Monday Post ~ July 11, 2011
“Many women have said to me that they could never have reached the creative heights they have when their children were young. Still others say that having children actually sparked new creative cycles for them. No one can say what’s true for you — we are all individuals with our own unique reactions to life events.” ~Gail McMeekin
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 I managed the 3 blog posts and I am partway to catching up to the World Changing Writing Workshop calls (I’m 1/3 of the way through last week’s call). I danced quite a bit (possibly not *every* day), and I definitely was more mindful and aware of things around me (YAY!). But I didn’t get any kind of video done, not even a crappy one. Boo. That would have come in handy.
This week I have a big (exact-scope-and-nature-still-to-be-determined) assignment due on Sunday…which is also the date of my first Dancing Mamas Tribe of the summer. AND I have three blog posts to write. So I’m going to be a busy bee. I don’t even think I can prioritize and pick a most-important task because they’re ALL important! I’m equal parts totally psyched and stressed out. OK, more excited than stressed…that’s a plus… 🙂
~Meg
Wow, Meg! That’s quite a list! Sending good thoughts your way that you slip into the zone and your various projects all end up feeding each other and carrying you beyond any potential stress 😀
Last week:
-Work on eco garden design project: YES (4 hours)
-Procured supplies for two kids’ creativity projects: YES
Early wakeup for yoga/intention journaling/design work/gardening: YES (3 -days)
-1 blog post
-Meet w/ permaculture friend for collaboration opportunities: NO
This week:
-Work on eco garden design project: min. 2 hours
-A.M. yoga/design work: 4 days (need to get to bed earlier to make this sustainable!)
-Meet w/ permaculture friend for collaboration opportunities
-Creative projects with kids (minimum of two)
-Two blog posts
It’s interesting, I was so afraid to commit to the eco design project for fear it would stretch me too thin this summer. Last week I rediscovered how much I love to work on garden design and had no trouble finding time for it – in fact, I had to make myself put it away! This process of identifying priorities and making time for them has been illuminating. Even thought it’s another “to do”, it’s an energizing and exciting one. I still have plenty of fears, but I believe I’m on the right path and that helps me push through them.
Fascinating, jlcm. Kind of reminds me of how I used to complain about not being able to to X or Y and my husband would just look at me blankly and say “Well, if you REALLY WANT to do X or Y, why don’t you just go and do it?” At which point I’d want to smack him. It always seemed so much more complicated than that. But obviously there’s a glimmer of truth there. When you really, really, want to do it, it’s no longer a “should.” It’s something wonderful and somehow other important things can go undone in the face of this passion. So the trick must be to chip away at all of the obstacles we magnify that somehow turn our bliss into a chore, right?
Last week’s goals (an awesome week while my little guys were away — I made the most of every moment, rather than wandering around in circles like I sometimes do when “structure” leaves town)
* Finish major Project Life update [YES]
* Assignments for Right-Brain Business Plan e-course [YES]
* Coaching [YES]
* Life Assessment Responses [YES]
* Journaling [YES–but not every day]
* Teach self Fiona Apple song on piano [YES!]
* Finish personal essay [NO]
* Do something visual (collage/painting/drawing) [YES–part of RBBP homework]
This week’s goals:
* Assignments for WishStudio “This Moment” course DAILY
* Assignments for Right-Brain Business Plan e-course DAILY
* Coaching DAILY
* Life Assessment Responses W/Th/F
* Journaling DAILY TARGET
* Finish personal essay FRI
* Do art projects with kids T/W/Th
* Project Life update SUN
My only commitment this week is to only get creative when I feel like it. When I start saying ‘I should’ that’s when it becomes a struggle. Instead I leave projects around the house for me to pick up when I get that flash of drive and do it right there and then. Planned work times never work in my house. Especially ATM
Last week we finished painting the girls’ room. I stenciled some peonies from a design I adapted from the internet. The butterfly shaped chalkboard is cured and ready to go. Time to find some chalk! It’s a lovely pink confection in all. Not for those afraid of pink!
Meanwhile, I did my taxes. I had filed for an extension. That ate up the rest of the free time last weekend.
Goal for last week:
1. finish the girls room- done
2. Work on the schedule- fit in creative time with other things like the heinous budget- taxes done at least!
3. one more stencil- although it was peonies instead of a yoga pose, I’m counting it.
4. find the picture of the china plate with the kimono pattern from an old Martha Stewart magazine. I used it before to make one of my muse paintings . I’d love to use it with some of the new stencils. Ideas are bubbling through!- I haven’t gone through the old pile of collage material, so I’ll try to do that this week.
Realistically, I have a birthday party to plan for this weekend, and my yoga practice is huge right now since I’m going to Vt for a week at the end of July to study with David Swenson. So here are goals:
1. plan a fun b-day party for my boy- I’ll get the girls working on a poster today for it while I clean the house.
2. draw, draw, draw anything at all but draw!
3. write a blog post or two
4. work on the schedule- find a plan that is workable for summer. Sometimes I can work on this at the pool
5. find that kimono pattern!
Thanks for the gentle reminder Miranda!
Yay, Deb! Can’t wait to see photos of that bedroom. (Getting the taxes done must be a HUGE relief…phew!)