Monday Post ~ September 26, 2011
“Another word for creativity is courage.”
~George Prince
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” or “I will gesso three canvases” 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 
Oh! Such a lovely photograph to go along with this post! Glass and fire, my favorite!
So, last week:
Make three more necklaces [YES]
Make at least five more pairs of earrings {NO]
Torch time for Halloween beads — on Tuesday [NO]
Blog post for A Hot Piece of Glass [NO]
Blog post for Studio Mothers [uh, no]
For this week:
Blog post for A Hot Piece of Glass
Blog post for Studio Mothers
Torch time on 2 days this week
That’s it. I had a very busy weekend (a medieval event outdoors Saturday, and then a show all day Sunday) and I am full of ideas, but physically spent.
I created this Monday Post image specifically with you in mind, my dear!
How did your show go? Good sales??
I haven’t been commenting lately (boo), so I don’t have a check-in from last week’s goals. I’ve really missed dropping in here and checking in…glad I finally made it back!
This week my goals are:
~write 3 blog posts for Spirit Moves Dance
~write out the ideas that are bouncing around in my brain, whether through journalling or blog-post-drafting…doesn’t matter which, so long as they STOP being brain-crack and start being Something Real!
~finish the proofreading/editing job I’m doing as an experiment (SO FUN!)
~dance at least once
~spend some quality family time while my husband’s off work today and tomorrow
That’s it! Going to go wake my husband up and start on that last one now! 😛
~Meg
Great to see you back here, Meg!!
How are you, Meg? I’ve been jamming out to Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger” on a daily basis and I think of you every time 🙂
Last week I finished a draft of a creative nonfiction piece I’ve been working on for ages — finished enough to send to a few readers for comments. Ready for revisions now — hoping to polish it enough to start submitting by the end of this week.
Also this week: stay tuned for an exciting announcement!
Last week’s goals:
* CCA homework for two classes [yes]
* Workshop/website development [yes]
* Journaling [yes]
* Project Life update [no]
* Lots of writing at the Creative Open House [yes]
This week’s goals
* CCA homework for two classes [TBD]
* Workshop/website development [M/T/W/Th/Fri]
* Draft September Creative Times newsletter [Tues]
* Journaling [daily target]
* Project Life update [Sat/Sun]
* Finish revisions to creative nonfiction piece [Thurs]
last week’s goal: no writing or yoga as planned, just not phyisically up to yoga with sprained foot…sometimes even superwoman needs to lie low.
this week:
1. two edit sessions: my writing group is meeting this week, and i asked for a day change because the kids have dental appts. so waiting for all members to agree on a day. so far, looks like thurs. in the meantime, i want to get some in this morning, but have a phone call waiting game, so not sure how efficient my focus will be.
2. a bathroom cabinet fell off the wall, so i was inspired to actually paint it white like i’ve wanted to for the past 5 years. so i will sand that today or tomorrow, and honey will do the priming and painting of it (i would, but i’m allergic to paint). i will instal the new cabinet handles, a retro enamelled bar style.
3. if it stops raining, grab my teens and pull out front bushes, so i can plant the new ones. yes, landscaping is creative in my eyes. it’s my really big canvas, since i can’t paint because of allergies. 🙂
Last week- I drew 3 yoga poses and made 3-4 quick paintings in a painting session with my son. We used tempera paint with fat kid brushes, and it’s very freeing because it doesn’t allow you to be nitpicky. I wrote and gave the intro. I can improve this by writing it earlier and practicing out loud a few times, but usually I’m winging it at the last minute. Wrote a few blogs as well, I get such a kick out of watching the #hits go up after posting.
Still working on those daily habits, and Miranda your comments are appreciated. But I did begin approaching my paperwork pile and tried really hard to keep up with the decluttering and the laundry, although it got away from me by the weekend.
This week:
1. 3 more drawings from the Surya Namaskara A series, chauturanga dandasana, upward dog, & downward dog,
2. Yoga for athletes- I placed holds on 3 videos on the topic. I’ll get them from the library today and watch them this week, taking notes.
3. Continue blogging (and posting the drawings)
4. Another painting session with S, who also enjoyed painting.
5. Daily home practice: 15 minute clean-up, 1 load of laundry (wash dry put away), 15 minutes of paperwork/finances: in the morning if at all possible!
Terrific idea, using fat brushes to ensure looseness. I love that.
wow it’s been a long time since i posted here to motivate myself … so …
here goes nothing …
i will blog post twice this week … even once would be an imporvement …
and i will finish ten small paintings … sounds extreme, but i have more than ten nearly done ….
ok … there …
Yay, E! Let us know how it goes xo
How’s it going, Elizabeth? Inquiring minds want to know! 🙂
whew … it’s going! i did finish those ten paintings … then had a show and sold a couple .. and the rest are in the shop that sells my work … whew …. and blogging, i got back on track …and then took it a step further and joined na blo po mo … to blog every day in november … mostly because i knew i didn’t have nanowrimo in me this go round …. but nablopomo seemed doable … tra la la …
this week?
blog every day and finish two tiny commissioned pieces …
Last week’s goals:
– intention journaling [Once, at the Creativity Workshop – I love it when I do it, why can’t I get my act together more?]
– running 3 days [YES!]
– canning apples and peaches [YES! 10 quarts applesauce and 30 pints peach jam (phew). Got the kids involved too, so double bonus]
– a.m. play with son M-W-F [yes, mostly]
– one mama-daughter activity [yes, we made applesauce and apple-print art while the boys were gone]
– revisit my mind map and determine where my creative focus should be for the next 6 months [yes, kind of]
– choose some art projects for the kids and make a supply list [yes, some ideas for multiple art projects geared toward creating a family heirloom Advent Calender I’ve been wanting to make for years.]
This week’s goals:
-intention journaling [2 times]. Finish my Family Manifesto.
– running [3 days]
– yoga [1-2 times]
– a.m. play with son [M-W-F]
– mama-daughter activity [at least 1]
– create and procure supply list for Advent Calender project
– assemble supplies for herbal immune system support kit
– Go to Garlic & Arts fest in Orange, MA (the best fall fest around)!!
I have GOT to make it to the Garlic Fest this year!
Your advent calendar project is most intriguing.
Re the intention journaling, I agree, it makes such a difference. But I find that the only thing that works for me is to do it as part of my morning routine. If I don’t do it every morning, after meditating and making coffee, and before making breakfast/lunches, it ain’t happenin.
Is there more information available in Intention Journaling? It sounds very interesting. I think I grasp the gist of it, but would love to read more.
Deborah
How goes it, jlcm? Any chance that you’ll Minerva with us??
I’m so glad that you asked, Deborah! 🙂
https://studiomothers.com/2011/05/11/intention-journaling/