a little tiny exercise

I've successfully completed The Artist's Way for a little while now, but it is still something that I return to often, the process of unblocking your life + creativity is not a one time deal, but a constant process, constantly growing, analyzing, discovering, and creating. It's not an easy job, but someone has to do it.

I've been hoping to try and plan another inspire night with the girls, but I think some of you people need to stop being so busy, right now we could probably successfully plan something for the fall of 2014 :) Hmm, did I just say that? I believe it did. Anyways, I thought I'd share a little exercise with you, that can easily be completed at your leisure. If you want to share any of the answers or thoughts, please do. I'd love to hear them. Here goes, it's easy. I promise.

A little tiny, but awesome exercise that may direct you to doing more of the things you love.

1.List 20 things that you enjoy doing {it can be ANYTHING, I mean it.}

2. Next to each item, jot down when you last did this item. {This is the crazy part. It's been a while hasn't it?}

Now keep this list and try to do something from it on a regular basis. I believe these little actions will start making a huge difference in your creativity and how much you enjoy life.

Here's my list...

1. Painting- two weeks
2. Reading poetry out loud- over a week ago
3. Sewing- about a month ago
4. Enjoying a French film- last week
5. Baking bread- two weeks ago
6. Trying a new recipe- Sunday
7. Biking- I seriously can not remember, boo.
8. Kayaking- about two years ago
9. A picnic- three or four months
10. Reading magazines at Barnes & Noble- last week
11. A farmer's market on a Saturday morning- a few months
12. Writing an actual handwritten letter- last week
13. Camping- too long
14. Intentionally watching the stars- last month
15. A campfire- last month
16. Peruse antique stores- two weeks ago
17. A good quality road trip- last year
18. Tried a new restaurant- hmm, can't remember
19. Played soccer- a few months
20. Had a great conversation with good friends- a couple days

enthusiasm it is.

I'm a few weeks behind the rest of the group in the Artist's Way Book Club, but this experience has been invaluable. I am discovering things about myself that I never realized and my creativity is overflowing into all sorts of areas, even new ones such as baking{which my husband has no complaints} and a greater awareness of my desire to help others live inspired lives. I am holding a small event with some friends called, "Inspire: A Night of Discovering Your Creativity" and I'm so excited... more on that later.

Last week I read Chapter 9: Recovering a Sense of Compassion. There were a few points that really stood out to me. I'd like to share them with you.

The need to be a great artist makes it hard to be an artist.

The need to produce a great work of art makes it hard to produce any art at all.

(pg. 152.)

I've dealt with this one a few times, just a few. For example, I've heard this thought once or twice... "Are you making any money with this?" or "Can you sell that?" I become consumed with the fact that I am not shipping out products multiple times a day. Not surprisingly, I tend to experience moments of "creative drought," after this, until I realize I paint to paint or I sew to create, not to put some money in the bank. Now, I'd gladly accept the profits of my talents, but to get lost in that concept will only send me to the land of eternal creative-nothingness. I don't ever want to visit there.

Next...

Setting impossible goals creates enormous fear, which creates procrastination, which we wrongly call laziness. Do not call procrastination laziness. Call it fear. Fear is what blocks an artist. The fear of not being good enough. The fear of not finishing. The fear of failure and of success. The fear of beginning at all. There is only one cure for fear. That cure is love. (pg. 152)

I must confess I hate the idea of failure (who doesn't), but that I have been more afraid of success than failure. Some people have called me crazy. I remember once there was this guy I liked and one night during a long conversation about life, hopes, dreams, and all, I asked him, "Have you ever been afraid that all your dreams might actually come true? Have you ever thought about the great responsibility that would come with those dreams, that it might be too hard?" "No," he said. He thought that made no sense. {Perhaps, his thoughts never got that deep.} In case you are wondering, that almost relationship, never became a relationship. Sometime later, I met Matt and he had much more to say on the subject of dreams and the responsibility and commitment to those dreams. He actually understood how I could ask such a question. That, along with many other reasons is why I said, yes, when he got on one knee and held up a pretty little box with an even prettier little ring in it.

Finally, my third excerpt.

"It must take so much discipline to be an artist," we are often told by well meaning people who are not artists but wish that they were.... As artists, grounding our self-image in military discipline is dangerous. In the short run, discipline may work, but it will only work for a while.... We admire ourselves for being so wonderful. The discipline itself, not the creative outflow, becomes the point.

That part of us that creates best is not a driven, disciplined, automaton, functioning from willpower, with a booster of pride to back it up...

Over any extended period of time, being an artist requires enthusiasm more than discipline. Enthusiasm is not an emotional state. It is a spiritual commitment, a loving surrender to our creative process, a loving recognition of all the creativity around us.

Enthusiasm (from the Greek, "filled with God") is an ongoing energy supply tapped into the flow of life itself. Enthusiasm is grounded in play, not work. (pg. 153.)

When I read this, I was so moved that I felt like the words were jumping off the page and dancing with me. Yes, that made sense. I was going through this time where I kept thinking, "My art needs more discipline, more discipline, please." Obviously, that didn't work. I could be more disciplined in my life, my habits and exercise, but in my art, I needed enthusiasm. I needed to be filled with God. I find myself remembering this idea on a daily basis. I've noticed, the more devoted I am to my Savior, the greater the creativity that I feel. It makes sense, yes?

Like, I said, it's been a great journey so far. If you are interested in reading more, you can find The Artist's Way here.

The Artist's Way + Baby Steps

One of my dreams is helping other people realize their own creativity. I want to inspire other people to fully live, to take risks, and dream. It breaks my heart to hear people say, “You are so creative, I could never do that.” Now, I love a compliment, but I know that great creativity lies within each of us. Sure, we possess different outlets, but there are talents deep inside of us waiting to be discovered.

We often believe that these possibilities are anything but attainable, but I’m suggesting, along with the writer of The Artist’s Way, that this creativity is easier than we think. Here is an excerpt from the book:

“The grace to be a beginner is always the best prayer for an artist. The beginner’s humility and openness lead to exploration. Exploration leads to accomplishment. All of it begins at the beginning, with the first small and scary step.”

“What do I mean by filling the form? I mean taking the next small step instead of skipping ahead to a large one for which you may not yet be prepared. To be very specific, in order to sell a screenplay, you must first write one. In order to write one, you must come up with the idea and then commit it to paper, a page at a time until you have about 120 pages of script… Most of the time, the next right thing is something small: washing out your paintbrushes, stopping by the art-suppy store and getting your clay, checking the local paper for a list of acting classes… as a rule of thumb, it is best to just admit that there is always one action you can take for your creativity daily, this daily-action commitment fills the form. All too often, when people look to having a more creative life, they hold an unspoken and often unacknowledged expectation, or fear, that they will be abandoning life as they know it….

Blocked creatives like to think that they are looking at changing their whole life in one fell swoop…. Creative people are dramatic, and we use negative drama to scare ourselves out of our creativity with the notion of wholesale and often destructive change….

Filling the form means that we must work with what we have rather than languish in complaints over what we have not.”

-The Artist’s Way, pages 141, 142, 143

How many times do we say, “I love to do this, but I don’t have (fill in the blank) or I would do this if I (fill in the blank). What is one thing you could do today? One small, attainable thing? I started this blog, because I wanted to write more. I had neglected it for so long, because I got so caught up in this disappointment of “I’m not writing a book…I’m never going to write a book… That English degree was pointless.” So, of course, I wasn’t writing. I started this blog, because I finally realized I just needed to write. If I write tonight, and tomorrow, and keep writing, then I’m one step closer to writing that book, maybe. Who knows, but at least I can say that I’m writing something.

I'd love to hear what steps you are taking...

My Artist and Me

This week's artist date consisted of a visit to a sweet little bakery, indulging in some Southern Pecan coffee and some coconut macaroons, yes please.

Then I browsed through Ross and Marshalls for nearly two hours, picking up many items and then putting them back.  It's funny how much thought goes into spending money, making sure it is really, really worth the number on the price tag.  However, I did go home with these, which will look fabulous on my desk and will hold untold pieces of goodness.

They will soon be full of endless magazine cutouts and papers that will inspire.

Yeah, I'm pleased.

More quality, less Whatever...

Hello again,

I took a little break from the Internet world, because this week in the Artist's Way was the reading deprivation exercise.  Avoid all reading except that which is absolutely necessary.   The theory is that as creative individuals, if we are are not feeling creative ourselves, we'll soak in the words/creativity of others, which can then stop us from creating ourselves.  So... by not filling the time with reading, you begin to think of all the other things you can do with your time and suddenly, you start DOING things, not just reading about doing them.  It worked, it really did. Here is a little of what I did instead...

1. Baked oatmeal scones.

2. Made a delicious quiche.

3. Organized the baby's room.

4. Caught up with entries in my Dear Hudson Baby journal.

5.   I made this.  My husband thinks it's silly, but he's a boy...

6. Bought some fantastic fabric.

7.  Made an apron, from this adorable pink and white checkered fabric, with little Eiffel Towers.

8.  Re-established my work room, after a week long battle with a leak and the maintenance department.

9.  Finished sewing some more giraffe toys, which will be making their debut soon.

10.  Started painting with oils again.

I have noticed that I get disappointed with myself when I spend so much time online.  I continuously think of all the things that I could have done.  After taking a break from the Internet I have realized that I don't enjoy it as much as I have before...  I suppose I am more aware of the things that benefit my life and the things that fill up my life.  I'd much rather actively benefit my life than just pass the time.  That is why we are turning the television off for the summer, once the season finales wrap up in the next few weeks, Au revoir TV.  I am looking forward to all the fun things we are going to do instead.

I am feeling great about the changes in my life and I am delighted to feel the ideas flowing, once again.

one simple thought...

Here's a little thought for tonight, as I am purposely saying farewell to the endless world of media.  I need quiet, I need to just be present in the peaceful joy that is my life.  No drama, craziness, or crazy makers necessary.  Thanks.

"Anyone honest will tell you that possibility is far more frightening than impossibility, that freedom is fare more terrifying than prison."

-Cameron, The Artist's Way.

Antiques: Artist Date #2.

My second artist date was great, although I must admit I didn't go alone.  Matt and I had a lovely time browsing through all the antique shops and dreaming of all the the items we'd love to own.  We have definitely decided that if we had the choice, we'd decorate most of our home with collected pieces from all time periods.  Here are some highlight photos...

a hat lover.

perfect for a summer afternoon

simply delightful.

wishing my bookshelf looked so cheerful.

can't stop dreaming of a rocking horse for my little boy's room.

Week two was pretty good, although I was sick and slacked on some of the writing activities and morning pages.  Reading the chapter, I related to the different people in my life who have been supporters/crazy makers/enemies of my creativity.  I was always encouraged to pursue my dreams, but when it came to art, I don't think that those around me took my passion seriously enough to give me the support that I needed and desired.  I think that hindered some of my potential in previous years.  However,  I am blessed with an incredible husband who has been my number one fan and since being here, I have a great friends who have done nothing but encourage and support so many of my new projects. I finally feel that I have a great group of support around me, that allows me to create my way, rather than impose their own tendencies. It's such a great feeling to have people who really believe in your talent, rather than simply humoring it.  Granted, I've had some great support throughout the years, but it is becoming more and more evident how certain people have influenced my life, for better or worse.

Morning pages have been great, it really does help to flush out all the thoughts that I don't really want to share with anyone and allowing my mind to start the day with a fresh slate.

Looking forward to week three and thankful for all the blessings in my life.

Donald Miller Strike Back

It took a few days, but on this late Sunday morning, as I'm home with the baby who isn't feeling well, and myself feeling the same, the rain is falling and the peaceful nature of my home allows me to share my thoughts.

As promised, I wanted to share an excerpt that I desperately needed to hear, myself.  It was one of those perfect moments when the world stopped around me and the words jumped off the page and burrowed deeply in my soul.  

As an artist, writer, and dreamer, I bleed inspiration, I bleed belief in the seemingly impossible, yet there has always been this underlying thought of disbelief.  Can I really be successful?  Can I really write books, that seems so huge, impossible?  I constantly envy those who tell me, "I'm writing a book," with confidence, because I know I want to, but I have never said to myself, I am writing a book.  The very concept of starting such project launches me into this state of feeling incapable of doing so, again and again.  Then, I'll find a speck of possibility and think, "I will write books."  Yet, that remains only long enough for me to feel overwhelmed and then returns the impossibility.  This cycle has happened more than I can count.  

Part of my hopes in journeying through The Artist Way is that I will attain the discipline to start that daunting project.  I don't know what I want to write, but I know I need to write.  I just get caught up in realizing the completed product, rather than just the actually writing page after page.  So, on Friday, I read a quote that will never leave me.

As I mentioned previously, it's from Donald Miller's newest book, which will be available in the fall of 09, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.  I hope Donald isn't upset that I'm sharing this, but it was published in the back of a newly released edition of Blue Like Jazz, so I'm thinking it's OK.  Plus, if after reading this, you don't want to pre-order a copy, then there is something wrong with you.  Oh, and if he changes this part of the book in his editing, I'm gonna have to have words with him.

Here goes,

"But the truth about writing and the truth about life is we don't actually know how it is going to go.  If we take action, it come back to haunt us, for sure.  What's worse is that we might not be up for the job, but no good story was ever told without the character taking a dramatic risk."

Yes?  Does that affect you as it does me?  Even now, after thinking about it all weekend, I am amazed at how it answers that question I have asked so many times.  It reminds me of a line from Coldplay's, Fix You... "If you never try, you'll never know, just what you're worth."

As of today, I haven't started that book, but I am starting to believe that if I do take that risk, my story will be better for it.  So thank you Donald, thank you.  I'm glad you decided to take that dramatic risk for yourself.

A Fine Time for an Artist Date

Today was the perfect day for my weekly artist date for two reasons.  First, the week is nearing an end and second,  after a long week of the little baby boy who wouldn't sleep, if I didn't get out of the house for a while, it wouldn't be such a beautiful day in this neighborhood.  Thankfully, my amazing husband knew that and strongly suggested, more like ordered me to get away for a while, probably for his sanity, as well.  

Off I went, even the feeling of driving away, in an empty car was lovely.  My first stop, Michael's, the home of all arts & crafting goodness.  I went in with about ten dollars to spend and no time limit.  The next glorious hour or so was spent wandering up and down each aisle, with the exception of all things knitting, jewelery making, and clothing embellishing (no feathery boas for me.)  

I put all sorts of things in my basket and took most of them out, eventually.  One by one, I decided upon my little items of inspiration for today and was very pleased.  I even engaged in a mini-conversation with the cashier, about how amazing a $500 gift card to Michael's would be.  

All the excitement of my fun little projects almost caused me to cut the date short.  Fortunately, a text saying that Mr. Hudson was sound asleep encouraged me to visit my second stop.  

The moment you walk into Barnes & Noble is one of my favorite moments ever, it never gets old.  I wish I could bottle that coffee smell and let it fill the air of my home, oh wait, it does, at least twice a day.  Anyways, enough about my coffee addiction.  I really enjoy that moment, the doors are pulled open and the aroma of coffee and paper fills the air.  

More aimless, but perfect wandering lead me to grab a couple magazines, and a newly-released edition of one of my favorites, Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller (including a sneak-peak at his new book coming this fall) intrigues me.  I wanted to see what goodness his next book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, would bring.

As I drink my Venti Iced Passion Tea, unsweetened, of course, I finally figure out that if I had to pick one style for my home it would resemble something found in the pages of Better Homes and Garden's 100 ideas for Flea Market Styles  

I really would love anything found in these pages.  I never want everything in my home to match perfectly, because I'm all about this statement:  Great style is about mixing, not matching.  Thus, I don't have to pick one style, PERFECT; Everyone thinks my style has been defined, and I don't feel like anyone is putting me in a box.

The absolute best part of my afternoon was found in reading the sneak peak to Donald Miller's new book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.   Since, it is something completely different, you'll have to read the next blog.  I promise, you won't be disappointed. I wasn't.