Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Do not panic

Here it is September already. Once upon a time, long long ago in a faraway land where the goal was to receive the right letter grade and gushing remarks from numerous authoritative figures, I had stellar goal making/achieving abilities. Progress was inarguable, measurable and blatantly obvious. Those goal achievement skills have either left me completely, or my goals nowadays are more complicated. I'd like to believe it's the latter. Another possibility -- I continue to believe the story that I need an external motivating source to get anywhere. Glaring Reality: If I want it to happen, I must take responsibility for making it happen. Oh.

Sub-categories of Glaring Reality;

1. Placing blame is pointless and a waste of time.
2. Laziness is not the issue.
3. Productivity is relative.
4. Fear is misdirected energy.

Ah, there it is, small and non-threatening in the distance -- the support issue. Decide now how crucial this is to your progress before it sneaks up on you from behind. I have personally sampled several flavors of Support so far this year. There is the paid counselor, the paid creativity coach, the unpaid just-resurfaced friend from eighteen (gulp) years ago, the partner and trying-to-understand family, and of course, dark chocolate, feta cheese, and cashews. Oh wait -- those last three jumped from the "Yes I'm dealing with it!" list to make their special appearance here.

I do know that none of these sources are effective unless I first decide -- yes, DECIDE, which is a conscious, present, and deliberate action -- to do it. DO. No one else can make me do. They can tell me to just get to work, plot the graph the chart the outline the list, that I am worth it and it will all be worth it in the end. But I must first decide to do it.

Here I am performing my own composition "Scarlet." Living the words: "There aren't any mistakes. There are opportunities for another direction."

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Create

I have been inspired by several good books lately on the creative process. I have a habit of collecting them all at once -- from the library, it's free! Navigating through the stack is both exciting and overwhelming. One book in particular, The Creative License: Giving Yourself Permission to Be the Artist You Truly Are by Danny Gregory, encourages using your blog as a means of putting out into the world what you love, not for the intention or hope that other people will read it, but because doing so simply brings what you love to the forefront of your mind. A blog is art, just like making a meal, typing an email, moving color around with a paintbrush or pen, sweeping the front porch, writing in a journal, day or night dreaming.

Where can you create? Scott Wade uses the dirty back window of his Mini Cooper.

This book has thousands of illustrations and every word is handwritten, not unlike Sark. So it has also encouraged a new dimension in my journaling, where creativity has a chance to run rampant vs. being mired down in black and white scrawly handwriting. Doesn't it make sense to draw wherever you can, whenever you can?



For me, this summer is about remembering what I love, want, and dream about. The next step is bringing all that to the tip of the brain, tongue, and fingertips.

Thursday, June 08, 2006