When Resistance Awaits

"Art begins with resistance - at the point where resistance is overcome. No human masterpiece has ever been created without great labor."

~ André Gide

After several weeks without painting I am pulled to the art table yet I resist fiercely. That usually means it's doubly important that I go.

Postscript: I let my muse guide me and this is where she led me. It's a work in progress, but I like where it's going.

a work in progress

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What pulls you today? What resistance awaits to be overcome?

38 Before 39 - An Update

#11 - a very giddy me in front of the Cirque du Soleil big top in Montreal

It's been four months, which means it's just about time for an update on the list non? Here goes:

1.  take voice lessons 1/2 hour a week for six weeks during May and June, breaking for the summer but will go back in the fall
2. hike a new-to-me trail
3. sit by the ocean next month!
4. take a plane somewhere
5. create an e-book
6. lose 10 pounds
7. create and give art workshops centered around intuitive art-making and creative play
8. write and submit an article (or a query) to a magazine - hopefully get it published
9. find the user manual for Matilda, my trusty point & shoot, and learn how to use her manual settings full points with a note that it's a work in practice
10. host a painting or tea party
11. see a Cirque du Soleil performance a birthday gift from D., it was amazing!
12. take a solo trip - it doesn't have to be far planned for August
13. try a new recipe
14. clean out my filing cabinet
15. paint on a big canvas again - at least 30x30, maybe even bigger 1/2 a point for this one, I painted on two 20x40 canvases and plan to do so again
16. take an art workshop, or two one textile sculpture workshop taken in June, more workshops booked later this year
17. show my artwork in a local venue
18. find a pair of stylish, dressy, warm winter boots
19. find or create an occasion to wear the party dress my sister gave me for my birthday (I feel so beautiful when I'm wearing it!)
20. find a pair of party shoes to wear with my party dress
21. do my morning pages at least five days a week, every week
22. host a few dinners, potlucks or game nights with D.
23. see live music performances, maybe a few Bluesfest concerts took in Jazzfest AND Bluesfest concerts
24. go to a movie theatre
25. visit the National Gallery of Canada (here in Ottawa, no excuse!)
26. go to NYC
27. make peach preserves
28. visit my parents and family in New Brunswick soon!
29. hike a second new-to-me trail
30. send cards and notes via snail mail - target one a month 1/2 point for this one too, I sent out a few notes before the postal strike kicked in - time to get back on track!
31. print photos from our wedding to fill our wedding photo box
32. print favourite photos from last year (trip to Gaspé, '70s housewarming party, art vernissage) and create a souvenir album I can flip through
33. throw a belated birthday party
34. go dancing 1/2 point, D. & I got our groove on at Le Piano Rouge in Montreal during a weekend getaway; but I want to dance more
35. put $5000 aside in Savings YAY!
36. do something with my series of Mandala line art created in 2005-2006
37. get my hair and makeup done professionally
38. continue posting here at least twice a week, even if it's just a photo or a quote according to my archives I seem to be averaging two posts a week, but this month's going to be tight!

Not too shabby, a few items complete with a few more coming up soon. I can live with that.

Now about losing those 10 pounds...

Productivity Prompt: Next Action

This is the first in a series of weekly Productivity Prompts - quick, simple tips or practices gleaned from productivity-related books or blogs that have helped me better manage my work, my time, or move things forward.

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When feeling scattered or stymied by a particular project, whether it's writing a book proposal, crafting an email or cleaning out the closet, ask yourself:

"What am I trying to do here? What's my next action?"

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Credits, references & inspiration:

• David Allen, Making It All Work: Winning at the Game of Work and Business of Life
• The importance of a next, specific action is also a big part of Scott Belsky's approach described in Making Ideas Happen, Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision & Reality.
• An article by Trent Hamm at the The Simple Dollar that talks about taking action in the context of personal finance (another semi-obsession of mine).

Introducing: Productivity Prompts

A self-confessed productivity geek I read a lot of books and blogs on productivity; there is a LOT of information out there.

a sample of productivity-related books from my reading pile/bookshelf

Always curious about streamlining things and gaining focus where I have little, I play around with systems or processes to see what works well for me and what doesn't. Some are keepers, others fall quickly out of play.

Sometimes though, I hit a tip or practice that sticks and it ends up on my cubicle wall as a gentle reminder. Usually it's simple, easy to execute, and adds value to how I manage my time and work or my ability to move things forward.

Starting tomorrow and for the month of August I will experiment by posting weekly Productivity Prompts to share some of those sticky tips here with you, and the resource(s) in which I found them.

(Note: No doubt many of these prompts or concepts are found in resources I've yet to discover. If you have a prompt-related resource to share that's not listed, please leave it in the comments so I can check it out!)

As with everything I offer, I encourage you to take what you like and leave the rest.

Stay tuned for week 1 starting tomorrow!

Vacation by the Numbers

*All pics are polaroid shots by D. using the new PX and PZ 680 film.*

 overlooking Adolphus Reach from Lake on the Mountain

Prince Edward County, ON

~ 18 days off

~ 4 nights in a row spent at Ottawa Bluesfest (Ben Harper, Steve Miller Band, Cage the Elephant/Rise Against, The Tragically Hip, plus many more)

~ 4 random documentaries watched (from the library: one on the Rockies, Eleanor Roosevelt, Happy Valley, and another great one on successful local economies, but the name escapes me)

~ 10-12 days spent almost entirely in the back yard, sipping beverages appropriate to the time of day

~ 3 books read, D. read 4!

Angeline's Inn and Restaurant, Bloomfield

Prince Edward County, ON

~ 2 days spent exploring Prince Edward County (1 winery, 1 cidery, 1 meditative labyrinth, 1 conservation area, 3 art galleries, 3 blocks of cheese + 2 bags of curd from the Black River Cheese Factory, 1 new gargoyle for the garden)

~ 3 visits with D.’s brother and his family; 1 morning with niece A. stockpiling snuggles and sweet baby smell

~ 5 computer-free days

~ 1 urban oasis discovered on a morning walk

bullfrog on a log and Koi - a hidden oasis

~ 4-5 days (toward the beginning) plagued with guilt for "doing nothing"

~ 13-14 days spent living in the moment guilt-free

~ a lot of ice cream and gelato