Monday Post ~ December 5, 2011
“If I am curious and seeking new experiences, I can probably surprise myself in some way, which leads to brand-new experiences. Having adventures on a regular basis leads to habits of pleasure.” ~SARK
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. And if you aren’t in goal-setting mode, remember that regular creative practice is what it’s all about. Just show up and do the work.
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 
I’ve been flying solo in the parenting department for about a week now — not that “flying” is really the most accurate word choice. I’m managing back-to-back 17-hour days of productivity, but starting to hit the wall where I’m feeling a wee bit resentful of my paid work and other obligations — and wanting to just do what I want to do. On the bright side, did an ornament project with the little boys and my teenage daughter, turned our library of holiday books into a numbered advent reading basket, assembled a festive centerpiece of candles for the table, came up with a great gift idea for my oldest’s 21st birthday this week, had a nice winter walk with the boys over the weekend, and am in general solidly well-connected to the kids after an extended period of overwork.
Last week’s goals:
* Art Every Day Month project [yes]
* Revise essay for new nonfiction writers’ group [no–mtg postponed]
* Complete draft of newsletter and send [yes]
* CCA homework for one class plus reading [yes]
* Prepare for CCA supervised coaching sessions [yes]
* Start working on my handmade ornament for upcoming holiday party [yes]
* Journaling [yes]
* Yoga or run x4 [only x1]
This week’s goals:
* CCA homework for one class plus reading plus supervised coaching [Th]
* Finish handmade ornament for this weekend’s holiday party
* Journaling [daily target]
* Christmas preparations
* Yoga or run x2
* 187,879 other things (!!)
This is a timely post for me as I have felt scattered in every direction possible. When times get really hectic I pull away from creativity and adopt some “all or nothing” mentality- I either want to dedicate unlimited time to my ideas/projects or I set them down out of frustration- not a production reaction. Just this morning I set a goal to resume journalling daily and to select one project to complete this week( my ideas seem to multiple daily, which creates stress because I want to do them all and can’t and therefore struggle to choose one to work on- I usually end up starting one and hopping to another, oy!) If I can do this, I will be most pleased!
Pacing oneself is so hard, isn’t it? I too am an “all or nothing” type of person. Let us know how it goes!
Last week:
Run 3X [yes, 2X]
Finish Advent Calender for kids [YES]
Order bottles & create labels for herbal immunity kit [YES]
Create my daily “schedule” on paper [YES]
Mitten knitting project [YES]
Set up nature Advent table w/ kids [YES]
Intention Journaling [NO]
Call someone [YES]
Wow, it’s not often that the [YES] answers win the day! So I didn’t get to intention journaling…however, I DID create a daily schedule for myself and it helped to see which time was spoken for and which time I could devote to my creative projects (it’s so eye-opening to see it on paper). Now I just need to get to bed at 10 pm so I can get up at 6 am for a little meditation and intention journaling! I’m trying to be reasonable, though, considering it’s December, and let my creative energy focus on gift making and giving and look forward to January when the turn inward and hibernation can really start.
Oh, and can I just say that I scheduled two weekly calls to loved ones, and it makes all the difference knowing that we have both set aside that time for each other. Connection is good.
This week:
Run 3X
Finish written materials for herbal immunity kit
Print out mushroom risotto recipe for gifts
Make spy kit for son
Make American Girl camping kit for daughter
Make ornament for party
Meditation + intention journal (even just 1X!)
Your update is so inspiring, jlcm!! Love the new avatar, too 😀
last week’s primary creative goal: same old same old: at least another little chapter edited, if not through to the end.
should also put the last two veg garden plots to bed for winter.
~didn’t get to either, mayhem ruled here last week. but i have a new job! and the bullying of my son is finally being handled more appropriately.
this week: no idea. hopefully i can blog regularly, but i have my doubts as i transition into the land of the employeed and the holidaze rev up. sometimes you just have to accept that for the time being, focus must lay elsewhere, maybe we’ll decorate the house and count that 🙂
Wow, Cathy! What’s your new work schedule like?
it was supposed to start as 10-12hrs a week, now that i am working, it’s more like 15-18, and i find out my schedule in a very piece meal way so far, but i’m sure it will settle down into something more regular after training.