Your Creative Intentions: The Monday Post ~ January 13, 2014
This Emerson quote moves me deeply. Does it resonate with you, too?
A regular creative practice — a daily practice, if possible — is key to staying in touch with how you make meaning. Key to living, not postponing.
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. If appropriate, use time estimates to containerize your task, which can make a daunting project feel more accessible.
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 leverages the motivation of an accountability group. Join us!
:::::::
If you’re an artist or writer with little ones, The Creative Mother’s Guide: Six Creative Practices for the Early Years is the essential survival guide written just for you. Concrete strategies for becoming more creative without adding stress and guilt. Filled with the wisdom of 13 insightful creative mothers; written by a certified creativity coach and mother of five. “Highly recommended.” ~Eric Maisel. 35 pages/$11.98. Available for download here.
Studio Mothers: Life & Art 
I agree. My goals for this week are to go for a walk every morning when I first wake up, ENJOY breakfast with my husband and try to write for an hour or hopefully two, one in the AM, the other PM. Finish reading the current book I’m on, about 3/4 done. (I will be on a business trip with my husband, without kids. I believe I am a bit excited!) on a serious note, writing down what I would like this week has actually made it seem possible, so I’m quite glad I came across your blog this morning. Thank you.
Wonderful, Annie! Have a fabulous week.
Last week I wrote that I seemed to be ON the New Year’s bus, as it were — this week I am definitely running behind said bus. Actually, I might just be lying in the gutter at the side of the road. Hard to tell.
Drama aside, I did in fact get completely caught up with Project Life, which feels AWESOME. So happy about that.
I also did three double-page art journal spreads, which also felt terrific. Therapy, at the moment. A seriously awesome way to spend the evenings. Daily writing practice got bumped for the art journaling, but I’m OK with that.
Primary goal for this week is to maintain (or find) some level of ongoing sanity. Secondary goal is to do a a few more art journal pages.
Last week’s creative/well-being intentions:
* Daily sitting [yes]
* Daily morning centering practice w/Morning Pages & intention journaling [yes]
* Daily reading [yes]
* Continue workday focus and output [not so much]
* More planning/workbook time [no, not beyond weekly planning]
* Last of the remedial Project Life sessions! [yes]
* One page of art journaling [yes — and more]
This week’s creative/well-being intentions:
* Daily sitting
* Daily morning centering practice w/Morning Pages & intention journaling
* Daily reading
* Emergency measures for workday focus and output
* One page of art journaling
editing, editing editing. that is this week. and life, stuff, kids. book going into self-publishing fundraiser next week, if i get the art in from the artist in time.
I am knitting for 10 minutes every evening, more if I can (and am awake enough!). If I can get up before my kids, I read and sit to center myself.
Nice, Sarah!
I agree that putting your intentions on paper (real or virtual) makes them more likely to happen! I intend to add to my newly started blog, which will require writing and perhaps a little photography, read my Sunset magazine instead of mindlessly playing with my iPad while watching TV, and print out some family pics and frame them and try a new recipe.
Awesome, flowerpistol! How was your week?
The kids were home sick for a few days, so I didn’t do everything I hoped to do. I ended up spending a LOT of time on my blog, mostly just learning the basics of how to set it up but I was happy that I completed a page that was important to me and came up with a list for ideas for future posts. I read a little bit of Sonoma Magazine and I made some of my old favorite recipes. My Erin Condren planner came in the mail {love}, so I started filling it in with my intentions and in the blank pages, I drew a little picture of a light-up 30th crown I want to create for a friend. The crown idea has me excited!
I have been flirting with getting an Erin Condren planner for a while now….I’m a total planner geek AND I need to change my system frequently. Do you really love it??
I do love it! It came with all sorts of extras, like personalized gift tags and stickers, zipper pouch and little date cards. I brought it to a client meeting yesterday, and used it as a notebook. If you use this link, you will get $10 off when you create an account and place an order: https://www.erincondren.com/referral/invite/sharonoharren0630 (and I get a $10 gift certificate!)
Yesterday was a studio day, today was at home art and cooking. 3 recipe, lots of pots and pans, but wonderful smells and tastes! This week I need to get out with my camera on the trail, plus set up a still life and pull out my oils. I have cards to make, poems to get down on paper and photos to edit. It will all fall in place!
Sounds fabulous, rkb665. How did the week turn out?
With great meals and many small tasks completed. Maybe not earthshaking, but successful all the same!
Amen!