March 24
Creating A Life Worth Living – Part 12
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I’m reading Creating A Life Worth Living by Carol Lloyd. I picked this book because I’m trying to figure out the place I want painting to play in my life.
This week…Chapter 11, “Building a Bridge You Can Jump On,†guides you in building an emotional and practical support system through friendships and creative alliances.
This chapter gives you ideas on how to set up a support system that keeps you in touch with both your dreams and the real world. Two of the ideas were of special interest to me…partnering and what the author calls, “Sweet Family of Ghosts.”
Partnering
The author identifies “partnering” as the crucial support technique. Partnering is “a formalized friendship that you set up with one other person to keep you focused on the best, most important parts of your life. The primary activity in this relationship consists of meeting with a person once a week to plan out your goals for that week and sometimes for that decade.” The author suggests meeting once a week for an hour and a half. She also gives you an agenda to follow. This is an exciting idea to me. Now, I just have to find a partner.
Sweet Family of Ghosts
Another support structure the author suggests comes under the heading, “Sweet Family of Ghosts.” She suggests deeply learning about people whose work and lives you respect.
“To develop your family of ghosts, read biographies, peruse bookstores, visit museums, write them letters–and make friends with a few dead people. Know their lives and their loves; become intimate with their creative process, their beliefs about art. Love them for what they have given you and they, in turn, will begin to live within you.”
This is intriguing to me.
This is support that I currently don’t have. I can clearly see how beneficial this support would be in keeping me on track, inspired and helping someone else to experience the same.
SHE reads lots of biographies and non-fiction but don’t know that it’s made her creative.
XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy
I can remember doing something like that when I was at school. We had to pick a person in history we’d like to know more about. Then write a letter to that person.
Well I was totally off…when I read da title bout da family of ghosts I was thinkin bout skeletons in da closet…and you was to do sumptin’ related to a personal experience…I has no idea why I thoughted dat, I must need anudder nap.
Puddles
Do you have any idea who your person will be?
I don’t. I’m going to ask for suggestions in a future post.
Woof! Woof! It is important to have support. It is sure interesting to have a support of a family ghosts. Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar
My husband and I are partners, but I think we could use an outside person too. We make goals and plans, we just suck at getting them moving anywhere. I like the idea of the ghosts. There are some artists “studios” in a couple of museums that I love to visit.
I like the family of ghosts thing to …I always enjoy learning more about artists and writers I enjoy. What a cool idea!
Oh I like the family of ghosts….I’m thankful to say I knew both grandmothers. We lived with my maternal G-ma when I was six. She was a seamstress and cook/now she would be called a chef. We were waiting for our first home to be built waaaaaaaaay out in the suburbs. My mom was #7 of 7 children. 6 were girls…I cannot imagine 6 girls in one house. During their younger years, in the mid 1930’s, I’m told G-ma would window shop downtown them come home make dress patterns out of newspaper creating garments more beautiful than what was in the store windows. She taught me to sew but I HAVE to have a pattern.
Hugs C
I got my copy a few days ago and am looking forward to reading it, hopefully it will make me a bit more organised.
Lynne x
I think anybody would be happy to be your partner! I’m sure both exercises will make you even more creative and fun. I’m looking forward to seeing how you implement these things into your creative process!
That Family of Ghosts idea is intriguing. Neat idea to get the creative juices flowing –