Creative Time

This has been a thoughtful week for me. Some things seemed to be going better and all of sudden, things started falling apart. I am starting to see a relationship between being successful and time being creative. The more time or really the frequency that I take  to be creative, makes a huge difference in my life. I have made the connection between how infrequently I have taken time to be creative and the "failings" of my days.  Lately getting into my studio has been difficult. It seems that there is always something more pressing that needs my time and attention.

Here is my goal. To take time to be creative. Without creative time, nothing seems to work. This week I will focus on being creative - a way of focusing on myself - and see how this impacts my week.

How is your creative journey? Keep it creative.

Journals

A new week and almost a new season is upon us. Have you looked back over this summer season to see what you have accomplished? It may not seem as though you have accomplished very much as you think through the summer in your mind. Did you write down what you do when you do it? I find a daily journal to be the best way to keep track of my life. I have one journal that keeps the daily necessities in order; various appointments, work schedules, calls to be made, etc. Another journal keeps my feelings recorded. This is where I look to see what I am accomplishing on a daily basis.

Here are some things I've accomplished over the last few weeks. Hung the wreath made with flowers from my son's wedding two years ago over my bed. Sanded, primed, and painted the headboard from my grandmother's house and put it up for headboard on my bed. Finished painting the trim in the dining room. Found and purchased the fabric for the drapes in my living room and dining room. There's more but I think you get the idea. On a day to day basis we may not feel that we have accomplished very much and wonder why we are so tired at the end of the day. Having a journal with my accomplishments listed, gives a perspective that would have been lost if I hadn't written it down.

Do you have a journal? Get something that pleases your eye (I get mine at the dollar store) and a pen that feels comfortable in your hand. You will soon find it is very easy to journal your accomplishments every day.

Have a blessed time every day.

Clearing Out

Sometimes creativity gets the better of us! After spending time clearing out and cleaning out my sewing studio, I'm finding myself drawn to the space more so than before. With the clutter removed and my favorite fabrics, threads, notions, and sewing machines readily available, I find my mind is clearer and I am able to think through creative blocks. I've been able to carry forward my love of creating abstract flowers to be stitched onto abstract leaf type backgrounds. Hopefully, they will be mounted on painted canvases to be displayed and sold. It is inspiring to me to see my work laid out in a clear fashion rather than piled on top of miscellanous "stuff."

How have you cleared the space in your mind for creativity? Do you still have alot of clutter that interfers with the thoughts that bring your spirit to the front?

Spend some time this week clearing out your mind. Write those thoughts down and throw them away.  You don't need them any longer. Write down those creative thoughts that now have time to move to the front of your mind. Post them in a prominent spot in your studio, the front of the refridgerator, by your bathroon mirror. Choose several places that you will see every day. This will help keep your creative thoughts to the front of your mind.

Erase the clutter and move into your creative spirit!                                                                                                          

Creative Time

The heat appears to have broken! It is still in the 90s but after 100+, this feels wonderful. Have you ever noticed that the times you had your feet held to the fire, when things got to a make it or break it point, that those were the times you reached deep inside yourself and did what you wanted to do? I think we can identify with that feeling.

It is so easy to just go through each day with no real thought or purpose for what the day holds. We may have planners and notebooks to remind us of "things to do" but we still just float through the day. Do you put creative time in your planner? Do you add an hour to read a book or write in your journal? These are the times that feed our soul, the times that lead us to our ultimate happiness.

Start putting creative time in your planner. Dedicate time to doing something that feeds your heart rather than just letting the day go by. I'm sure you will feel happier, brighter, and sleep much better by being creative.