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The self-imposed quest to create something new and share it on a daily basis continues. Yesterday was one of my “making a difference” days (i.e., one of the days I spend sharing time with the new people of the world). Each of these little friends came in with their own agendas, which they announced upon walking in the door. Their agendas involved creating stuff. It must be in the air. The common theme that seemed to be running through each friend’s mind was landscapes. The season had changed and each one had noticed and wanted to mark the occasion in their own way. I joyfully tossed out my preconceived ideas about how things needed to go and we broke out the fun stuff: colorful paper, foam sheet cut-out shapes, pom poms, pencils, glue, and of course, loads of glitter. One wanted to express the colors of fall leaves. Another was thinking ahead to snow and sparkling lights. They spontaneously created from their own imaginations and the materials at hand. Magic was made and it was good.
After that fun was over, I felt the need to make something of my own. In my haste to make something phenomenal, I wound up stepping on an upside down pin-cushion. I was barefoot at the time. The sharp sting of skin being perforated and nerves being bojangled by multiple pins convinced me to call it a day for creative work. Some days making a difference is enough.
“It’s very hard to have ideas. It’s very hard to put yourself out there, it’s very hard to be vulnerable, but those people who do that are the dreamers, the thinkers, and the creators. They are the magic people of the world.”
–Amy Poehler, Smart Girls: Ask Amy
The above quote inspired this Make it Magic Month blog posting frenzy after a long hiatus. Ideas are not the hard part for me. Like the Red Queen, I’m the sort who tends be a believer in “six impossible ideas before breakfast.” Grabbing an idea and holding on to it long enough to make it manifest is more difficult and putting myself out there is definitely the hardest part and does not come naturally.
Make It Magic Month was also inspired by Mystère (below), who found me at the corner of healthy and happy. He jumped into the car and came home and that was that. But cats are weird. Living up to his name, Mystère, disappeared to parts unknown at the end of the month.
I didn’t want Mystère to go away and I’m hoping he’ll return. I don’t want Make It Magic to disappear either. There are too many unfinished projects to complete and having a bloggy post-it goal helps keep me focused on manifesting the ideas and sharing what comes of them, so this will continue on to November.
By the way, for Day 31 (Halloween!) of Make It Month, my creation was this costume for the Murdering Crows’ show at Growlers:
Yes, that’s a crow feather in my mouth. The kitty ears I made of faux fur and sequins. Meowrow!
A busy calendar and a busy mind will destroy your ability to do great things in this world.
–Naval Ravikant
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Without boredom, no creativity.
–Slavoj Zizek
I’ve been reading Women Who Run with the Wolves and gathering all my skeletal parts together to sing over them.
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Boredom always precedes a period of great creativity.
–Robert M. Pirsig
Apparently I made another mistake. I embedded the wrong video into my post about The Murdering Crows. They are up to 4 videos now because they are so fancy. I just put the correct video in for Bad Moon Rising, so please check it out!
My creative output for today consisted of a handout for a class. Not as exciting as The Murdering Crows, so here, enjoy another of their videos:
Make-It Month continues with spectacle making. Last night I danced a fevered jig on stage. The creation was partly choreographed, partly made up on the spot, and fully fevered. I discovered the fever part when I awoke in the middle of the night feeling horrible and took my temperature. After sleeping nearly 12 hours, I’ve languished in bed again today as much as possible and worked on making a paper pocket. Eventually I hope to share both creations, dance and pocket, here.
Today though, I will share some of the creations of others who are busy making things. Specifically, I want to introduce you to the work of a band near and dear to me: The Murdering Crows’. This is their debut music video of the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic, Bad Moon Rising. It’s a version of the song that feels very “October” to me and fits the mood of the month. Their arrangement matches the dark tone and theme of the lyrics. I hope you enjoy!
If you like what you see and hear, the song is available for download in all the usual places (CD baby, Apple Music, Amazon, Spotify, etc.).
Want to see them live? Upcoming show dates are listed below.
Thursday, October 10 ** 8 pm ** Canvas of Memphis
Friday, October 25 ** 6-10 pm ** Woodruff Fontaine House’s Haunted Happenings
Thursday, October 31 ** 7 pm** Growlers
My Magical Make-It Month continues and today I’ve made a fantastic mess. Nobody said this would be easy or tidy.
But hey, at least I managed to get the cover picture right side up and on the front of the journal!
Last night as we were turning in, he pulled some sort of journal-making flotsam or jetsam of mine out from deep beneath the covers and asked, “What is this?!”
Mwahahah! I wonder what he’ll find in bed tonight…
(I suppose there is a good reason Pressfield entitled his awesome book The War of Art. Think about it.)
Only three days in and my magical make-it month is starting to stress me out. I wish I was kidding.
Inspired by old family photographs that I confiscated from my dad and by the journals my sister makes, I started creating a Ukrainian-themed journal earlier this year.
Last night I worked on the inside cover (i.e., the gluey mess I alluded to in my last post) and my sister bound it for me. Today I set to work on the front cover. I decided to use the wedding photograph of my great-great grandparents…and…voila!
…when I finished cutting and inking and gluing and tweaking, I went to show it off, so very proud of myself….and that’s when I realized I had put it all on the back cover…
…upside down.
To cut myself some slack, I am going to blame it on the fact that I’m running a fever and there are 4 medications running through my system today. Back to the drawing board tomorrow.
If you’d like to see an fabulous example of a “junk journal” check out my sister’s page: RecycledbySkattur
I crossed paths with a black cat last week at the corner of healthy and happy. We talked at length about life. I made him promises. When he was satisfied with negotiations, he jumped in the car and we drove home together. I call him Mystère. He calls me Meowrow. He and Nickel have made it clear that they are not friends and never will be.
Yip, blissfully unaware of the turf war occurring outside
But that story is not why I’m here; it’s just an aside.
I’m here because I’ve been inspired by this quote from Amy Poehler:
“It’s very hard to have ideas. It’s very hard to put yourself out there, it’s very hard to be vulnerable, but those people who do that are the dreamers, the thinkers, and the creators. They are the magic people of the world.”
–Amy Poehler, Smart Girls: Ask Amy
I’m here because it’s October — what better time is there for magic?
I’m here because I have an official declaration to make:
I hereby declare October as “Make it” month. The idea is to create something (anything!) new everyday for the next 31 days. My intention is to post daily. I hope you’ll join me in dreaming, creating, inspiring, and sharing.
Today, my creation is the goal itself. You gotta start somewhere!
I look forward to what dreams may come.
Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.
-Pablo Picasso
“The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.”
–Sun Tzu, The Art of War
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