
* Work on Life Assessment responses WED/THURS/FRI
YES (although not on those days!)
* Coaching infrastructure documents TUES
YES
* Journaling DAILY
SORT OF (not quite daily)
* Project Life update SAT/SUN
NO
* Progress in Right-Brain Business Plan FRI/WEEKEND
NO
This week’s goals:
* To help me complete Right-Brain Business Plan, I enrolled in Jennifer Lee’s e-course, which starts this week. I’m so excited!
* Continue getting caught up on Life Assessment responses (nearly there) T/W/Th
* Coaching DAILY
* Project Life update over weekend (maybe on that one)
* Journaling DAILY
* Complete guest article for CCA newsletter M/T
This week….I have four 16×20 canvases to paint with a simple graphic tree design. My plan is to paint the background on each on T/W and that may be all that gets done on that.
I have to design a display for my art jewelry work for a show on Friday night, and that will get worked on T/W/Th during the day in (2) 20 minute slots each day, with my installation of the display on Thurs evening.
Beyond that, any other creative activity that gets done for me alone will be bonus! I am planning an art/creative activity for my preschoolers for Wednesday.
Nice job in targeting your windows, Christine — let us know how it goes!
My projects:
1) 5 cushions to sew up for a customer, due date June 24
2) a camping trip this week-end.
3) I am also gearing up to paint the house – my reno project for this summer, and have picked out the paint colours.
4) an idea for a softie came to me today,
5) and I want to make a painting.
This week, finish cushions, sketch out softie idea, pick out paint chips (done), go camping.
Lovely list, Wendy — and prepping to paint the house?? How satisfying!!
How’s it going, Wendy? Would love to see you back at the Monday Post!
Terrific news and totally unexpected- my tree essay will see the light of day in a local publication! It’s the first time for me, although I love to write I usually focus my creative efforts on visual art.
Otherwise last weeks efforts weren’t spellbinding, but I did have my daughter take some pictures of me doing some fairly bendy backbends, and I made one stencil.
Oh, and I did actually mail those cards I made, which is an accomplishment for me.
So goals for this week:
1. I have 4 good pictures, so produce all 4 stencils and begin working with patterns and backgrounds. This may require some research.
2. Make a plan to take more pictures, I have an idea to design some yoga sequences and make a guide to give out to my students, combining art and words and inspiration. So I need to photograph a lot more poses. I’d love to get some friends to pose for me.
3. I’m helping a facebook/blog friend edit a book, but I’ve fallen behind on the chapters: edit one chapter per day.
4. Begin working on a list of art projects with kids this Summer and compile & order a supply list.
5. Copy this post and put it on my laptop / refrigerator/ bathroom mirror LOL!!!
Deb,
Would it be shameless to ask for your list of summer art projects when you’re done compiling them? I intend to do at least one project a week with the kids and would love inspiration!
And please share here!! 😀
Congratulations, Deb!!! I can’t wait to read your tree piece! 😀
Your item #5 may feel silly but it really works — can be difficult to stay in touch with our intentions without daily re-programming, don’t you think?
I’m a little late to the powwow this week, and I think I missed last week altogether! Normally summers are a bit slower for me at work but that’s not been the case so far this summer. I’m chairing the search committee to replace my dear dear friend and counterpart at South Campus who decided to retire early, and that process has been taking quite a bit of my time.
I have gotten a few things accomplished though. This past Sunday I finally finished the altered book I’ve been working on. I posted the signature page covers over on my blog earlier this week, but I haven’t had a chance to photograph the completed book yet. I’ve also photographed and listed quite a bit of new jewelry work over the past two weeks as well.
So this week is really just prep week. We take off for our annual vacation to Boca Grande this Friday, so I’m looking forward to a week of being primarily unplugged….though I do have to check in with my Tuesday night ENC 1101 class since I have them doing an online timed writing next week since I’ll be beaching it. 🙂 Other than Tuesday night, I plan to stay offline the whole week.
Summer art projects:
Tie-dye t-shirts is first on the list! Last summer we made indigo tie-die shirts but I thought we’d add more color this year.
I’d love to try screen printing but I’d need to find some pretty simple directions. I have a handmade screen that I bought at a yard sale.
I’m also thinking monoprinting on plexiglass plates. It’s not very hard. I think you can get the plexiglass at the hardware store and I already have a lot of the inks.
And I’m really determined to try paper marbling again. The last attempt with oil paint completely failed, so I’ll head back to safer waters with water based paints.
That’s a summer already I have to flesh out these ideas, of course, with real plans and supplies. But it’s a start. The idea is to have fun projects for the kids that also allow me a chance to make some interesting papers for collage.
I forgot gelatin printing, but we’ve don that several times and it’s similar to monoprinting with plexiglass plates.
Can you believe I once did gelatin printing for a birthday party? Out of my mind!