4 When and where do you create? When and where do you wish to create?
I actually do not have a specific time or place to work out my creative musings, and I am beginning to think that I might be more productive if I did. My work tends to travel around the house, depending on when and where I feel like coming to rest. That's the problem with knitting and crocheting I guess - it's portable. It may start life in the living room because I'm watching TV, but then I might migrate to the music room or the dining room or even the backyard. Maybe my 'where' is just simply 'Home'. My sewing room, our extra bedroom, used to be my 'place' but now it's become more of a storage closet in the last few months, housing anything that I can't find a place for in the rest of the house.
As for time, this is probably an issue that I need to resolve. I do not have good time management skills at all - not even remotely good ones. It might take me half an hour to get one room vacuumed because I will get distracted somewhere in the middle of it and start doing something else. I do not have a set time for creativity. Whenever I am not at work, not teaching piano lessons, not cleaning the house and not caring for my husband's needs. Sometimes I get an entire day to be creative. Sometimes I don't have a single moment's peace. Most of the time I am lucky to get half an hour before bed in the evening and it's when I'm tired, my thoughts are going into hibernation for the night and Alex is trying to force me into watching television with him becase that's how he winds down. I have never had a set time for creativity to flow.
Another problem I have with the 'time' aspect of creativity is simply that I don't really have the support. Now, before you think my husband is squelching my creativity, please understand that if he didn't keep me on track with things, I would be a complete mental case. I would be a hoarder, the city would forclose on my house, and I would probably never bathe. This is because if I don't have someone reminding me to care for things, one task at a time, I get into obsessive grooves that I don't come out of. I could literally spend an entire week doing a certain set of projects and never do anything else that week except pee. I often forget to eat during the day if I'm working on something. There could be a small list of chores and I will convince myself that they will take care of themselves because 'I'm busy creating something dammit all!' I do not have a healthy mental state when it comes to living life like a normal person should. When Alex comes home and sees that I've literally done nothing but sit on the couch all day with a crochet hook in hand, he gets annoyed and starts forcing me into finishing the tasks I should have worked on during the day. Now do I get upset and annoyed with this? Absolutely. But I need it. I am very co-dependent in these regards. Does my creativity suffer? I think so. I think my opportunities for inspiration are already few and far between, and when my husband comes home after a long day at work to find out that his wife has more or less failed to hold up her end of the bargain, he doesn't really feel like supporting my hare-brained ideas. He's also terribly practical to my terribly 'out-there' way of thinking. They do say opposites attract.
BTW, my husband is an AMAZING guitarist, so if I have portrayed him as not being a creative type, it's incorrect. His musical genius surpasses most - he just channels it differently. He has logic and practicality to his advantage. I..... do not.
Since I will begin a lighter work schedule next week, I am going to start establishing my creative times and getting the routine into a set schedule. I am hoping to establish 3 times per week where I can simply sit down and produce ideas and work on projects. I have to work this out with Alex, but I think in the long run it will be a great advantage to both of us.
And as for the migrating projects, I don't think that's likely to die as quickly as it should, but we DID start cleaning out the sewing room again.
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Friday, June 3, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women
As usual, I am frustrated with my station in life because I live in a society that makes it hard to be creative and live comfortably. Thus, I work a job that I'm not crazy about, but happy and grateful to have, and my true love - my creativity - suffers.
My greatest downfall is my inability to finish what I start, or carry anything to the end. I have time-management issues, as I have been made uncomfortably aware of by working at the bank, and while I don't believe for a minute that I have something like ADD, I do believe that I have let a good portion of my memory and focus dwindle away. (But I am told that such things can be regained.)
I picked up The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women at Barnes and Nobel in Fort Wayne last weekend while we were killing time before a wedding. It was on the discount shelf, and definitely doesn't have the gorgeous cover art that the book on Amazon.com has. But I've never been one to concern myself with cover art - but instead, the text inside. After all, there's a great song about not judging a book by looking at it's cover.
The author, Gail McMeekin, and I seem to have a lot in common. Both of us have struggled with places to put our creative energy, both have struggled with chronic fatigue syndrome, and like her, I have noticed that women are often expected to push their creativity into the backmost parts of our minds in order to become productive members of society. I am no feminist, not by a long shot, but I do agree that our modern society still has some expectations of women that aren't very fair. (However, I believe they were brought about BY the feminist movement, and they aren't doing anything to help get rid of them.)
I remember a time when I was putting together an elaborate scrapbook to chronicle my journeys through the south-eastern countries of Africa. My mom loved it, but I remember her saying, "It's great that Lindsey has so many creative outlets. It will really help her get through life." My parents have struggled their entire lives with poor financial choices and having to work minimum wage jobs to make ends meet. In short, they have both had to labor while pushing their creativity in the background. Sure, it came out in other places - my mom owned a salon for 20 years, and our house was the most attractive in the neighborhood. But my parents never got the opportunity to follow their true dreams.
I dread the thought that such could be my case. When I think about the years to come, I have a sense of foreboding that I might be one of those folks who simply travels around from job to job because they can't stick with any of the work - I have only worked at the bank for 3 months and I'm already hoping that another opportunity will present itself so that I can quit. I don't want to be one of the millions who pushes their true passions out of the door and conforms to expectations of them.
I particularly like that this book offers challenges to help a woman unlock her creative potential. I have already noticed that there are things I could be doing to help encourage myself into better ideas. I have recognized for a long time that I need a partned - but the right one hasn't come along yet. I am co-dependent in the sense that I need a coach - someone to help me follow-through. I am unsuccessful alone - but with that other person, I can do almost anything.
The first challeng in "12 Secrets" is to take a creative inventory of yourself. I am a little more that halfway through adding that to my journal. I am going to post the questions, and hope that someone out there feels like adding their thoughts on one or two of them as I put my own answers out there for the world to read in future postings.
Creative Style Inventory
1. When did your creative awakening or reawakening occur?
2. What talents do you naturally have?
3. Which elements (fire, wood, water, air, etc.) draw you toward them?
4. Where and when do you create? Where and when do you wish to create?
5. What activates your creative energy?
6. Do you use creative rituals? What are they? If not, invent some for yourself!
7. Does nature influence your creativity? If it does, how?
8. What has been your greatest creative hurdle thus far?
9. What time of day are you most receptive to inspiration?
In the next few weeks, I am going to put up passages from my journal exploring these questions and it would warm my heart to see one or two responses from others out there. Who knows, maybe somewhere out there is that creative partner I've been waiting for and haven't opened my eyes to seeing yet!
My greatest downfall is my inability to finish what I start, or carry anything to the end. I have time-management issues, as I have been made uncomfortably aware of by working at the bank, and while I don't believe for a minute that I have something like ADD, I do believe that I have let a good portion of my memory and focus dwindle away. (But I am told that such things can be regained.)
I picked up The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women at Barnes and Nobel in Fort Wayne last weekend while we were killing time before a wedding. It was on the discount shelf, and definitely doesn't have the gorgeous cover art that the book on Amazon.com has. But I've never been one to concern myself with cover art - but instead, the text inside. After all, there's a great song about not judging a book by looking at it's cover.
The author, Gail McMeekin, and I seem to have a lot in common. Both of us have struggled with places to put our creative energy, both have struggled with chronic fatigue syndrome, and like her, I have noticed that women are often expected to push their creativity into the backmost parts of our minds in order to become productive members of society. I am no feminist, not by a long shot, but I do agree that our modern society still has some expectations of women that aren't very fair. (However, I believe they were brought about BY the feminist movement, and they aren't doing anything to help get rid of them.)
I remember a time when I was putting together an elaborate scrapbook to chronicle my journeys through the south-eastern countries of Africa. My mom loved it, but I remember her saying, "It's great that Lindsey has so many creative outlets. It will really help her get through life." My parents have struggled their entire lives with poor financial choices and having to work minimum wage jobs to make ends meet. In short, they have both had to labor while pushing their creativity in the background. Sure, it came out in other places - my mom owned a salon for 20 years, and our house was the most attractive in the neighborhood. But my parents never got the opportunity to follow their true dreams.
I dread the thought that such could be my case. When I think about the years to come, I have a sense of foreboding that I might be one of those folks who simply travels around from job to job because they can't stick with any of the work - I have only worked at the bank for 3 months and I'm already hoping that another opportunity will present itself so that I can quit. I don't want to be one of the millions who pushes their true passions out of the door and conforms to expectations of them.
I particularly like that this book offers challenges to help a woman unlock her creative potential. I have already noticed that there are things I could be doing to help encourage myself into better ideas. I have recognized for a long time that I need a partned - but the right one hasn't come along yet. I am co-dependent in the sense that I need a coach - someone to help me follow-through. I am unsuccessful alone - but with that other person, I can do almost anything.
The first challeng in "12 Secrets" is to take a creative inventory of yourself. I am a little more that halfway through adding that to my journal. I am going to post the questions, and hope that someone out there feels like adding their thoughts on one or two of them as I put my own answers out there for the world to read in future postings.
Creative Style Inventory
1. When did your creative awakening or reawakening occur?
2. What talents do you naturally have?
3. Which elements (fire, wood, water, air, etc.) draw you toward them?
4. Where and when do you create? Where and when do you wish to create?
5. What activates your creative energy?
6. Do you use creative rituals? What are they? If not, invent some for yourself!
7. Does nature influence your creativity? If it does, how?
8. What has been your greatest creative hurdle thus far?
9. What time of day are you most receptive to inspiration?
In the next few weeks, I am going to put up passages from my journal exploring these questions and it would warm my heart to see one or two responses from others out there. Who knows, maybe somewhere out there is that creative partner I've been waiting for and haven't opened my eyes to seeing yet!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Pride Goes Before A Fall...?
This blog went viral yesterday due to the extraordinarily BAD behavior of the author on this reviewer's comments about her self-published work. Read it - it's like watching a train wreck. 300 and some comments, few of them out of pity and more views than the writer of the blog could have hoped to achieve.
In some ways I feel sorry for the author - not because she received a less than glowing review - but because she clearly believed that her work was exceptional and couldn't possibly recieve anything less than 4 out of 5 stars. She's really bitten the dust now. Good luck with ever selling another book now Jacqueline Howett. You will never be more widely read than you were this week - and it isn't your mediocre writing that everyone is talking about.
Anyway, if nothing else, I've started following this blog!
BigAl's Books and Pals: The Greek Seaman / Jacqueline Howett: "Genre: Suspense/Literary Fiction Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words Availability Kindle: YES Nook: YES &..."
In some ways I feel sorry for the author - not because she received a less than glowing review - but because she clearly believed that her work was exceptional and couldn't possibly recieve anything less than 4 out of 5 stars. She's really bitten the dust now. Good luck with ever selling another book now Jacqueline Howett. You will never be more widely read than you were this week - and it isn't your mediocre writing that everyone is talking about.
Anyway, if nothing else, I've started following this blog!
BigAl's Books and Pals: The Greek Seaman / Jacqueline Howett: "Genre: Suspense/Literary Fiction Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words Availability Kindle: YES Nook: YES &..."
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Adult Time
This isn't one to read in front of the kids! You've been warned!
I am a big supporteer of the sexual revolution. No, not the damn hippies and their free love. I am a big supporter of Christian movements to bring sex out of the shadows and red-light districts and finally show young people that not only is sex a perfectly wonderful, natural part of life, but they can also enjoy it!
I found 'Porn for Christians'. Awesome. A woman name Susie Bright does a podcast of sexual content for Christians. I'm going to dowload a few and give them a listen. Alex and I are going to be reading a book called "Sexy Christians" by Ted and Diane Roberts and I can't wait to start it.
I'm not a prude in any way. Growing up, I went to Baptist school, which I have repeatedly bitched about, because we still thought boys had cooties and called sex 'it' when we were in the 7th grade. My own mother, who made some very bad choices growing up in the 60's and 70's regarding
her sexual behavior, trapped me in a car and forced me to read Dr. Ruth's book out loud on a day trip to see her therapist. My experiences with coming of age and learning about sex were terrible. I was afraid of sexual behavior, and not just because I knew if my mom found out that I had been kissing boys or holding hands, she would immediately jump to the worst case scenario. (She demanded to know if I was pregnant when I returned from a 3 month stay in Africa with a stomach virus and chronic dysentary. Thanks for the support Mom.) No one should grow into adulthood fearing their sexuality. It's just plain wrong. Sexuality makes us what we are - capable of establishing an intimate relationship with another being - so close that you are literally occupying one space.
The Christian faith does NOTHING to help young people develop their sexuality and learn how to make good decisions regarding sexual behavior. They hide it. They say it's only for grown ups and married couples. They build up unrealistic expectations around sexuality so that when two young people who have just tied the knot jump into bed together on their wedding night find out that it kinda sucks on the first try, they're disappointed and think something must be wrong. The 'powers that be' in the Church say its 'special' and 'beautiful' and fail to mention that there will be times that he's going to have trouble getting it up, and she's going to be dry as a bone and unresponsive. Know what else? Staying 'pure' until marriage does NOT guarantee a happy, healthy marriage, and it definitely doesn't guarantee that you'll stay together for the rest of your lives. Silly religious people.
Christians have stigmatised romance novels, masturbation, erotic films, pornography, sex games and toys. I LOVE THEM ALL!! Guess what? I use them - frequently - in my very healthy sex life with my husband, and we both enjoy it! It cuts down on disappointment, arguments and hurt feelings. I'm pretty proud of it - can you tell? And I don't hide it.
So maybe this isn't conversation you want to have with me while the kids are playing in the same room, but let me tell you, I can't wait to share what I read and hear in these so-called 'Christian' sex books. And if it's more of the same religious crap jargon that we've been fed for years, I will let you know - and loudly! I am not ashamed of sex. No one should be, unless you are doing something that you are ashamed of. In that case, well, I can't help you.
SEX IS NOT A SIN.
I am a big supporteer of the sexual revolution. No, not the damn hippies and their free love. I am a big supporter of Christian movements to bring sex out of the shadows and red-light districts and finally show young people that not only is sex a perfectly wonderful, natural part of life, but they can also enjoy it!
I found 'Porn for Christians'. Awesome. A woman name Susie Bright does a podcast of sexual content for Christians. I'm going to dowload a few and give them a listen. Alex and I are going to be reading a book called "Sexy Christians" by Ted and Diane Roberts and I can't wait to start it.
I'm not a prude in any way. Growing up, I went to Baptist school, which I have repeatedly bitched about, because we still thought boys had cooties and called sex 'it' when we were in the 7th grade. My own mother, who made some very bad choices growing up in the 60's and 70's regarding
her sexual behavior, trapped me in a car and forced me to read Dr. Ruth's book out loud on a day trip to see her therapist. My experiences with coming of age and learning about sex were terrible. I was afraid of sexual behavior, and not just because I knew if my mom found out that I had been kissing boys or holding hands, she would immediately jump to the worst case scenario. (She demanded to know if I was pregnant when I returned from a 3 month stay in Africa with a stomach virus and chronic dysentary. Thanks for the support Mom.) No one should grow into adulthood fearing their sexuality. It's just plain wrong. Sexuality makes us what we are - capable of establishing an intimate relationship with another being - so close that you are literally occupying one space.The Christian faith does NOTHING to help young people develop their sexuality and learn how to make good decisions regarding sexual behavior. They hide it. They say it's only for grown ups and married couples. They build up unrealistic expectations around sexuality so that when two young people who have just tied the knot jump into bed together on their wedding night find out that it kinda sucks on the first try, they're disappointed and think something must be wrong. The 'powers that be' in the Church say its 'special' and 'beautiful' and fail to mention that there will be times that he's going to have trouble getting it up, and she's going to be dry as a bone and unresponsive. Know what else? Staying 'pure' until marriage does NOT guarantee a happy, healthy marriage, and it definitely doesn't guarantee that you'll stay together for the rest of your lives. Silly religious people.
Christians have stigmatised romance novels, masturbation, erotic films, pornography, sex games and toys. I LOVE THEM ALL!! Guess what? I use them - frequently - in my very healthy sex life with my husband, and we both enjoy it! It cuts down on disappointment, arguments and hurt feelings. I'm pretty proud of it - can you tell? And I don't hide it.
So maybe this isn't conversation you want to have with me while the kids are playing in the same room, but let me tell you, I can't wait to share what I read and hear in these so-called 'Christian' sex books. And if it's more of the same religious crap jargon that we've been fed for years, I will let you know - and loudly! I am not ashamed of sex. No one should be, unless you are doing something that you are ashamed of. In that case, well, I can't help you.
SEX IS NOT A SIN.
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