Small Steps to Big Creative Results

I'm excited to share with you a creativity blog post I wrote, published yesterday in Psychology Today and Thriveglobal.com.

As a creative person, you probably have experienced the excitement of a big idea: the idea for a book, a recipe series, a photography challenge, a piece of furniture. The thrill of the moment and vision pass and you are left with your project not yet started, wondering if this is something you really can do. Yes, you can!

I describe three simple steps that will open doors to great creative potential, opportunity and results in my latest blog post, SMALL STEPS TO BIG CREATIVE RESULTS, published in Psychology Today:

(https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/rethinking-mental-health/202103/small-steps-big-creative-results)

and at ThriveGlobal.com:

(https://thriveglobal.com/stories/small-steps-to-big-creative-results/)

If you are interested in the topic of creativity, then go back to the Psychology Today or the Thriveglobal.com site as my post is one in a daily 60-day blog series, Creativity Coaches on Creativity, that began March 1st. Eric Maisel introduces each post written by a different creativity coach around the world. Lots of topics and lots of perspectives!

Enjoying Fragments of Learning

Detail of a bookshelf of embroidered books, appliqué quilt

One of the best parts of my week requires me to wake up much earlier than I would on my own, but it’s something I wouldn’t change. It’s to join in with an online Reading Retreat. The idea is to show up, say hello, mention what book you’ll be reading, and then for all participants to then read in silence from their books of choice. Five minutes before the session is done, we regroup and if so inclined, say something about what we’ve just read. I find it a lovely way to get a bit of reading and connection with community in. I have been exposed to so many other books and authors over this past year of meeting weekly.

A passage was brought up a couple of weeks ago by one of the members as she was reading, Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May:

“Mostly I read at this hour, perusing the pile of books that live by my favorite chair, waiting to offer up fragments of learning, rather than inviting cover-to-cover pursuits. I browse, a chapter here, a segment there, or hunt through an index for a matter that’s on my mind. I love such loose, exploratory reading. For once, I am not reading to escape; instead, having already made my getaway, I am able to roam through the extra space I’ve found, as restless and impatient as I like, revealing in the play of my own absorption. They say we should dance like no one is watching. I think that applies to reading, too.”

I find that paragraph delightful and enjoy the permission given to dabble and explore. To take what’s needed, find what’s interesting and leave other bits behind to read later or perhaps never. I like being off the hook to read a book from cover to cover. It feels much like being at a really good bookstore where every pile or bookshelf has more interesting looking books to spend sometime with, except more comfortable because of being at home.

This perusing and roaming can also be applied to so many other creative areas to learn from exploration and play. It’s good to remember that dipping in and out of things is also a perfectly valid way of learning.

Do you ever let yourself take time to browse through your books or projects this way? When was the last time?

An artist's date at a grocery store

I went to the store last week to buy groceries and had the most delightful time. I know, my life is exciting, right? Well, this wasn’t just any store. It was Uwajimaya, an Asian specialty grocery store. If you like food places, it’s a WOW! one. There is so much there to appreciate and enjoy on so many levels.

My daughter had asked me if I would make mabo-dofu (a spicy tofu dish) sometime soon. “Sure,” I said, “but I need to go shopping first” and so put together my Uwajimaya shopping list. It’s been months since I’d been last. I was amused to see that over half of my list was in Japanese even though I don’t practice it much any more. Clearly not when it comes to food though!

a recent shopping list

My trip to Uwajimaya was a bit like an artist’s date with myself as recommended by Julia Cameron in her book, The Artist’s Way. I enjoy the memories from living and traveling in Asia as well as soaking up the ambiance and inspiration that comes from being in that market.

The variety and quality of fresh fruits and vegetables on display is remarkable. I often take pictures in the produce section so I can draw from them later. I usually plan to get some of the Asian greens because they are so fresh as well as being my favorite kind of vegetable. This week I’ll be making mu shu pork with my Chinese cabbage, regular cabbage, bok choy, gai lan, you choy sum and daikon that I was tempted by.

Past the produce section and the artful displays, further in, the next aisle has prepared fresh and frozen meals to grab and go, mostly Japanese-style. This area brings memories and associations with people I’ve had meals with in the past. I always look for onigiri (rice balls wrapped in seaweed) which bring back memories of Japan where I had homemade ones on picnics. Some what strangely, but happily, paõ de queijo (Brazilian small cheese bread rolls) are found here too. I was introduced to them by a Brazilian friend and grab them whenever I can find them and think of her each time I make them.

Then it’s onward through the bakery section which is small. This is another memory area for me. I remember all the Japanese bakeries I’ve been by and the tempting goodies on their shelves. Here at the store I occasionally get the shoku-pan (thickly sliced bread) but pass up it most of the time.

The frozen section is full of Japanese, Chinese and Korean dumplings of various sorts. Never go here hungry. There are too many varieties to tempt with. One of my wish list items of things to draw are gyoza.

The next aisle over is where I find miso (soybean paste) for miso soup. Again, there are so many varieties of miso to try. I visited so many food factories during my 3 years in Japan but don’t remember seeing how miso is made.

Next up are where the ramen and canned drinks are. So many choices of ramen and instant noodles. It’s hard not to be tempted. Facing the ramen are canned drinks: coffees, teas, milky drinks, juices and soda. It’s a bit of a game to see how unusual of a drink can be found and then have a tasting at home.

And then, and then, and then… So much yummy goodness in the store. It brings back memories of when I lived in Japan, provides me good food and ideas for meals to have, and offers so much material for artistic inspiration. I left Uwajimaya in such a happy mood. I had an outing and without going very far felt like I had traveled the world. I went home and cooked.

Do you have a local place that you go to and get inspired by?

At the end of this shopping trip, I did get the seasoning for the mabo-dofu that was the reason for my outing, but forgot to get the tofu. Oops!

Reframing a Limitation into an Opportunity

A quick sketch of my hand (Graphite, 2021)

As many of you know, I have been involved with a daily drawing project that I’ve been calling my Drawing Amsterdam Dailies. I started with the goal of 100 days. Since that has been met, I’ve been curious to see how long I can keep the streak going. So far, so good.

The project has been quite satisfying on many fronts. I get to draw beautiful Amsterdam, relive memories, make a travel journal from it and maybe a book. I am learning new skills and techniques as I work primarily with black ink on grey toned paper. I get to draw everything I’m interested in, like buildings, canals, boats, food, people, bicycles, lettering, nature, windmills, and more.

I’ve realized though that by spending time every day on detailed and intricate drawings, I don’t have much energy or time left to spend on other creative pursuits or to work on other drawings.

I had an epiphany of sorts over the last week. As I’ve begun to feel that my Amsterdam Dailies may take over my life if I let them, I can still get in sketches of other things if I lower the bar of expectation. By limiting myself to only quick sketches of 5-10 minutes, I can take advantage of inspiration as it comes, and also practice a looser style with different art supplies during these quick play sessions.

I did a drawing of my hand in class last week and I really enjoyed it. It took just a few minutes. Parts of it are off, but a lot of it works. It felt like play because I took the pressure off myself to draw “well.” I started drawing without over-thinking things and enjoyed the process. It didn’t take long and had fun. I got in some practice and a picture of my hand out of it.

I think this will be a win-win strategy for me. I get to continue on with a creative project that is long term, daily and fairly detailed, and combine it with various short (time-wise), loose, playful experiments. More creating gets to happen!

Have you been able to reframe a challenge into an opportunity?

100 Days of Drawing Daily

Day 100. Progress on drawing Westerkerk in Amsterdam.

Today is the 100th day I’ve been working on my Drawing Amsterdam Dailies! I’m very pleased with myself to have done this. To celebrate, I’ve made a video with all 100 days of progress:

https://youtu.be/ItOoUG-008E

There’s a lot that can be accomplished by repeatedly showing up, day by day, little by little.

I challenged myself to draw for at least 30 minutes a day using photographs I took on a trip to Amsterdam last year with the additional goal to try to use something from every photo. I’ve been mostly successful with using every picture, but some have been more challenging to figure out how to include. Those few I’ve skipped over I’m keeping in the back of my mind to perhaps use later.

I plan to keep on showing up daily with this but if I miss a day, it won’t be the end of the world. I’ve really been enjoying this and seeing the drawings and spreads develop. I’ve spent a lot of time drawing but haven’t gotten very far geographically from where I started. The last drawing at Westerkerk is about a 20 minute walk from Amsterdam’s Central Station where I started from on Day 1. I like to look at details. :-)

Have you ever worked on a series or creative project and deliberately showed up daily for it? What kind of project was it?

Music in the video is Gypsy Caravan by Vendla.

Connection and Community

My Top Nine Images as posted on Instagram during 2020

We have come to the end of this strange and, in many ways, difficult year. You know the negatives. For me, there have also been positives. Really good positives. Two words sum up the majority of the good: connection and community.

My year began with a new weekly offering of a Monday Night Open Studio. The format we started with changed after we began to meet online, but it has been a pleasure to meet up weekly and see what has been happening and to learn from each other’s experience and interests. Meeting online has allowed for people in other time zones to join in. I still get a kick when someone out of my area joins in.

Because of so much going online this year, it also meant that many of us who were not used to video calls or conferencing before staying at home, were all getting used to it at the same time. Having classes online worked because it was that or nothing. It’s a little strange looking at my face so much on screen, but I do like the commute to class!

I’ve offered a number of new workshops over the year and have found a format that I like and people seem to enjoy as well. One especially is my Monthly Sketchbook Sampler where every month we explore a different topic. I introduce the topic based on my experience, show some examples, suggest some ways to start, and then everyone can try it for themselves. We share challenges and celebrate effort and sketches. I record the sessions which means that if anyone misses class, they have a chance to see what happened. The joys of technology allow for what was never an option before.

In February, I signed up for the first running of The Creative’s Workshop offered by Akimbo. It was 100 days of making and shipping everyday. I felt like a kid in a candy store with a world-wide community of all self-described creatives who were all making and sharing the ups, downs, frustrations and successes with the creative process. So much fun!

Those 100 days stretched into 150 until the workshop closed in July. Another online creative community began from wanting to continue the spirit of that earlier workshop. The members continue to share their work and support one another. It is because of this place, and after the fact from The Creative’s Workshop, where I began to understand how valuable it is to have a safe and supportive community to be creative and vulnerable in. I had mostly worked alone before this. My projects are still my own, but I have a place where I can talk about what is and isn’t working. I can share in the community and get feedback which really is invaluable.

I’ve begun reading again this year. This is partly due to a weekly reading retreat I’ve been part of since maybe March. We meet, say hello and a bit of greetings. We then say what we’re reading, and for the next while, we put ourselves on mute and read. At the end of the session, we share one or two things from what we had just been reading. It’s lovely and I’ve enjoyed the sessions immensely. I’ve been collecting titles of books to read everywhere I go now. So many interesting books, so little time! If you are on GoodReads, feel free to friend me. I love to see what others are reading.

And there were other groups, and weekly Zoom sessions with my mom, and my art, and cooking, and making sourdough bread, and my quilts, and… In many ways it’s been a great year.

What was a positive for you in 2020?

I wish you all the best in 2021.

Thanks and a rest

Rowan, the snow dog after a walk in the first snow of winter

If you celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas! If you are a solstice lover, here in the Pacific Northwest, near Seattle, we actually got snow on the first day of winter. It was beautiful with big, fat flakes and it came down in the evening, so it was extra lovely going out and seeing the snow with Christmas lights on. It always feels special when the snow first start coming down. Our dog was pleased to enjoy it too - but she’s camera shy and seems to always know we’re trying to take a picture of her.

As Christmas approached, I started thinking more and more about this next and final week of 2020. I’ve recently been part of conversations on the topics of gifts, reflection, and breaks. Yes, the giving and receiving of presents is an immediate image that comes up with Christmas, but there are also the gifts of attention and time to and with one another. There is also the gift of taking care of yourself - however that means to you.

Taking a break from the regular day to day activities and to-do’s is calling me. I don’t often take breaks and it’s something I’d like to try more of in the future. Making them guilt-free would be a plus too. I’m looking to sleep more and take a creative and work break for this next week. Pausing and stepping away is as important as the doing and making.

I’m also looking forward to reflecting on this past, very strange and stressful year. There have been positives that have happened too and I want to remember and acknowledge them and then plan for next year.

My holiday seasonal wishes for you are are peace and connection with those close to you, and time and rest for yourself.

What is calling to you to do at the end of this year?