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That’s the start of my dot journal goal-tracker and summarizer for the month of March. I’ve been doing Julia Cameron’s 12- week program, The Artist’s Way, since December 21 and I have just under two weeks left to complete it. It’s been ridiculously effective, centering, fun, and challenging. I don’t want it to end! So I’ll probably just keep going…or see what else she has to offer.
Also, it’s garden time again! I’ve already gone crazy stocking up on flower seeds and bulbs.
The kale, arugula, and lettuce planted in September are showing their colors – purple, red, and green – so pretty! The thyme and lavender survived the winter. I apparently planted something else that is also doing great — I thought it was spinach upon first sight, but it looks suspiciously like broccoli at its center. I don’t remember planting broccoli in the fall. I’ll have to consult the garden journal to confirm what was planted in that spot.
The Lenten roses and the daffodils with small blooms have been showing off for two weeks now and the crocus are in bloom. The big-bloomed daffodils are about to pop open. The pear tree is a big show-off with all the white flowers festooning the branches. The key lime tree, an anniversary gift, survives winter indoors. She bloomed a couple weeks ago and smelled amazing. Two key limes now grace her branches! That’s the first time that’s happened in the three years since we got her.
I planted microgreens indoors yesterday. I’m so ready to get outside and play with the worms in the dirt. It’s still too muddy though, so I guess I’ll break out the graph paper and start dreaming and scheming on how to flower up my world today instead.
Tonight’s rehearsal
True Story:
Yesterday I went to work with my pants on backwards.
It wasn’t the first time.
I can’t be bothered by which way to put on pants.
I have a lot of goddess shit to do.
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
†
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.
†
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
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