Creativity

My friend MM (thank you so much!!!) send me a link to this talk by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the the mega-bestseller Eat Pray Love. It’s about creativity, or the lack thereof, and the pressure a person can put on themselves to hit a home run, so to speak, every time they put pen to paper, pick up a paintbrush, or sit down at the piano. And what to do about that? If creating things is what you do, how do you handle that every day?

I have heard this before, and I firmly believe this to be true: that you have to show up for work every day. You have to put in the time, and show up, and know that the flow will happen when it’s going to happen. You can’t force it, but you have to be there, flexing your muscles, getting your skills in order, for your muse to show up, too.

Check this talk out here:

And, while you are at it, check out the TED home page. TED (technology, entertainment, design), which I was unfamiliar with until this very moment, is a non-profit devoted to the spread of ideas. I’m not exactly sure what that means, but I do know that they have some fascinating talks by fascinating people on their website, and we can all share in the experience! For free! Yay! Amy Tan, Steve Jobs, Al Gore, Malcolm Gladwell, and lots of people I didn’t know, but who are outstanding experts in their field or who have had unique and enlightening experiences.

Talk about a way to while away an afternoon!

Art play day

On Monday I got together with two talented friends for an art play day. I drove in to the greater Los Angeles area, to a section I’ve never been to before, winding through the green hills at the base of the San Gabriels.  We all met at artist MG’s house, where we talked a million miles a minute, caught up with our lives, our hopes and dreams, and our latest creative endeavors.

What fun! So refreshing to get completely out of my rut, into a physically, mentally, and creatively different space. I think we all need to do this as often as we reasonably can, don’t you? Writer Julia Cameron talks in The Artist’s Way about art dates with yourself–making a scheduled date in which you go out and explore something creative, whatever that may mean to you…a museum, a nature walk, a trendy shop, a different town. This is such a fabulous idea, essential really, for anyone who wants to live more creatively.

So, we had tarot readings–and looking at the creative and beautiful tarot decks is as inspiring as the reading itself.  Check out the Touchstone Deck, with the Happy Squirrel card!

We peeked around MG’s art-filled home.

We had a lovely lunch.

MM showed us her Miracle Box–isn’t it adorable? She writes down all her dreams and wishes for the year and puts them into the box. I think it looks like a cake.

We created Vision Boards, where we put together images that represent what we aspire to for the coming year.  Although really, it’s more than that…it’s what you want your life to look like, things you want to do or be or accomplish or even not accomplish. Here’s mine:

Here’s my friend MM’s:

We were entertained by the lovely and talented (like the rest of the girls) Rita:

MM also created a Soul Collage card. This is kind of like the Vision Board, but a more direct tap into your subconscious or your intuition. Again, picking out images that appeal to you, without analyzing or thinking, and then putting them together in a way that speaks to you.

I don’t know if it’s so amazing because you are using a different part of your brain, or because you are giving yourself permission to play and create with no boundaries or expectations, or because your subconscious is speaking, or a combination of all three, but amazing it is.

Inspiration: Don’t you love this candle? I totally want one!

I left the day exhausted, inspired, warmed with friendship, feeling full of possibilities, and with my brain opened up and with fresh air blowing in.

Here’s MM saying “see you next time!”

Waiting for storm #3

Here in the desert we are waiting for storm #3 of the week to arrive. The rains with this storm are predicted to be the worst of the bunch. A brief period of cold sunnyness this morning, now the clouds are low low low on the mountains–almost down to the valley. Getting darker by the minute.

Isn’t it nice to be warm and cozy inside, with windows looking out at the action outside?

Surrounded

In preparation for an expected upcoming series of rainstorms (yes, even here!), today Mr. Clouds in the Night Sky and I unloaded about two-thirds of the boxes of books we had stored on the patio. Unloaded them into random piles strewn around my office, that is.

Now I’m surrounded.

You can pretend that the blurriness is from me shaking my head at the amount of work in front of me to deal with all these books.

Some of these will be keepers, but not many (see my library post earlier), some are for reading and then passing on, and a lot are for selling. Probably a small handful are just for ditching–in too icky condition.

But it’s still fun to see old friends, titles I forgot I owned, ones I wanted to read soon, my Mom’s cookbooks. Maybe while the storms are here next week I can curl up with a mug of tea and a scone and reacquaint myself with some old favorites.

Mom’s quilt

Here’s a picture of a quilt my Mom made many years ago. In her later years she wasn’t that much of a sewer (but a mean mender!), but when I was growing up she made many of my dresses. I grew up with the sewing machine. And before that, when she must have been in her 20s, she embroidered–I have a bunch of tablecloths, pillowcases, doilies, that she made then. Maybe that was a wartime effort thing? She must have done these quilt blocks about the same time, and then put it together with a backing about 15 years ago.

I think it’s pretty cute!

Crochet mania

I wish, anyway!

I just picked up a crochet project that I started a couple of years ago in you-know-where: a blanket for Emma.  Several gifting occasions have passed without my completing the blanket, so now I’m trying for her next birthday, in March.

It’s really soothing, which I had forgotten, to work on. And satisfying. Relax in front of the tv, with the fire going, and have this to keep my hands busy. Creating.

Rediscoveries #1: an Update

As Patricia noted, the other great thing about the public library is that they will notify you by email when your book is due, or when the book you ordered is waiting for you. And you can renew your books online, too! Could it be any more convenient?

Also, if you don’t finish your book–you know, sometimes you are just not in the mood, but you don’t want to give up on it altogether–you don’t have to worry! Because it will be waiting for you on its shelf at the library, any time you are ready to pick it up again. And, it won’t be occupying space in your own house!

Little memories of Christmas

Before the holiday season is gone and forgotten entirely (although there are a few straggling diehards with their tattered Christmas lights still up), I wanted to take a moment to remember my favorite things about the holiday.

In the structure of the five senses:

Sight: I think it would have to be Christmas lights. I just love them; even though we didn’t put up any this year I enjoyed seeing them all around. Driving through our community I could see the progress each day as people put up their lights or added to their, not always tasteful (but that adds to the fun), outdoor decorations.

Sound: That would have to be the sound of my daughter’s voice, who stayed with us for Christmas.

Taste: For me, this year’s food item was all about Peppermint Bark. It was everywhere! But I developed a great fondness (alright, craving) for it in spite of its ubiquity.

Smell: Hands down, the smell of the fresh Christmas tree. From the tree lot (is there a better smell?) to the time we took it down, I enjoyed that piney scent every single day.

Touch: I know this is crazy (really, I’m not a “collector,” and I don’t have 10 cats or crap all over every surface in the house), but I think I’m going to have to say the softness of stuffed animals. Mr. Clouds in the Night Sky has given to me over the years the sets of stuffed animals, usually bears, that Starbucks develops for the holidays. So I brought them all out and set them on a shelf. Is there anything cuddlier than a velvety plush animal?

Move Your Money

“The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life.” — Theodore Roosevelt

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-tv/abc-news-profiles-move-yo_b_417014.html

Rediscovering: 1 in a Series

The Public Library

When I was growing up, I made regular weekly trips to the library. What a magical place! Books on so many subjects, and authors with shelves of titles. As I grew up, and worked in the book world, I left my friend the library behind, and Owned Books. While very satisfying, Owning Books leads to: dust, and worse, very painful moves. And I have moved a lot of times in my adulthood, with 1 to 2 tons of books each time.

Now that we are broke living a more simple and frugal lifestyle, I am trying not to purchase books unless absolutely necessary (I mean, Barbara Kingsolver, it’s not like she has a new book out every month, and it takes me so long to read her).

So I’ve rediscovered the wonder of the public library!

• I can order any book in that library system online from the comfort of my own little desk!
• a book doesn’t have to be currently in print for me to be able to read it!
• but they even have new books, too!
• and DVDs!
• you can check your email while you are there!

It’s a great rediscovery.