Your Creative Intentions: The Monday Post ~ January 7, 2013
“I know you’ve heard it a thousand times before. But it’s true: hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice, practice. If you don’t love something, then don’t do it.”
~Ray Bradbury
Welcome to the first Monday Post of 2013! There’s no better time to recommit to a 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. Can a regular creative practice be part of your intentions for 2013?
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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Studio Mothers: Life & Art 
happy new year! i’m back, life seriously went off the rails, but i managed a few writing projects a bit in the time i haven’t posted.
this week’s goals: edit session tomorrow with writing group in big old manuscript, hopefully finish this 4th draft in that session. start researching and writing queries during the rest of the week for that project. SEND IT OUT.
help son who is completely freaking out about his 1st choice college app deadline, get it together with him. convince him not to quit his grocery part time job.
paraprofessional duties continue for son #2 at wrestling practices and tournaments daily.
better and more time with toots.
prioritize self-care for the rest of the year. say no, a lot.
Great to have you back, Cathy?
8 hours of studio work this week … hopefully seven of it on tuesday …. otherwise i’m not sure how i’ll fit it in … but i will!
Yay, Elizabeth!
This whole month is my month for organizing, you can read about it here: http://christinadesignsart.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/make-something-365-or-a-year-of-something-new/
But this week I am concentrating on doing my PTA observation hours so I can get into PTA school!!!
I love your month-long focalpoints, Christina!
Moving right along: Thrilled to have maintained my daily writing practice streak — I’m up to 26 days in a row of logging at least 500 words daily in my WIP.
A couple of Big Things happened last week: my daughter was diagnosed with celiac (not a huge issue in our house as I’m not a fan of wheat anyway) and we decided that my mother-in-law’s five-week visit would become permanent. So some adjusting to do on the home front this week — turning my art room into her permanent bedroom, and turning our dining room into my temporary art room (at least until I can think of a better option).
Yesterday I had a 10-hour MARATHON of Project Life catching up — so psyched to get that far. I have at least one more marathon on deck before I get back to real time — but so, so totally worth it.
Last week’s creative/well-being intentions:
* Daily morning centering practice w/Morning Pages and intention journaling [yes]
* Daily writing practice [yes]
* Complete installment of short story for “5PM Friday” weekly accountability group [yes, but didn’t send]
* Write a blog post [yes]
* Read peer pieces for Thursday writers’ group [yes — great meeting]
* Yoga x3 [yes]
* Reading [yes — finished the Untethered Soul — awesome]
* If any opportunity, start catching up on Project Life [yes! wahoo!]
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” weekly accountability group [daily]
* Write a blog post [T]
* Yoga x3 [M/Th/Sat]
* Reading [daily]
* House projects: moving art room, painting bedroom, etc.
* Another installment of Project Life catch-up
New year, new intention setting, new accountability…
write daily – already created a new space for this
Start draft for new project I have been putting off for months…
Yoga/Walk daily
Connect with the kids every day after school with hot chocolate or tea or snacks – we lost some of this time with the chaos of the holidays
Declutter
Wonderful, Chrisanne! New space for writing practice is a great motivator, yes?
Is friday too late for a Monday post? This week I will:
1. finish the new plate for Elegy/ Twin Trunk Pine.
2. write a short essay/ couple of paragraphs about the current artist at the OSS Gallery
3. print the new plate with the open acrylic paints on the new Rives lightweight paper
4. continue reading The Artist’s Guidebook
5. continue working with and reading about Nourish, my “word” for 2013
6. Add a few items to the list of goals from the brainstorming session discussed in the Artist’s Guidebook
7. working on finding 15 minutes a day to work toward studio clean-up/ organization
i totally get that number 7! on tuesday i did two hours of cleanup … then gave up and started painting !
It’s never too late for a Monday Post, artem! 😀
1. Exercise for at least 15 minutes every day this coming week.
2. Write in my prayer journal every day this week.
3. Create my housework/organizing chart and start using it before the end of the week.
4. Write in my “other” journal about my accomplishments from 2012 and my goals for 2013.
5. Write down everything I eat this week in spiral bound notebook.
6. Re-Think my blog, make notes, write down thoughts and ideas … decide whether I want it to be a personal or “professional” blog and how much I will cross/blend those areas when I write in my blog in the future.
7. Write out affirmations this week and post around desk/office area, etc.
Wonderful list, Laura! Come back and give us an update xo