Your Creative Intentions: Monday Post ~ August 5, 2012
“If you’re striving to be absolutely original, you’re engaging in an act of futility. The most original works of art, be they paintings or musical compositions or novels, draw from what has gone before. On the other hand, the way you see the world is your way and yours alone; it is inevitably unlike anyone else’s. The trick is to be able to highlight your special angle of vision, to offset it from conventional perceptions.” ~Fred White
This is the moment to deepen, or commit to, your regular creativity practice. Regularity — a daily practice, if at all possible — is one of the best ways to stay in touch with how you make meaning.
What are your plans for creative practice this week? Given the specifics of your schedule, decide on a realistic intention or practice plan — and ink that time in your calendar. The scheduling part is important, because as you know, if you try to “fit it in” around the edges, it generally won’t happen. An intention as simple as “I will write for 20 minutes every morning after breakfast” or “I will sketch a new still life on Wednesday evening” is what it’s all about.
Share your intentions or goals 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. We use a broad brush in defining creativity, so don’t be shy. We also often include well-being practices that support creativity, such as exercise and journaling.
Putting your intentions on “paper” helps you get clear on what you want to do — and sharing those intentions with this community is a great way to leverage the motivation of an accountability group. Join us!
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This week I need to make a HUGE selection of bracelets as well as 1 new earring design. I need to find 1 store to present my jewelry to and hopefully start consigning from there!
Sounds great, Christina!
I’ve finally taken a dose of my own medicine: the only way for me to have a regular, daily writing practice is to get up at 4:15. I have to say — it’s awesome. Best thing ever. Expect a blog post on this topic soon! Kids are around this week; swapping days with a friend of mine and will have a few paid hours of babysitting from one of my older sons. This means being ultra-focused with my work hours. So far, so good. Wrapping up some editorial client projects this week, which feels great.
Last week’s creative/well-being intentions:
* Daily morning centering practice w/Morning Pages and intention journaling [yes]
* Writing practice: Complete installment of short story for “5PM Friday” accountability group [no]
* Read peer pieces for this week’s nonfiction group meeting [yes]
* Lots of tasks for Open Studio Groton; setting up fall workshops [yes]
* Yoga/walk/run x3 [yes]
* Reading [yes — lots]
This week’s creative/well-being intentions:
* Daily morning centering practice w/Morning Pages and intention journaling
* Daily writing practice
* Complete installment of short story for “5PM Friday” accountability group
* Open Studio Groton projects; setting up fall workshops
* Yoga/walk/run x3
* Reading
this blog by an old friend nicely sums up why i am not working on my manuscript, but trying to keep up creativity elsewhere, in garden, in blog, etc. life is full right now. http://tikiman1962.wordpress.com/2012/08/07/writing-through-the-silence/#comment-3930
We miss you at the Monday Post, Cathy — come on back!
thanks, i am taking a bit of a break from the manuscript, and i am burning out on my blog. i throw little ‘moments’ up on facebook pretty regularly. i’m dialed back to deal with a bunch of other stuff: kids, prepping for back to school, and am interviewing, again, etc…. not forgotten, just taking a necessary break. 🙂