I am so glad I walked to a garage sale down from my house today. I came upon a book that I had heard about and thought I should read. It is called The Artist's Way, A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, by Julia Cameron. I know many of you have read it, and even taken courses on it. I am up to chapter 2. She is talking about writing Morning Pages each day...writing 3 pages about anything that comes to mind. I have a problem with putting on paper something that could ever be read by another person (personal feelings, etc)...so I'm not sure how I would do it. Maybe a private blog...although she says to do it the old fashioned way...with pen and paper!
I am feeling the creative side of me being lost. Life is very busy and I never seem to have time. But is it just an excuse??? I'm not sure.
Well, I am hoping for a resurgance of it.
We put up our Christmas tree yesterday. My DIL and the grands were here and my daughter too, so we figured it was a good time...and we would have it ready for Thanksgiving. I am thinking tomorrow night I may get the lights on the house outside as well. I want to be prepared this year...not late (usually more like it).
One thing I think that has changed recently is that the more focused I am on having things perfect, the less likely I am to be creative. I want things clean and in their place. Never a dirty dish in the sink. No dirty clothes in the baskets, no toys on floor, tables cleaned off. I'm becoming what I believe they call...ANAL!
I am even cleaning out and organizing my entertainment center (huge), my secretary (disaster), and my crafting area (sheles upon shelves of crap). Oh, and not to forget the pantry is gonna get a clean out as well. Hopefully all before Thanksgiving!
Maybe it is just Fall cleaning...is there such a thing? Or maybe I'm prgnant??? At 54??? Let's pray not! Hehehe. Well...maybe it will stop after the holidays and I can go back to being just plain old me, dirty house and all!
Hey...good news...I saw out my kitchen window yesterday morning...a beautiful red cardinal, here for the winter!!! I was so excited. He stayed in the Mexican Sunflower for about 5 whole minutes and I stood, fixated on it...not even saying a word to share the occasion...being very selfish. Anyway...Mr. Cardinal was very bright red, and sitting amongst the brown stems and bright yellow flowers there, I could not take my eyes off of him. I was thanking God for these miraculous moments, when you can stop and really appreciate something.
I think I shall have about 9 giant okra on the counter in the next 4 days! I will be happy...we can make a whole side dish with that many due to their size. Hubby is looking forward to it as well.
I found two red geranium plants at Lowes last week for 50 cents each and added them to my flower tires for the winter...everyting looks so good this time of year...our best growing season!
I am doing my best to try and think of something creative to contribute to Cactus MOnday this week...I've been absent the past few weeks, being my new anal self, I guess. Where has the real Julie disappered to?? If anyone sees her, would you send her back? Thanks in advance!
Wow your Xmas tree is up! Amazing! You are soooo far ahead of us here. I am just getting into Thanksgiving mode. But I am thinking about Xmas cookies.
ReplyDeleteI understand your need to have things perfect. Me too. So much so that if I can't have it that way I don't do it. So I have decided to do winter cleaning. Not spring but summer. I am going to purge purge purge. I have been saving so much junk for I don't know why and how long. It's time to take it all to good will or pitch it. I think if I didn't have so much stuff I would want to clean more if that makes sense. Otherwise sometimes it seems overwhelming to dust all around the stuff. Maybe I should become a minimalist! Ha! Oh well, maybe close to it!
Oh hello my anal friend. I have been cleaning everything too...and perfectionism is the death of my creativity. That book is the absolute best. It has completely transformed my life twice now. I always did it with a friend, and we got to know each other so well. we did book 2 and 3, then went back to the original recently. Please convo me if you get stuck. I would love to help, and encurage you to persevere if it gets a bit tricky! ps, I burnt all my morning pages on the driveway in a baking pan fire! I too dont like my inner most whinging to be possibly read by others. good luck xxx
ReplyDeleteYou do sound busier than ever right now, Julie! How nice that you found The Artist's Way. I have enjoyed other books by that author. Take care. :)
ReplyDeleteJulie, I hope you enjoy the Artists Way. I have read it a couple of times. It does bring up some interesting thoughts. I think we all go through these "spells" of creativity. Just think of your cleaning etc as a spell of creativity. Sometimes we have to get our lives, houses etc in order so we can have time to be creative in other ways. It sounds to me like the real Julie is there. Just give her a hug. She is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteCreative Julie is alive and well. She's just exploring a new facet of her personality, cleaning up and preparing for its debut. It's going to be brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI read The Artist's Way a few years ago and could never get past the 3 pages for your same reason, so I didn't do it and gave the book away. I hope it helps you find time for creativity.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize cardinals were winter birds down there.
Don't you just love finding that book you have been meaning to read at a garage sale! Do you have an artist friend just down the block? That would be cool.
ReplyDeleteI found a book for free at the thrift store yesterday that another blog friend told me I ought to read just this past week. How about THAT?!!!
As for the cleaning sometimes it just feels GOOD to have it all picked up and in place so you can start FRESH on a creation. At least that is how I feel about it.
And believe me anal is not me in most things.
Besides you are in getting ready for the holidays mode. Each in good time!!!!
I have to say possible again that I simply adore the pink crowned cactus on your side bar! Amazing!
I know what you mean about the writing in a journal thing. I found my old diaries up in the attic yesterday. Aside from the fact that they were mostly drivel and full of teenage angst, I would be mortified for others to read that cr@p. I was embarrassed enough myself to read it. But, I can't exactly thrown it away. Yucko.
ReplyDeleteI can totally understand what you mean about perfection getting in the way of creativity. I have the same problem! I also just recently heard of the book "The Artist's Way" and put it on my christmas wishlist. Hopefully Santa will deliver it to me! Good luck with the organizing. You sound busy busy.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness! My children call my boughts of needing perfection "Momma's OCD", so I totally understand! Those moments were few and far between, but I'm finally getting back into it. I've already advised both girls that we would be cleaning out cabinets this Friday, so they've been dully warned! So glad you have your tree up...that's a huge accomplishment in my book, it's so much work! I'll have to look for this book, it sounds really great!
ReplyDeleteHappy organizing!
Oh, Julie....this post speaks to me. I'm starting to think that my "analness" (I just invented that word) is getting in the way of living my life.
ReplyDeleteTry to remember that those precious grandchildren will remember all the fun they had with you, not with how clean you kept the house.
You're the best,
donna