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Your Creative Intentions: The Monday Post ~ April 27, 2015

Elizabeth Gilbert quote

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. (Let’s all agree to give up on “someday.”)

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!

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9 Comments Post a comment
  1. maureen #

    That quote rings so true to me today. “..It only craves the process”. While I am making a drawing this morning, to me it is the most exciting in the middle when the direction is pointing to the end and the mind fills the rest in. But today I am taking it all the way to the end… the place it might fail, the risky spot.
    this weeks intention
    stay in production mode
    which means stay off computer before drawing, draw first everyday
    love what you do
    frame at noon everyday
    plant pansies to greet family, yourself and visitors at front stoop.

    I have 16 drawings framed up for the show so far, that is pretty good for two months. … while creating too..

    I intend to take time for excersize too, walk three times this week
    for 40 minutes each.

    April 27, 2015
    • Lovely, Maureen. Where do you find your self-discipline for staying off the computer before completing your first drawing? xo

      April 27, 2015
      • Maureen #

        I think its comparing the feelings. If I get on computer and get some necessary things done I find I also waste time on the computer doing wastebook or playing solitaire ( I know crazy!) and that leaves me feeling yucky. When I draw first I never feel yucky or guilty. I feel proud. So its a rewards game for me I guess!

        May 4, 2015
  2. this is very thought provoking…. sometimes it;s all about ‘how many words’ instead of ‘how much enjoyment / learning / achievement’ Just getting down to it is half the battle…. Have set aside a WHOLE DAY tomorrow to focus on writing projects… it feels like christmas tomorrow!

    April 27, 2015
    • Woohoo, Alana! Christmas indeed! xo

      April 27, 2015
  3. Well, let’s just say last week wasn’t ideal. Between losing time preparing for showings, twisting myself into a pretzel over real estate, dental work, a nasty cough, and my youngest ingesting a stainless-steel marble that kept him home all week, it was mostly a loss. On the bright side, everyone is now marble-free and back to normal, such as it is.

    Trying a new system for planning my client work this week — we’ll see how that goes. Trying for 30 hours again.

    This week:
    * Daily/evening planning
    * Daily journaling
    * 1-hour writing session [Wednesday]
    * Following No S Diet
    * Lots of reading
    * Exercise at least 3x (walk or yoga)

    April 27, 2015
    • Maureen #

      I know that magnetic marble set, glad to hear offspring is marble clear, whew!

      May 4, 2015
  4. Scheduling is something I need to get better at! I think sometimes that’s hard as a designer, at least for me, because creativity feels like it ebbs and flows, and there’s just days where I’m not “feeling it” so to speak.

    Great advice!

    April 30, 2015
    • Lovely to hear from you, rsbwright! xo

      May 4, 2015

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