Creative Half Halt

Hyacinth in the snow...photo by the Pilot Guy

There it is allllll stretched out in front of you, a fresh new month. A month poised with one foot firmly in the icy temps of winter while the other foot dips a toe in the warming pool of spring.

Today is a good day to revisit hopes, dreams, and plans. The last post remains valid...give credit for what's actually been done, but, today, let's also look forward. What do you want to accomplish this month (week, day)? How does that fit into your year-long or life-long goals?

In horseback riding, it's called a half halt, where the rider 'gathers up' the horse beneath him with reins, legs, seat, and voice. It's a quick maneuver that signals a horse to stop, then immediately to go forward again. The animal never stops, most witnesses might not even see the hitch in the stride. The result, however, is a more collected horse. Alert, with all four hooves directly under her...balanced...resulting in more nimbleness. A half halt is excellent when a change in direction is needed or to refocus both horse and rider.

A human half halt could be the two minutes you stand quietly, close your eyes, breathe deeply, and ask, what's the most important thing I can do right now? Really listen...what's important, not what's urgent. You'll open your eyes with greater vision and clearer purpose.

Take a moment...

What important goals have you neglected recently?

What actions do you need to take to put yourself back on the path toward your creative dreams?

Go for it!

A Creative Passion

Which one are you?

I just saw the 'Julia/Julie' movie starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. Quite good, much better in my humble opinion than the book. (And I know everyone else saw this a while ago...we had a wedding at our house, remember?)

So which one are you?

Julia--who found a passion and pursued it with vigor?

or

Julie (at the beginning of the story) dead end job, little drive, not able to finish what she started....

Why did you identify with that one?

A Quote

The greatest danger

for most of us

is not our

aim is too high

and we miss it,

but that it is too

low

and we hit it.

Michelangelo

March Goals

How did it get to be March already?



Here's a few things I want to accomplish this month...



finish the Mission's policy book for our church (depends on other people...so....it may spill over into April)



write a couple of memoir stories



write a couple of short pieces, fiction or non-fiction



Oversee completion of The Baseball Guy's research project prior to spring break



Oversee the beginning of another research project. (He is going to be SO happy.)



school, school, school



begin planning The Baseball Guy's graduation ceremony and party



finish, package, and send baby gift to little Gracelyn.



begin the garden wall hanging



finish the porch swing pillows



make a half dozen ATCs



pursue more stained glass



get the veggie garden ready for planting. Plant by month's end. (do you see my gleeful smile?)



start some more seeds in pots



add plants and stepping stones to landscape the new front flower bed



paint the small table, chairs



repaint the purple swing (It will stay purple, but the paint finish is damaged. It needs sanding and repainting)



Well....that ought to keep me out of trouble...or up to my mascara in trouble, depending on your point of view. I know I'm being optimistic...this is baseball season after all. Still, writing out goals helps me stay focused.



What's on your to-do list?

I Gotta Do My Part

It strikes me that I’ve wanted God to help me be a writer for years, but I’m not always doing my end of things…the writing and completing. I am the queen of the great start. The NaNoWriMo challenge was particularly fun because I FINISHED.

Recently, I listened to a Dave Ramsey presentation on extraordinary performance. One particular phrase caught my attention...Execute your plan and trust God to show up. In other words, work hard and let God open the doors wide. Aim for dreams you know you can't accomplish alone. Dave calls them BHAGs.

Big.
Hairy.
Audacious.
Goals.

Today, the calendar on the fridge is quietly screaming at me. My log shows too few minutes of walking last week (and this week so far) and very few words written for 2009. It seems I’m letting my fitness and writing goals take the back seat to my other commitments.

Again.

It is a challenge to juggle all my responsibilities and aim for the BHAGs. I have only eighteen more weeks to be a homeschool mom. Finishing well there remains my number one goal. There are still commitments to church and others that must be honored. Yet, words and stories jumble about in my head. My fingers *need* dirt on them occasionally. I need scraps of color to play with, whether fabric or glass. It is all about finding the rhythm and balance in order to dance to the tune in my heart. I can do all of it, can't I?

Oh, I just want to build up an inventory of completed, polished stories. I want to have something WONDERFUL to submit to some agents and editors by next fall. I want to play with fabric, glass, and color and share it with others. I do not want to waste the time I'm given on this earth.

I want to do my end of the bargain and trust God to show up.

The Stop List

Okay, I'll admit it's been said that I kinda like being different. Swimming upstream, against the current, going against the flow. What can I say? Sometimes the view is much, much better from upstream.


Going against the flow is a good way to get a fresh perspective. Take the famous and much talked about T0-Do list. I love my to-do lists. I love crossing things off and building energy through the day. But there are times when a to-do list makes you crazy. Am I right?

On those days, I like to make a 'don't do' list. Instead of all the things I want to do, I list all the things I can quit doing without pain. Instead of write novel like my to-do list says, the quit list says stop watching TV at night. (What am I going to do with that time, I wonder?) Instead of clean house, the stop list says ignore the laundry today which often means I will get to my sewing machine or out into the garden. Not a hard choice at all.

After a day or two of stop action, my brain is ready to tackle something more interesting, so we pick up the to-do list and try again.

Or you can do an 'add-on' list. Go about your regular business, but add a couple of things to your life.

For example, starting a body edit? (Ever noticed that edit and diet have the same letters? I prefer to edit rather than diet. It sounds more precise and controllable. Editing to my writer's mind is still a creative process.) A friend of mine said she wanted to lose weight, but didn't feel she could cut out sweets cold turkey. I suggested the 'add-on' list. Instead of cutting out anything from her regular eating, she could add eight glasses of water a day. Then in a week, she could add six or eight servings of fruit and veggies to her days. Eventually, she will be so full of good, healthy food that she can't eat those sticky desserts or trashy snacks. She will have filled her eating with healthier choices. Leaving the unhealthy choices behind is easier at that point.

Middle January is when real life settles hard on your goals list. If you dream of accomplishing something significant, don't let the ides of January squish that dream. Keep looking for ways to rearrange or move around your schedule to fit the necessary time into your life. Look at your schedule from upside down, sideways, and backwards.

Keep pushing forward through the crowd going the other way. It is worth the effort.

Reach!

Ladders are handy dandy tools. I have a short version in my kitchen to make reaching the fondue pot in the upper cabinet easier. We used a long skinny version a few weeks ago to replace the dead Christmas light bulb at the very apex of the two story part of our house. (Why is it that the ones going out are at the top and not the ones over the porch that we can reach with high heels?) We have a nice collection of ladders to use in different situations. They help us reach what we desire.

I like reaching goals, too. Even ones that seem as far out of reach as that dead light bulb. There are ways you can help yourself attain success rather than accepting the status quo. Think of these as ladders that can help you reach higher and farther than you ever dreamed.

1. Set up your environment for success. If your goal is to lose weight, then stocking the pantry with Oreos is not a good thing. If your goal is to create a sewing project a week, then stashing your sewing machine and fabrics in the back of a closet is a bad idea.

Right now there is leftover chocolate cake on the counter from a New Year's bash we hosted. I hate to throw it out. It was expensive to bake (lots of pecans.) It is my favorite cake. However, I know as long as it is sitting on my counter, I'm going to be nibbling on it. That is not going to help me lose my fifteen pounds. I need to toss, purge, and restock the kitchen with healthy alternatives.

Set up your environment to support, not hinder, your goals. Organize your tools and creative area to support your dreams. Is there a tool or supplies you need? Find a way to get them or be creative and MacGyver something to use.

2. Stay Focused. I'll admit freely this is an issue with me. Being borderline ADD is not always a fun thing. If I choose some aspect of my writing career as a goal this year (and I have) then I should not volunteer to be an officer in my writing group or run a big project at church. It is a time commitment thing. Saying yes to something is also saying no to other things.

Be sure you are saying yes to the things that will help you get where you aim to go. To help me, I keep a copy of my goal poster as the background on my computer. (Digital cameras are fun!) I see it many more times a day than I would if I only had the one hanging in my closet.

3. Support systems work. Having an accountability partner for anything from exercise to Bible study helps both of you on days when you'd rather not. Having a cheering squad for your written work in progress is a motivator to type instead of veg in front of the couch. I know when I show up at the next meeting of my writer's group, two individuals are going to ask me about a short story I haven't finished. I really hate telling them I haven't worked on it.

4. Start on it. Some goals are big and scary. It is hard to know just where to begin. A friend says to swiss cheese these kinds of scary things. Start somewhere and poke holes in the to do list. Before long, the project has taken on energy and momentum.

5. Forgive yourself when you fall off the ladder. Not reaching a goal is a temporary thing. Pick yourself up, brush off the dirt, readjust your sights, and start climbing again.

Will you need a little ladder or a big one to reach your goals? I am going to need several in different shapes and sizes. Climb on up! The view is much better from up here.

Happy New Year!

I love the beginning of January. I love having a full year of potential laid out, clean and fresh, in front of me.

As many of you know, I like to choose a word or phrase to be a theme during the year. 2008 was 'do it' which morphed into 'finish it' by the last quarter of the year. This year's theme is 'make it happen.' So much of what I want to accomplish depends first on me taking the baby steps to begin. I'm hoping 'make it happen' will remind me to focus on my goals.

Here's a random assortment of interesting words and a few phrases to inspire you in your own search for theme word.

Create Faith Wisdom

Listen Inspire Hope

Pause Happiness Holy

Calm Joy Wait

Love Forgive Dare

Silence Learn Still

Presence Delight Pure

Trust Encourage Pray

Appreciate Available Comfort

Serve Relax Laugh

Encounter Skill Humble

Vision Develop Strengthen

Bold Run Family

Heart Courage Beautiful

Grow Dream Discover

Thanks

Go For It!

Make it Happen

Live Your Life Beautifully

Life is short, live it in color.

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

I'm a Creative Soul.

May 2009 be a healthy happy year for each person who visits this blog. My hope is that this will be our most productive, creative, inspiring year yet. Thanks for being a part of my creative journey.

Wrapping it up!

I like to take time to ponder what went well in the past year (and what didn't) and what I hope to do and accomplish in the coming year. By looking back, sometimes I can avoid making the same mistakes over and over and over again. For this reason, I usually take lots of notes on or about projects I'm involved with. Long after the details have faded in my head, my notes remind me of what to avoid or what to replicate.

Looking forward is lots of fun. The anticipation of new goals, dreams, and visions is delicious. I always start out with too many. I crash and burn on some of them. More remarkable is when I actually manage to accomplish what I set out to do. What a rush!

Wrap up your year with a pretty bow. Don't beat yourself up over things that went poorly. Forgive yourself and others, learn from your mistakes, and move on. An entire fresh year is opening up in front of us. What will we do with those 365 days?

I'm excited to find out!

99 Things

I saw this on Harmony Art blog a few days ago. It looked like fun since I've been thinking hard about my ambitions this year. This list is more of a lifetime list, but still, it fits my theme. The ones in purple are ones I've done. See which ones you've done--I'd love to hear. If you answer on your own blog, put a link in my comments so we can all visit and read.

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (Not well.)
11. Bungee jumped (Ummmm, no thanks)
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (Walked, not run a 5K, but not a marathon.)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (France 1999)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (Still a work in progress, but I can grocery shop in French, Dutch and some German.)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted--Painted no, photography yes.
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving (No, never)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle Fast enough, thank you very much.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book (Magazines, yes. Books--I'm working on it.)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible (Those Minor Prophets get me everytime.)
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating--Fish count, right?
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit (Do Estate Hassles Count?)
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Happy Fall, y'all!

Fall is a favorite around here. The thermometer climbs down from its summer high perch, the sun pours mellow, golden light every afternoon, and all the plants burst into joyful bloom. Early autumn in Texas is a time of growth and renewal.

As the seasons change, I feel the urge to declutter, make tidy, rearrange and decorate my home, garden, and life. I'm taking scissors to my schedule. Sweeping old priorities into the trash. Rearranging my commitments. Continually searching for the activities which give the greatest pleasure, meaning, and purpose to my life, creative or otherwise.

So....how's growth and renewal going in your creative life? What goals are up for review? What projects are taking their place centerstage? What new or old thing is charging your battery like never before?

On Your Mark

As a former hurdler, I've loved watching the track and field events at the Olympic games this week. Time and time again, I notice an announcer claiming such and such a runner had a great start. Usually that means they broke well from the blocks, kept their head down for several strides, and moved down their lane quick and clean. In a sprint, a good start can mean a good finish. Conversely, a bad start can finish a race before too many strides are taken.

Just like those runners, I love a great start. In fact, I love starting, great or not. Fresh ideas, sizzling enthusiasm, and unlimited energy. A new creative project is exciting.

My big problem is not new ideas. Tons of those tumble around in my brain daily. What I have trouble with is...you guessed it....finishing.

I have way too many UFPs in my life. Unfinished Projects. Two novels, (three if you count the one that's just one scene long) a couple of short stories, and two non-fiction book ideas are in my to be written stack. There's a lap quilt upstairs on my sewing table waiting for me to finish it. A half a dozen garden projects wait for cool autumn weather.

Imagine that tall Jamaican sprinter quitting halfway to the finish line. Imagine the marathoner stopping in the shade of a tall tree while the other runners past her by. Imagine the gymnast laying back on the beam and taking a nap before her competition is complete.

Ridiculous.

You don't get the gold (or silver or bronze) for stopping before you cross the finish line.

My friend, Bonnie, says it drives her insane to have an unfinished project waiting on her. She is driven to write that final paragraph on that final page. Maybe that's why she has one book in print and another on an editor's desk. Hmmmmm.....

My theme for the rest of the year is going to be finish it. On Monday, we begin our final year as a homeschool family. Believe me, there is much to be finished there. Writing skills to be honed, math skills to be sharpened, thinking refined and expanded. And I want us to finish with flair and strength. The homeschool equivalent of a runner's 'kick' at the end of a race.

What finish line awaits you, dear creative souls? Are you willing to dig deep into yourself and race for the finish line?

You can do it. We will be cheering you on!

Thanks to each one who's sent a photo of their favorite journal page for the contest. Yay for you! A couple of you have emailed me to say you are hesitant or shy about sending. Please don't be afraid. This is a friendly blog and a friendly contest. You'll have fun, I promise!

Make a Goal Poster

One of the tactile projects I did during my creative retreat week was a goal poster. Because I am both a visual and a tactile person, a goal poster is fun, both crafty and artsy. The images speak to me on a level that written words can't always reach. Images hit that right brain creative center and take root, while words are often filed in the more organized and restricted left brain.

If you would like to give your goals a boost, you can put one together, too. In fact, I believe the simple act of creating a goal poster can reveal and refine your heart goals.

Here's how:

Take a stack of magazines. I prefer to have mostly ones that call my name anyway, but a few off the wall ones are good, as well. My stack included Southern Living, The Writer, Body & Soul, some quilt mags, gardening mags, and for my off the wall ones, Forbes. (I've just gotta say, as a magazine Forbes is boring visually. Gag.)

Quickly leaf through the pages with a pair of scissors in hand. Snip out any images or headlines that resonant with you. Do not stop to analyze why. Do not stop to read the articles. Do not intentionally seek any particular image at this moment because it is surprising to see what your hand was led to clip. You can always look for missing pieces later, if you decide you need to. I like words and often use them to add impact to my images.

Trim the images and arrange on a piece of poster board or card stock. Be free enough to let your pieces overhang the edges of the board. It is one more way to reinforce a don't-fence-yourself-in mind set.

Hang the poster in a place where you see it daily. Mine's in my closet at the moment. In the past, I've hung them near my work area. The front of the refrigerator works dandy, although you'll be explaining it to your family and friends.

It's been many years since I put together a goal poster. It was a bittersweet moment when I realized there were no chubby babies or cute kiddoes on mine. Neither were there puppies, dogs, or horses. Visual proof my life season has changed.

This time, mine seemed to emphasize health, activity, art, gardening, writing, and being true to myself. There were no images of women in formal business settings, so I suspect I'm not headed back to the briefcase and power suit life style I once had. At least, not yet.

What does your goal poster reveal about you and your future?

F R E E D O M !

Iris about to unfurl it's petals

Imagine a Mel Gibson yell from 'Braveheart.'

F R R R E E E E E E E E D D D D D O O O O O M M M M ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Most of my winter into spring committments are done and I'm free, free, free.

Monday evening ladies Bible Study--done.

Planning for Senior Celebration--done.

and, the most time consuming of all......

Nathan's JV and Varsity baseball season is complete!

Do you know how many hours not having baseball gives me back?

Hours and hours and hours every week.

Think of the writing, gardening, and creating I can do.

Just thinking of the possibilities gives me delight.

I'm giddy!

We will be winding up our curriculum chores in a few short weeks giving me even more time to think. For a homeschool mom, summer break is me time. And I'm going to wallow in it this year.

I love May, not only because I was born in May but because it is a transition time from the school year to the summer months. New goals, new schedule, new attitude.

What's on the horizon for you? Travel plans? Taking a class? Trying a new technique? Tackling a challenging creative project?

Refine and renew your goals and share your thoughts on summer in the comment section. Let's have a dynamite summer together.

Move it Monday

Mondays.

I've always loved Mondays. (Okay, you KNEW I was different, right?) When you own a business doing something you love, Mondays are fun. All weekend I would think about new ideas for my business. On Monday, I got to put them into practice. I learned early on to never schedule client appointments for Mondays. (They forgot them most of the time anyway.) Mondays were for ideas and growth. New beginnings and fresh starts.

Thinking. Planning. Doing.

Mondays these days are busier than I'd like. I meet in the early hours with a creative think group where someone else's work is the focus. Very energising. Because I'm already in town, I usually run a few errands. Then I head home to put the finishing touches on the women's Bible study I lead on Monday nights. In between, N and I have conferences about his school work and my expectations for the week.

One of the things I'd love for N to learn is how to make a goals list for the week. The busier a person is the more they need to think and list what they want to accomplish each week. Someone who wants to reach for a dream needs a list to aid with focus and clarity.

A list like this would not only have the must do things on it...meet with a client, pay bills, deal with laundry. Those things are urgent and loud. The list would also include the things I want to do...creative projects or heart dreams...write three chapters on the novel, make time to fiddle with the pond plants, doodle an new idea for a quilt, spend time with a French vocabulary book. Too often what we crave to accomplish gets lost in the rush and shuffle of life.

I'm making a list and marking off things as I work on them this week. Hopefully, by the time I post a Ta-Da Friday, I'll have made progress toward the goals most important to me.

What's on your list?