Wondering Wednesday
Posts by Miranda
Dec 7
Dec 5
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.
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Miranda: Art Every Day Month ~ Day 29
Day 29 of Art Every Day Month (AEDM). Constructive doodling. I made a tent card that now sits on my kitchen counter, reminding everyone who approaches the sink with dirty dishes in hand to DEAL WITH THEM, rather than leaving said dishes for those magical fairies who arrive overnight to scrub everything spotless. Thus far, it seems to be working!
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Nov 28
Monday Post ~ November 28, 2011
“Let everyone climb on their roofs and sing their notes. Sing loud!” ~Rumi
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.
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Miranda: Art Every Day Month ~ Day 26
Day 26 of Art Every Day Month (AEDM). A photo shoot during a family in the woods. A restorative outing on a beautiful day.
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Miranda: Art Every Day Month ~ Day 23
Day 23 of Art Every Day Month (AEDM). And now for something completely different…turkeys! My plan was to cut out all of the parts for Thanksgiving place cards and have the little guys do the assembly. It turns out that the kids weren’t interested in glue sticks today, so the turkeys were all mine. As we’re vegetarian, these are the only turkeys that will grace our table tomorrow 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate!
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Nov 21
Monday Post ~ November 21, 2011
“Creativity arises out of the tension between spontaneity and limitations, the latter forcing the spontaneity into the various forms which are essential to the work of art or poem.” ~Rollo May
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. 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.
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Nov 19
Miranda: Art Every Day Month ~ Day 19
Day 19 of Art Every Day Month (AEDM). I wasn’t feeling well and cancelled plans to go to the gym in the morning and to book group in the evening — but I wasn’t going to let a luxuriously unscheduled Saturday pass by without making it into the art room, malaise be darned.
For a while I’ve been wanting to do something with this quote from A Course in Miracles: “If you knew who walks beside you on the way that you have chosen, fear would be impossible.” The who referenced here can mean anything that makes sense to you: God, goddess, source, divine love, community, the universe, inner wisdom, etc. If you take a moment to decide what that “who” is for you, you may find that this quotation is a powerfully reassuring mantra.
Detail
Collage
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Nov 16
Miranda: Art Every Day Month ~ Day 16
Day 16 of Art Every Day Month (AEDM). Another poem in my series, although I paired this one with a photograph.
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Project: Family Mailbox
By Ellen Olson-Brown
This project hits all the bases. Using recycled and very inexpensive materials? Check! Encouraging kids to create, decorate, and bedazzle to their heart’s content? Check! Motivating kids to write? Check! Strengthening family collaboration and communication? Check! Fun for kids aged 1-111? Check!
Remember when the daily snail-mail occasionally included an actual letter, handwritten, from a loved one? Oh, the satisfaction of real stationery, a personal message, familiar handwriting! Delicious!
Bring back the magic by building your own family post office. The project itself will absorb your family’s attention for an hour or two (perfect for a snow day!), but once you’ve created the post office, you can use it for years.
What you need:
- One empty cereal or cracker box per family member. These will become mailboxes.
- One larger cardboard box, which will become the post office (see image in opening paragraph). If your family is larger than four people, you’ll need a box with enough surface area to hold a cereal or cracker box for each family member.
- Paint, tape in various colors (duct, masking, and electrical tape work especially well!), contact or wrapping paper to cover the cereal/cracker boxes.
- Decorating supplies: permanent markers, magazine clippings, yarn, glue, fabric scraps, beads, glitter, doo-dads — any cool stuff you have lying around.
- Paper, envelopes, markers, pens, rubber stamps, stickers, and other fun items for letter-writing.
- A hot-glue gun (for grownups only!)
Directions:
- Cut the top flaps off the boxes.
- Decorate each cereal box. These will become the individual mailboxes. Make sure each family member’s box is labeled with his or her name. Hint: If you’d like to paint each box ahead of time to cover up the printing on the box, then children won’t have to wait through drying time to add their own artistic touches.
- Hot-glue each mailbox to one side of the larger box. Hint: Decorating the larger box is also fun!
- Load the inside of the large box with writing supplies. This is now your post office!
- Write a letter!
- Address an envelope.
- Mail your letter, and wait for a reply!
A few more helpful hints:
- Younger children might like a set of cards with familiar words on them, so they can write letters\ on their own. Write words on index cards, punch a hole in the corners, and connect with a binder ring.
- A quick letter can be a great way to let your child (or spouse/partner) know that you appreciate something they’ve done that day. “Dear Mikey, I noticed that you put your pajamas in the laundry basket after you got dressed this morning. Thank you so much! Love, Mom.”
- Sometimes older children deflect direct discussions about feelings. Sending them a letter reminds them that you care — and opens up communication — without putting them on the spot. “Dear Katie, I noticed that you seemed a little sad when Jill couldn’t come over to play today. I’m sure you’ll find something else that’s fun to do, but if you need a hug, come find me in the kitchen. Love you! Mom.”
Enjoy!
Ellen Olson-Brown is a teacher, author of four children’s books, aspiring yogi, Minervan, and enthusiastic consumer of art and office supplies. Positive psychology, mindfulness, and the science of human flourishing are her current fascinations, and she loves supportively daring people to amaze themselves. Ellen lives in Groton, Mass., with her husband and twin sons.
::: This piece is reprinted from the most recent issue of the Creative Times — subscribe and join the fun!
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Miranda: Art Every Day Month ~ Day 14
Day 14 of Art Every Day Month (AEDM): Ink and watercolor doodle. Fairly self-explanatory, this one.
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Nov 14
Monday Post ~ November 14, 2011
“Sometimes I wonder how all those, who do not write compose, or paint can manage to escape the madness, the melancholia, the panic fear, which is inherent in a human condition.” ~Graham Greene
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. 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 
