Once upon a time some days ago I wandered far off the beaten path into the back country of Bandelier National Monument. Backpacking and tenting in the canyons and hiking the mesas I came upon primordial pathways worn into the rocky mountain. These long smooth troughs in stone create sculpted echoes from the foot falls of the Anasazi filling me with wonderful questions about the who, why, what and how of the Ancients. They were here and suddenly they were gone…leaving their grooved trail of mystery behind.
I invite you to consider your groove. How do you flow in the direction that you want to go? What gets you going when you’ve fallen off of your metaphoric horse as I recently did?
In the ‘School of What’s Happening Now’ :
I’m exhibiting paintings in the Virginia MOCA Faculty exhibition, teaching studios are under way, and I’m presenting several workshops for diverse groups…this Sunday I will work with 30 women who are taking part in a military wellness weekend, next weekend I’ll co-host a gathering of women to celebrate the cross quarter point between summer and fall. I’m continuing to get traction with my recently debuted Lifecycle website and I’m enjoying finding the rhythm of being here with you. I’m also learning how to do the finishing work on the windows and doors of my retreat studio.
I’m inspired by the numerous Buddhist teaching that remind us to engage in lifewith loving-kindness and compassion…and also as though ‘your hair is on fire!’
What helps you stay ablaze with your creative vision?
Do you…and how do you… map out your process?
What works best for you in terms of incentive and focus?
I place my emphasis on being energized and motivated. It helps that I love to work. I enjoy eating light and walking miles every day. I revel in writing things down and checking them off the list. I log ideas and inspirations in my morning journal sessions and transfer the top three into a file so that I can remind myself of what there is to attend to and how long there is before the complete date arrives…there’s a blend of items in the list keeping the art/ life interesting at all times.
I make Mind Maps. This is the map that ties in with the presentation I give this Sunday:
My studio is designed with three departments and my days are divided into what I think of as ‘classrooms’. I’ve employed this system for years and it gives me concentration on the task at hand, keeping me on course rather than in overwhelm. My three departments satisfy appetites that don’t subside…I name them…
Studio time
One to one
Group circles
I invest in ‘slow time’ by tracking three-day segments. I see time as a spiral dance that lines me up with the 8 monthly lunar phases.
The 8 phases act as my scaffold of fluidity…supporting my work and focus in 3 day slices:
Vision
Research
Action
Evolving creativity
Reflection
Sharing
Gratitude
Dream…leading to the next level of the vision…
The projects in my calendar flow with this natural way of working with time. It isn’t a fool proof method yet using this approach helps to keep me from guessing, or second guessing, how to begin, proceed or complete what’s in my file.
I’m excited to post this because summer is the natural time of the year when we gain exponentially by joining, collaborating, connecting and sharing the ways that we take action and work together.
The adage to everything there is a season truly syncs in with my practices listed here bringing a sense of ease and organic unfolding spiraling year to year.
I value having a sign post system of my own design rather than a one size fits all method. When confusion knocks…or bangs on the door…I’ve trained myself to hit the pause button. I take the proverbial ten steps back and drink a large glass of water…I always begin to break up confusion by drinking water. After I drink water I connect with my body.
I may put Bodhi into her harness and walk a few miles at the park
or I’ll slide into my kayak and float on Lake Smith here in my back yard.
Sometimes I grab a 20 minute nap…
one of these exercises will usually dislodge my muddle and help to bring my confidence back.
Each July brings the Growth cycle and summer is the time to deepen your relations with Others…
Consider the ways in which you grow best
Look at the processes that you trust to have in place
Notice how you allow yourself to partner with mutual influence and goodwill
Thanks so much for being here…please do leave your comment about your relationship with time and creativity and … I invite you to subscribe…in the right sidebar
I am a working Heartist with more than thirty years of practice in supporting the creative best in each of us to come forth and shine. I invite you to connect with the uplift of ‘Luna See’ and Lifecycle; time management tools for aligning with natural creative rhythms. Travel with me into a realm of calm and renewed heart-centered emphasis. Through our shared journey with my monthly newsletter‘Luna See’ and my creative consult ‘Lifecycle’ you will discover and expand your ability to experience, express, create and contribute your deepest and wisestmost authentic gifts to this unspeakably beautiful world.
18 thoughts on “The School of What’s Happening Now”
Kay
July 27, 2015
Thanks Donna for sharing. I really admire your focus and ability to get back on your destined path. I seem to wander off mine quite often and have trouble finding it again. Thanks for the many great ideas for keeping the focus on your post.
Hi Kay…yes and isn’t wandering wonderful…especially when you have two shiny new wee ones to be showing the world…hardly anything more destined than to help the young ones grow up to love themselves and their place in the world…Owen and Charlotte are so fortunate. Being a Grand Mother is an art form of its own. 😉
Your sharing was a great reminder of steps and how to use the cycles process in a different way which has been unfolding for me slowly . I am in a process of discovering how to renew my energy and on being motivated to engage in life with loving-kindness and compassion and to set my heart on fire! All of which seem to be happening slowly very slowly… I appreciate your sharing of your process and loving reminders. Thank you
Hi Renie Isn’t it lovely and true that this isn’t a race and that we can each discover our own true pace…I can only imagine how your heart fire is going to continue to feed and fuel your motivation to renew…and then you can tell us your vision of how that happened as you took the steps to create the process to create your genuine ‘slow flow’…which is one of the most valuable qualities of lunar time for me too. I’m so glad that you joined the conversation and look forward to it continuing.
Thanks for the feedback and I invite you to subscribe so you can watch the progress at the small works & writing studio…I’ll post about that topic on fourth Thursdays under the heading ‘the school of what’s happening now’.
I hopped over to visit your website recently and it’s great to see how you’re ‘dancing’ …sharing your website
and hope that others will visit too.
Donna,
Thank you for sharing! It has me thinking about my own process. I am just home from a week long storytelling workshop in Asheville, N.C. It was a wonderful time with lots of stories. I don’t know exactly what happened, but I am really wanting to tell stories so I am reading and learning. I got lots of positive feedback which was so nice. Only one man in the group – a Baptist minister. He and I had some good conversations and laughs.
Thanks for listening.
Love,
Norris
What’s that excellent quote…”The world is made of stories not atoms”… an adventure indeed to be with your group story telling together…helping to make the world.
Since I’ve been ‘getting back in the saddle’, I’ve never really thought about the process of doing so. I do research and planning, but still struggle with the ‘how’ of putting colors together. The color wheel intimidates me. So this time, as I work on a new stained glass panel, I’ve gone to nature, much in the way of my favorite artist, Frank Lloyd Wright. Donna love your weekly posts. You, your work, your words are amazing (to me). Thank YOU!
Thanks so much for your comment Sandi…and it’s so wise to turn to a role model like Frank Lloyd Wright for guidance regarding any aspect of color or design…brilliant…I look forward to seeing what’s up in your studio…I hope you’ll take some pictures and email the mover.
Thanks Ann…Glad to see you and your comment … have medicine wheel will travel…this baby and I have put in some amazing miles over the years…our next gathering is coming up August 2.
I hear ya Julie…I really value the three day stretch that lining up with the lunar phases provides…for example…today through Monday morning we’re in the segment of the month that offers us the time and opportunity to PUSH…and TAKE ACTION…and it’s going to be a push and an action that connects to our vision for this month. The keyword for this month it Growth…so the idea becomes to creatively grow by taking the action that will allow that to occur…I’ll continue to plug in more about this flow of natural time each month on the fourth Thursday…stay tuned 😉
i wasnt sure if the next post would be on thursday but i’ve been waiting and here it is…!
yay!
a magnificent panoramic view of how you manage to work the wonders you do
using the same tools that you share with us…
so practical.
thank you
Hello Fragita…oh…thanks so much for popping in!!
Yes…my goal…count on me 😉 is to post every Thursday…even though, like this week, it may be almost midnight before I push ‘publish’…I so appreciate your feedback…I don’t think I’ve ever thought to write about my process even though I so enjoy learning about how others manage to do what they do…so it felt a bit ‘exposing’ …however I have often equated the work of being an artist as similar to standing naked in the public square…know what I mean? I’ll bet you do ‘-)
I am a working Heartist with more than thirty years of practice in supporting the creative best in each of us to come forth and shine. I invite you to connect with the uplift of ‘Luna See’ and Lifecycle; time management tools for aligning with natural creative rhythms. Travel with me into a realm of calm and renewed heart-centered emphasis. Through our shared journey with my monthly newsletter‘Luna See’ and my creative consult ‘Lifecycle’ you will discover and expand your ability to experience, express, create and contribute your deepest and wisest most authentic gifts to this unspeakably beautiful world.
Thanks Donna for sharing. I really admire your focus and ability to get back on your destined path. I seem to wander off mine quite often and have trouble finding it again. Thanks for the many great ideas for keeping the focus on your post.
Hi Kay…yes and isn’t wandering wonderful…especially when you have two shiny new wee ones to be showing the world…hardly anything more destined than to help the young ones grow up to love themselves and their place in the world…Owen and Charlotte are so fortunate. Being a Grand Mother is an art form of its own. 😉
Your sharing was a great reminder of steps and how to use the cycles process in a different way which has been unfolding for me slowly . I am in a process of discovering how to renew my energy and on being motivated to engage in life with loving-kindness and compassion and to set my heart on fire! All of which seem to be happening slowly very slowly… I appreciate your sharing of your process and loving reminders. Thank you
Hi Renie Isn’t it lovely and true that this isn’t a race and that we can each discover our own true pace…I can only imagine how your heart fire is going to continue to feed and fuel your motivation to renew…and then you can tell us your vision of how that happened as you took the steps to create the process to create your genuine ‘slow flow’…which is one of the most valuable qualities of lunar time for me too. I’m so glad that you joined the conversation and look forward to it continuing.
wonderful to hear what you are doing…….just love the look and feel of the new studio!
Hi Leigh…
~great to see you~
Thanks for the feedback and I invite you to subscribe so you can watch the progress at the small works & writing studio…I’ll post about that topic on fourth Thursdays under the heading ‘the school of what’s happening now’.
I hopped over to visit your website recently and it’s great to see how you’re ‘dancing’ …sharing your website
and hope that others will visit too.
Donna,
Thank you for sharing! It has me thinking about my own process. I am just home from a week long storytelling workshop in Asheville, N.C. It was a wonderful time with lots of stories. I don’t know exactly what happened, but I am really wanting to tell stories so I am reading and learning. I got lots of positive feedback which was so nice. Only one man in the group – a Baptist minister. He and I had some good conversations and laughs.
Thanks for listening.
Love,
Norris
What’s that excellent quote…”The world is made of stories not atoms”… an adventure indeed to be with your group story telling together…helping to make the world.
Since I’ve been ‘getting back in the saddle’, I’ve never really thought about the process of doing so. I do research and planning, but still struggle with the ‘how’ of putting colors together. The color wheel intimidates me. So this time, as I work on a new stained glass panel, I’ve gone to nature, much in the way of my favorite artist, Frank Lloyd Wright. Donna love your weekly posts. You, your work, your words are amazing (to me). Thank YOU!
Thanks so much for your comment Sandi…and it’s so wise to turn to a role model like Frank Lloyd Wright for guidance regarding any aspect of color or design…brilliant…I look forward to seeing what’s up in your studio…I hope you’ll take some pictures and email the mover.
Simply beautiful…your post brought me right back to Center 🙂 Love the Medicine Wheel!
Thanks Ann…Glad to see you and your comment … have medicine wheel will travel…this baby and I have put in some amazing miles over the years…our next gathering is coming up August 2.
My new Friday morning treat: coffee on the porch with your weekly blog post!
OH I AM SMILIN’
…Cuz I KNOW how pretty you can make a porch 😉
much food for thought as I run helter skelter thru my days…
thank you
hugs and light…xo
I hear ya Julie…I really value the three day stretch that lining up with the lunar phases provides…for example…today through Monday morning we’re in the segment of the month that offers us the time and opportunity to PUSH…and TAKE ACTION…and it’s going to be a push and an action that connects to our vision for this month. The keyword for this month it Growth…so the idea becomes to creatively grow by taking the action that will allow that to occur…I’ll continue to plug in more about this flow of natural time each month on the fourth Thursday…stay tuned 😉
i wasnt sure if the next post would be on thursday but i’ve been waiting and here it is…!
yay!
a magnificent panoramic view of how you manage to work the wonders you do
using the same tools that you share with us…
so practical.
thank you
Hello Fragita…oh…thanks so much for popping in!!
Yes…my goal…count on me 😉 is to post every Thursday…even though, like this week, it may be almost midnight before I push ‘publish’…I so appreciate your feedback…I don’t think I’ve ever thought to write about my process even though I so enjoy learning about how others manage to do what they do…so it felt a bit ‘exposing’ …however I have often equated the work of being an artist as similar to standing naked in the public square…know what I mean? I’ll bet you do ‘-)
Big love