Thank you Jamie Ridler for starting this awesome experience and creative community!
I just got my book: 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women - yippee!! Went for a frosty trek to the postal outlet with snowsuit-stuffed little baby strapped on to my chest, through the muck and ice and snow, to begin my creative awakening of 2009!!
And now to begin....to acknowledge where I am creatively at this magical moment in time.
Let me begin with my perpetual place of being.
My personal mission in life:
TO INSPIRE AND TO BE INSPIRED.
Thank you to the other phenomenal women of this community who are providing that fantastical inspiration!
And where I am, now, January 10, 2009: I AM A MOTHER.
This is a bold new creative adventure for me. Having been diagnosed as hormonally imbalanced and concerned about infertility for several years, this has been a mighty miracle in my life. An unexpected, overwhelming blessing where the rewards just swirl and multiply around each other like a giddy tornado of creation, rather than destruction. I actually feel most creatively alive now than I ever did in my independent, single professional artist life. Connecting with some new age thinking, I got into Christine Northrup's books before the pregnancy and wondered why I was creatively stifled in my life....was it the physically demanding work and intense hours? Was it my upbringing, my parents' divorce, my mother's battle with stress? Was it my procrastination? Was it my enthusiasm for beginning a project but rarely following through? Was it my love of the outdoors and not wanting to 'waste' a minute of sunshine and frolic? And then, voila! My little Elliott came along. And I foresee many more 'births' in the months to come.....
I AM A FREE SPIRIT.
Creativity is freedom. When I am free...from too many obligations, from fear, from excuses, from demands, from criticism, from limitations...I am creative. When I am traveling, I am creative. When I am lying in my bed and cannot fall asleep over all the enthusiastic visions I see, I am creative. When I am performing, I am creative. When I am looking out the window of the bus to the vast canvas beyond, I am relaxed. I am creative. But also, when I am disciplined, I am creative. When I stick to my routines, and my yoga classes, and dance classes, and writing regularly, and honour my commitments, I am also creative. When I have too much time on my hands, I become withdrawn, lazy. I need a the juices to keep flowing; I need to stay connected.
I AM A CREATIVITY JUNKIE.
I am addicted to creative pursuits. I love SARK. I am excellent at developing ideas, but I need to stay focused, I need to master my procrastination. I have many projects 'on the go'.
Creative projects I would like to accomplish are:
- scrapbook/artsy journal of my pregnancy & of Elliott's 1st year (buy scrapbook, go on snapfish & compile photos, buy decadent paper, glue, collect quotes, tokens of memories, etc)
- learn to create a photojournal
- publish my adapted Shakespeare plays for kids (write to friend for info, ask another friend for illustrations, write summaries of plays, go to bookstore & look for publishers, contact shakespeare for kids groups)
- collect quotes for my treasure box of inspiration
- organize and compile all of my poetry into one beautifully unique and vibrant book
- take NIA classes
- collaborate with my sister (the illustrator) to manifest the story written for Elliott; take a class for writing children's literature in the next few years
- become more involved with youth, teaching, mentoring and developing theatre projects as an arts educator/creative spirit
- collaborate with my life partner to build a puppet theatre company for young children
- travel the globe and observe, listen, explore, experience, learn and write, write, write
- meet with other moms to discuss and explore the creative journey of parenting (put 'mom' on my blog and look for others, go to yummy mummy or other mom websites)
- sing more in the shower
- dance every morning
- write more letters/send more pictures to my foster child in Brazil
- learn to bake
- be a fairy godmother
- find a magical escape to keep dreaming and visioning
- embrace every moment with humour and grace
This is where I am. My intentions are all sitting on the table waiting to be devoured. Let's eat!
