The De-Cluttering Continues
May 16th, 2008, 4 Comments
Seems like most of my creative energy has been domestic this week. That's o.k., sometimes you've gotta follow your bliss and this week I've been feeling like a blissful nest maker! Tonight, the hubster and I collaborated on a perfectly light springtime dinner. He prepared sesame crusted swordfish on the grill and fulfilled my request for tomato, basil, and mozzarella, which he arranged beautifully. The hubster had requested brussel sprouts, so I found a recipe online and again tweaked it slightly (I didn't add any cheese at the end.) The weather was nice enough to eat out on the porch again and everything was SO good!!
A quirky older gentleman came by to purchase my old stereo. Turns out he needed something to play music at his family's summer cottage. Oh, and I forgot to mention another bit of clutter released. I received a gift last year that I simply didn't care for. There was no receipt to exchange it for something else and I couldn't imagine ever using it. However, it was from a family member and the idea of getting rid of it made me feel guilty. So, it moved around the apartment from one corner to another, eventually ending up in a dark cabinet where I didn't have to look at it. Well, in my clutter release, I decided to let it go. I couldn't imagine anyone else wanting it, so I put it next to the kitchen trash to take out the next time I went out. Well, I had someone over the other day who asked, "Are you throwing that out?" I told her yes and explained that I didn't like it. And then she asked if she could have it. Even better! I was quite happy that someone else wanted it. In a bit of synchronicity and as Caroline mentioned in the comments of my last post, this is just the sort of thing that Carla is recommending in her Weekly Wings Challenge.
I'm on a de-cluttering roll! Out of the way clutter! You're no match for me!
Creative Decorating & De-Cluttering
May 15th, 2008, 4 Comments
The hubster and I are in re-decorating mode. We've been selling, clearing and generally getting rid of things that were cluttering up our apartment while also purchasing some new items and doing some inexpensive re-decorating to make our current abode a more enjoyable place to live. Being in home limbo has made us uninterested in fixing up a place that we don't own, but we do have a great space and it's always more inspiring to be living in a well cared for environment. Plus, I feel my energy boosted up by the opportunity to do some creative decorating!
Last night we had someone pick up the elliptical machine that was taking up so much space in our apartment, was a major eyesore, and neither of us enjoyed using. It would have been a major pain in the bum to move and we got someone to come and take it apart, move it out, and paid us for it. Woohoo! That was the biggest thing to leave. We also got rid of the moldy couch on our porch/balcony and replaced it with some inexpensive patio furniture from Tar-jay. We ate outside last night and it was so nice! I posted an old t.v. table that we'd been using to hold an old stereo system on craigslist. We gave it away for free, but it was so heavy (and ugly), that we were both ecstatic to have someone else (who actually wanted it) come pick it up! Tonight someone is coming to pick up our older stereo. I was holding onto this one because it was a gift from my dad and I've always had trouble with getting rid of gifts (even if they are really old and/or I never use them.) Andrew suggested my super thrifty dad would appreciate the fact that I got some money for it (which is definitely true.) I was also encouraged by earlier posts from Christine Kane about releasing your clutter. We'll soon be releasing some more old items from our space and creating a more open and inviting space to live in. I'm excited about it.
One of the things we've done to spruce up the place is to get a couch cover for our slightly torn up couch. What a huge difference that made!! I have a strong dislike for the throw pillows we have and I'd like to find some new ones, get pillow covers to put over them or if I'm feeling extremely ambitious (since I know close to nothing about sewing) sew some pillow covers. Any suggestions? The couch cover is brown, the rug is deep red and the walls are off-white with dark wood furniture. In the next couple months, I've also got a strong desire to paint our kitchen. It really needs a painting. If it were ours, I'd say it needs to be gutted and re-done completely. But a paint job would make a big difference.
Need some more creative inspiration?
- Fellow Creative Every Day 2008 participant, Karen has a fantastic d.i.y. post about how to frame your artwork with lots of great pictures!
- Bread & Honey, a blog by two friends who love food, is chock full of pictures and recipes. Beware, the pictures will make your mouth water. Do not do what I just did and look at it when you're hungry!
- Are you a book under-liner and quote keeper? If so, you might like the look of this Woodland Reader Kit, found on Cut Out + Keep. I also like the story she shared about the initiative in Tel Aviv to give every baby born there a poetry book. The maker of this kit also sells them on etsy here.
- Speaking of Etsy, I'm participating in a fun etsy related project tomorrow, so do stay tuned!
- And if you'd like to see the prints I have available at etsy, here's the link.
Creative Life Lived
May 15th, 2008, 8 Comments
Robert Rauschenberg, Rebus, 1955
Part of what inspired me to study art history in art school was learning about the art of Rauschenberg, who died this week at the age of 82. There's an excellent article about his life in the New York Times. From that article:
"Screwing things up is a virtue,” he said when he was 74. “Being correct is never the point. I have an almost fanatically correct assistant, and by the time she re-spells my words and corrects my punctuation, I can’t read what I wrote. Being right can stop all the momentum of a very interesting idea."
The way he combined imagery, color, texture and objects spoke to me in a way that I can't quite put in words. He led and amazing life, full of inventiveness and pushing the boundaries. Definitely a great role model for living a life bursting with creativity!
Cooking Creative
May 13th, 2008, 10 Comments
I'm not the best cook on the planet, but I can follow a recipe. With the encouragement of the hubster's very experimental take on cooking, I have been taking recipes I find online and tweaking them slightly to make them work for me. I may eliminate ingredients I don't care for and substitute items depending on what I have in the pantry. Creating a meal together that was put together with a touch of love and creativity can be so satisfying!
Tonight I made artichokes (steamed, like Jim shared on his blog), skillet mashed potatoes (a new fave), and my creatively tweaked recipe for baked flounder. Here's what I did in case you're curious. It was super tasty. Of course, feel free to use your creativity and adjust the recipe all you like!
Leah's Sweet & Crunchy Flounder for Two
Ingredients needed: 2 flounder fillets, 1 egg white, 3 teaspoons orange juice, 1 cup of cereal (I used honey bunches of oats) smashed up in a food processor (or by hand), and one tbsp of butter, melted.
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees
- blend together egg white and o.j.
- Pat dry fillets
- Dip fillets, one at a time, in egg mixture then cereal.
- Place fillets in 13"x9"x2" pan
- Drizzle butter over fish
- Bake for 8 - 10 minutes
What a yummy dinner it was. After dinner we borrowed our neighbor's dog and took him for a walk. All in all, a lovely evening.
Creative Every Day: May 12th – May 18th, 2008
May 12th, 2008, 13 Comments
CED2008 participants! Feel free to leave a comment here with a link to post(s) about your creative activities during the week of 5/12/08 -5/18/08.
Happy creating!
Happy Mother’s Day
May 11th, 2008, One Comment
Quick note to say, Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there! I'm heading out to see my mom shortly. Yesterday was busy and productive. I hope your weekend has been a fun and creative one!
Courage to Walk the Line
May 9th, 2008, 7 Comments
I've seen this traveling around the blog world, but didn't stop to watch it til yesterday on Rebecca's blog. It inspired me so much that I had to share. Gotta love that she just kept going even when she "failed."
Killing Yourself Over and Over Again
May 8th, 2008, 17 Comments
Drawn with markers in my journal last night. this is actually the back of the page I drew. I like the way the bleeding markers look on the reverse side.
I'm listening to Martha Beck's Steering By Starlight on my ipod (thank you to Christine Kane for the recommendation.) It's really great and has me thinking, laughing, processing, and pondering some more.
In one part, Beck tells the story of a client who is so depressed and fed up with his life that he's contemplating suicide. Her response is, "You'll definitely have to commit suicide to be free...In fact, ideally, you'll do it all the time. Not physically. Mentally." She goes on to explain how a person can live a vital life by regularly killing (in a sort of suicide) their conceptualized self. In other words, by regularly freeing yourself of the stories you cling to, you can free yourself from those self-imposed limitations.
I was particularly struck by this part of the book. Possibly because I've had my own brush with suicide. But also because this kind of death (of old beliefs) is one that keeps coming up for me over the last couple years.
There have been two memorable times in my life where I had a temporary, but freeing experience with the death of my stories. The first was when my step-brother died. He was only 23 years old and his death was sudden and unexpected. The night before he'd been at my sister's softball game. He went out for pizza with his friends before retiring back to the apartment he shared with a close pal. During the night he died of a brain aneurysm.
There had been a couple other deaths in my family that same year, one was expected and the other wasn't, but there's something particularly shocking about the death of someone so young and seemingly full of life. After the funeral, I remember everything seeming so surreal, more vivid and clear. Within a few weeks, I had ended a five year long relationship (that I had been agonizing over whether or not to end for the last year) and I quit the job that was making me miserable. Getting this stark reminder of how fragile and fleeting life is was like a bucket of cold water being splashed in my face. It woke me up. I recognized that I had the choice to live a life that made me happy or stick with whatever was bringing me down because I felt there was no way out.
The second time I experienced an inner death/rebirth was when I hit my lowest point with depression and was contemplating suicide. It had been crossing my mind for awhile, but when I actually made the decision, something shifted within me and again, everything became surreal and especially vivid. I saw my then therapist who directed me to the hospital where I checked myself in. And from there, I was able to reevaluate my life in a more objective way. I was able to ask for help, admit I was struggling, and get myself out of situations that seemed impossible to get out of, even though they really weren't. In my head, my stories about disappointing others, failing, etc, were just that - stories. And when it came down to it, the stories didn't mean much. This time around, I put in my notice at another job that seemed prestigious to me and related to my degree, but was no longer serving me, and I found a job that paid twice as much, was much less stressful, and allowed me time to heal and do what I love (make art). I also left the apartment that was too expensive, but I thought I couldn't break the lease (I found a subletter), consolidated my debts so I could afford the monthly payments, and moved to another apartment (which led me to meet the hubster.) And I also got some help from friends and family and re-connected with people I love.
Both of these turning point moments were brought about by extremes. Sometimes you can get to a shift like this without the low point. I remember at one point in my twenties imagining if I had a year to live what I would want to do. And then I did those things (spent more time with family, took a trip to the Caribbean, ran a marathon.) But lately it feels harder to get myself to that place of letting go of the story so I can get on with living. I try and do it in the small ways...I get present when spending time with my cats, really feeling their fur, noticing their movements, fully loving their every breath. Or on a walk when my mind goes still and the grandness of a tree puts me in a state of awe. Or when I'm dancing across the kitchen floor for no other reason than pure joy.
I suppose it doesn't all have to be about extremes, moving, leaving, huge life changes. But I also sense that there's something, some story holding me back right now and I'd like to put that fairy tale to bed. So, how do you get to the stories and let them go without the death and drama?
In my efforts to let go of defining beliefs, I look for inspiration in the writing of people like Patti Digh, whose blog is about just this sort of thing...in her case it's about living as if you had 37 days left. I find glimpses in the writing of Eckhart Tolle. And I write and I paint and I talk with loved ones, which often gets me closer. How do you get in touch with that part of you that grasps at your stories? And how do you lovingly help it release its grip?
Penelope in Progress and Crafty Goodness
May 7th, 2008, 12 Comments
Today I felt really good. I got some exercise in, got some random tasks accomplished, did a little painting, and a little soul searching. The weather was fabulous too! This is a painting I'm working on. I think it's 20"x20". I started out by doing a couple magazine transfers with Golden's soft gel gloss. The transfers never come out perfect, but I kinda like that. I've never put a face image on a painting like this, but I liked the length in her neck, so I'm going to paint over the image to some degree to keep the shape, but make it my own. I've been experimenting with mixing paint with the gloss medium as well which has been fun. It makes the drying time longer, which is sometimes frustrating for me because I like to work fast. But I also like the glazes and thickness you can get.
With the bigger canvases, it takes me longer to finish a piece (duh!) 
, so I figured you might like to see a work in progress. The colors made me think of summer and Greece and as the piece developed, the woman became Penelope, the title became, "Penelope's Web." Now, things could change. The direction of a painting often changes mid-stream. I like to give it the opportunity to do that. But usually when the name of a piece pops into my head that's what it will be. We'll see.
I'm spending the next two nights at my old job to make a little extra money. I was a nanny for this family for 6 years and the younger child is graduating from high school next month. Crazy! When I first met her she was only ten. Eek! Anyways, it's great to see her, much more fun when I don't have to be here every day, and my main job is simply to be here as an adult presence. That's easy enough.
Yesterday, wrapping up the baby gift, I did a little crafty recycling project to get it ready to go. I used an old paper grocery bag and cut it up to make one big flat piece of craft paper. On the non printed side I used two different sizes of swirl stamps to decorate it. Then I wrapped up the gift in the printed paper, taped it up with some purty printed packing tape, and bingo-bango, a fun package ready to go to Colorado.
It reminded me of covering my school books with paper bags in high school. Man, I used to doodle all over those things! I read somewhere that some people don't buy wrapping paper, but just use craft paper that they decorate themselves. If you've got paper bags at home that just might be the way to go. I'm sure you could make something far prettier than what I created above. Hehe. Check out how great blueprint pages can look as wrapping paper!!
Time to wind down for sleeping. Night, night.
Spring Beauty
May 7th, 2008, No Comments
On a walk yesterday, I was so awed by the spring beauty that I had to pull out my cell phone and snap a couple shots. All my favorite flowering trees are in bloom. Dreamy purple lilacs with their intoxicating scent and my personal favorite, magnolia trees. My walk yesterday was such a joy. I put an audio book on my nano to bribe myself into a long walk and oh it was such a joyful time. Why do I resist that which makes me feel so good?
Today, I want to let go of that resisting and revel in the beauty and bliss that is everywhere.
