Creativity, Crafts, Books, Movies, Greyhounds & Favorite Things

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For the next few weeks, I’m reading the book Creative Thursday by Marisa Anne.

Creative Thursday is a book about learning to make creativity a daily habit. Over the last few years, I have made creativity a priority, but just like any habit or practice, it requires consistent attention.

Chapter 2, Moving Through (and Accepting) Resistance, is very appropriate for the period I find myself in…a transitional time. I’m moving from part-time work to full-time work. That creates a tension because a new schedule and new practices have to be adopted. Marisa talks about the many forms of resistance from time constraints to fear. One of the suggestions is to “be willing to not make a very good start.” This is an idea I was introduced to earlier and has been a powerful tool in my creativity practice. I find it freeing to realize that much of what I start will not be good and that it is not only okay, but essential. Instead of thinking about it as “not doing good work,” I like to think of it as “playing” or “trying something new.” Giving myself permission to do this has been very helpful to me because it helps me rid myself of both fear and perfectionism.

Chapter 3, Finding Inspiration, offers suggestions on how to find inspiration. I must say, when it comes to painting, this is not a problem for me. I feel like I can’t live long enough to go through all my ideas. I do find that writing my blog is another story. One thing I find helpful is to plan out my posts a little in advance. Then, if I can’t think of something to write, I have a few days to look for an idea. If that fails, I make myself write something regardless. I do this because I set the intention to post daily in order to keep my momentum moving forward. I don’t take myself too seriously. If it’s a lousy post, oh well. For me, moving forward is more important than making sure everything is “just right.” This is an attitude I’ve adopted only in recent years, and it’s been huge for me.

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Every week, I take you on an Artist Date with me. The Artist Date comes from the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.

Since my head is mush, my Artist Date this week went totally undocument…not even one picture. So, I’m taking you on a past Artist Date that I did while visiting my daughter in West Lafayette, Indiana…Artists’ Own Gallery.

Kathleen Kitch

Artists’ Own is an artist cooperative that opened in 2000. As an artists’ cooperative, the members own and operate the gallery. The artists serve in all capacities of running the gallery operation, including serving as shopkeepers.

Linda LeMar

Works in the gallery include paintings, sculpture, jewelry, photography, furniture, pottery, fiber, glass and drawings.

In 2010, Artists’ Own expanded and opened an art gallery in the adjoining space. Throughout the year, the Artists’ Own artists exhibit in solo or group shows.

Zach Medler

The art gallery is also a place for the artists to explore new mediums and exhibit daring and unconventional work.

When we visited, the gallery featured a community art wall. You could grab a paint pen and add to the ever-evolving piece.

My daughter’s contribution is the wolf to the left of the birdcage, and my future son-in-law’s contribution is the wolf to the right of the birdcage. I thought this was very cool.

Cyndy Clauss

The Artists’ Own Gallery is very inspirational and dangerous to the pocketbook.

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Every Friday, I share a poem. Friday is also the day I post a prompt of something you can do to make the world a kinder place. I call this the Kind is Kool challenge.

I offer both the poem and the kindness challenge without any obligation, so “Comments” are turned off every Friday. Enjoy.

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The murmur of a bee
A witchcraft yieldeth me.
If any ask me why,
‘T were easier to die
Than tell.

The red upon the hill
Taketh away my will;
If anybody sneer,
Take care, for God is here,
That’s all.

The breaking of the day
Addeth to my degree;
If any ask me how,
Artist, who drew me so,
Must tell!

Emily Dickinson

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Kind is Kool Challenge

Week 32 Challenge – This week, speak well of everyone behind their backs or don’t speak of them at all.

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Every Monday, I post a painting “inspiration.” Every Thursday, I post how I interpreted the inspiration. I decided to do this to keep myself painting, to strengthen how I go from an idea to a painting, and to give myself permission to play and try new things.

This month, I’m committed to finishing paintings I’ve started but never completed. So my inspiration for the month of September is FINISHING WHAT I STARTED. Here are a few paintings I finished…

After I finish up some paintings in September, I would love for October’s “inspirations” to come from you. Do you have an idea for me? If so, please leave a comment with your inspiration idea. It can be a word, a story, an idea, a time period, a book, a song…whatever you can think of.

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I was invited to display some of my paintings at my local library, the Mishawaka-Penn-Harris Public Library.

I also had the opportunity to have a reception.

The large paintings on the walls are part of my exhibit that runs August 30 through September 26, 2013.

For the reception, I brought some of my smaller paintings and put them up throughout the room.

I’m very grateful to all my friends who came and gave me compliments and encouragement.

This is my #1 helper. He is not familiar with taking pictures for a blog post.

He did get this fun shot. Apparently, Amy and I stand in mirror image of each other.

I added three new paintings to the wall display.

I was super nervous, but all in all it was a great experience.

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Freedom: We have a package?

Freedom: It’s from South Africa!

Casper: Looks at all those stamps.

Casper: It’s from our friends Wallace and Samuel.

Casper: What do you mean you’re painting your brains out and don’t have time to take the necessary blog pictures, so we have to wait!

Nikki: This blog stuff wears me out. Wake me up when it’s time to open the package.

Note from Mommy: Don’t worry, Freedom, Casper and Nikki won’t have to wait until next Tuesday to get their surprise, but they do have to wait until tomorrow. Blog pictures are important. Check back next Tuesday to see what’s inside the package from Wallace & Samuel.

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Here’s what’s happening in my studio…

 

Painting my brains out, getting ready for my reception tomorrow at the Mishawaka-Penn-Harris Public Library in the Spencer Gallery.

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For the next few weeks, I’m reading the book Creative Thursday by Marisa Anne.

Things are changing in my life. I’m moving from working part-time to working full-time, and that will mean a different daily schedule. When I started writing What Remains Now, a huge part of it was to keep creativity a priority in my life. I’m still committed to that, but I’ll be making some adjustments. Creative Thursday sounded like a fun, inspirational book that could help me think through the transition.

Chapter 1, Setting an Intention, deals with just that…”setting a course of action that one intends to follow.”

My intention is simple…I want to lead a creative and artistic life. For me, discovering the “system” that works for my personality has been the most important factor in making my intention a reality. So what works for me? I’m the type of person who likes to jump from thing, to thing, to thing. I need a loose structure. If it’s too rigid, I won’t complete it, and then I’ll beat myself up for not being able to accomplish anything, and if there isn’t enough structure, I’ll flit from project, to project, to project and never get anything completed. My blog has been the single most motivating tool in keeping my creativity moving forward.  It’s my accountability partner.

Prior to accepting my new full-time work position, I was making plans to complete enough paintings that I could apply to art fairs and approach stores that sell artwork. Those plans will slow down a bit, because I want to focus most of my energy on my new position, particularly while I’m training. That’s okay, because I see my creativity practice as a way of life rather than a particular destination I’m shooting for.

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Every week, I take you on an Artist Date with me. The Artist Date comes from the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.

Since I participated in a photo challenge called The August Break 2013 during the month of August, I have a few past Artist Dates to tell you about.

Last November, I stopped at a holiday market, 2nd Annual One Stop Shop, in Delphi, Indiana, held at the Wabash & Erie Canal Interpretive Center. I wanted to go back in the summer, when the canal boat was operating, and a couple weekends ago, my daughter, future son-in-law and I did.

The Wabash and Erie Canal was the longest man-made waterway in the United States (468 miles).  It stretched from Toledo, Ohio to Evansville, Indiana and linked the Great Lakes to the Ohio River.  The canal era ended by the 1870s after about 30 years of use.  The Delphi section of the canal is the only remaining accessible Indiana portion which still has water in it.

We started by taking a 35 minute trip on The Delphi, a replica 19th-century canal boat.

During the tour, our guides, dressed in 19th-century clothing, shared information about the canal and stories of everyday life as it was 150 years ago on the Wabash & Erie Canal.

After the boat trip, we toured the Reed Case House.

Our excellent tour guide, Mr. Mark Smith, told us about this Federal-style house, built in 1844 by Reed Case, contractor for the Wabash & Erie Canal construction in Carroll County.

Mr. Smith shared canal era history and stories…

…along with information about the furnishings and everyday life.

We finished off by visiting the Interpretive Center and walking through the exhibits. The lobby of the Interpretive Center features large oil paintings by Terry Lacy depicting the canal era.

A fun, interesting and beautiful day.

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Every Friday, I share a poem. Friday is also the day I post a prompt of something you can do to make the world a kinder place. I call this the Kind is Kool challenge.

I offer both the poem and the kindness challenge without any obligation, so “Comments” are turned off every Friday. Enjoy.

The Beggar Speaks

“What Mister Moon Said to Me.”

Come, eat the bread of idleness,
Come, sit beside the spring:
Some of the flowers will keep awake,
Some of the birds will sing.

Come, eat the bread no man has sought
For half a hundred years:
Men hurry so they have no griefs,
Nor even idle tears:

They hurry so they have no loves:
They cannot curse nor laugh —
Their hearts die in their youth with neither
Grave nor epitaph.

My bread would make them careless,
And never quite on time —
Their eyelids would be heavy,
Their fancies full of rhyme:

Each soul a mystic rose-tree,
Or a curious incense tree:
Come, eat the bread of idleness,
Said Mister Moon to me.

Vachel Lindsay

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Kind is Kool Challenge

Week 31 Challenge – Write one thank you note a day for the next seven days.