Authors Note: I thought this got posted last week - not sure what happened!
I've been thinking about this: RENEWAL. We find ourselves about to enter a new season. In this hemisphere we are about to enter Autumn. In another, it is about to be Spring. For many of us a new school year has begun. My kids went back to school September 3rd. Even though we are 3/4 of the way through 2008 we can still start anew.
For this Crusade I challenge you to Clean Your Plate. Wrap up loose ends to make way for something new. As artists I think we can become paralyzed in creativity if we have too many obligations. I have experienced the panic of being committed to too many deadlines. Whether concrete, or self-imposed, too many obligations can freeze me from getting started. I can appreciate that deadlines can lead to high levels of productivity and creativity because making commitments also means staying plugged in to making stuff. I admit to being an 11th hour girl and can get alot done when I'm down to the wire but nothing feels worse than being late or not following through. We feel good when we know we did our best but doing our best doesn't happen when we are doing work just to get it done on time. Does that make sense?
It's not easy to say NO. I get that. I can tell you that it gets easier to decline opportunites when you realize what is left is more free time, more play time, more time to make mistakes, which is how we learn best. For me, putting breathing room in my schedule meant having an appointment with creativity where the only agenda was my personal growth and peace of mind. We each have our own way to define success. Our accomplishments are measured by our own gauges. What feels right for me might not feel right for you. My experience was that the deadline treadmill was wearing me out and stifling my growth because there was no time to play.
Cleaning your plate/Clearing the slate can be interpreted your own way. It may simply mean preparing your home for a new season - pack up the beach towels and get out the sweaters. It may be clearing your studio of leftovers from a recent swap or project and putting new craft paper on your work surface. It may mean you take some time to clean your studio and reward yourself by getting a few new paint colors for fall. Maybe you will box up and put away something that is unfinished and cut yourself some slack because what you really want to do is move on. (If your initials are MW maybe you will clean your workspace by sending off 700 pairs of socks and begin journaling about your Pink Wink experience.) If you had some creativity goals you set in January that you still haven't done It's Not Too Late.
Closure leads to creativity. Clean plates, whether actual physical surfaces or the cobwebs in your mind, can lead to growth and ultimately to finding your individual voice.
Blog about what you are doing this month to Clean Your Plate, and what new paths you may travel in this new season, new school year, new start. Leave your link in the comments and I'll add you to the current Crusade list.
CRUSADE No. 23 ~ Clean Your Plate DUE DATE: October 1st
(Again, sorry this posted late. I had it set for an automatic date and time and didn't check back to make sure it posted. *smacks head* Thanks to Jeri Ann for a note wondering if I was ok....it was the clue that the Crusade wasn't up!)
EDIT: Archived links have been moved from sidebar to here.
CRUSADE No. 23
- Anna Matthews
- Becci Renfro
- Cat
- Cath Sheard
- Gemma
- Inge Bekaert
- Ingrid Dijkers
- Janine Davies
- JeriAnn
- Jo Wholohan
- Julie Prichard
- Kathryn Antyr
- Lee Thomson
- Marble Blue (C22)
- Marie Johansen
- Marlynn Likens
- Martina
- Marylinn Kelly
- Michelle Ward
- Monica Magness
- Pam Carriker
- Robin Mayberry
- Rosie Rowe
- Serena
- Serena ( more after)
- Serena (after)