Today is also the First Quarter Moon; we are one-quarter of the way through the moon cycle. The moon is waxing - growing in light and energy, creating a time for decisive action and full effort. I use this late November quarter moon's energy to prepare or advent.
This year I am reading this book by Eric Maisel (one of my favorite writers). The subtitle is "A Year's Worth of Inspiration and Guidance." Who doesn't want that?
Agenda Today:
1. Journal queries
2. Read "The Creativity Book"
3. Craftivism plans
4. Full effort for gift-making
5. Preschool plans
6. Do the smallest thing
1. Journal queries:
Today, at the first quarter moon, I prepare to give full effort to my priorities. I remember that for each opportunity in life there is a challenge. My theme this month is grace, a state of being - at peace, free, filled with love & light. The challenge to grace is rigidity and numbness; if I am closed-down and unforgiving, I will not hear the guidance and blessings that present themselves.
The practices for meeting this challenge are mindfulness and saying YES.
How can I better practice mindfulness, day in and day out? What whispers, nudges, or clarity am I receiving?
Where in my life do I need greater peace, love, and light?
How can I remember to bend, let go, and forgive?How can I use my gifts this month to serve my family, my community, and the Earth?
Journal: Something has shifted - I feel lighter and happier. Yesterday, when the noise and commotion of Thanksgiving with family made me feel tense, I found I could reach for inner calm, and take myself to a better place. I truly enjoyed myself!
When people ask, "How are you?", I answer "Really good!"
2. Read "the Creativity Book":
This year I am reading this book by Eric Maisel (one of my favorite writers). The subtitle is "A Year's Worth of Inspiration and Guidance." Who doesn't want that? I'm on part 9, Be Truthful, and Week 33: Reveal Yourself. "In order to create we need to feel comfortable revealing our secrets. Showing yourself is step one; telling your secrets is step two. ... When we reveal these secrets we grow more truthful."
Maisel equates truthfulness with an ability to create - What this means to me is that as I communicate how I feel about climate change and biodiversity loss, my testimonies of Right Action, Mindfulness and Awareness, and Integrity, I need to also talk about my self-righteousness, how I am complicit, my inability to find the integrity I need.
3. Craftivism plans:
The first of my three areas for What I Want and What I Will Do to Get it is to make things with my hands to give away - things that inspire and teach, craftivism and / or writing. This is my late week focus, Thursday and Friday, and I brainstorm, plan and prepare on Thursday morning.
This week I'm working on writing, and sharing the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address.
Next week I plan to finish a plastics tag - a paper tag with a plastic toy dangling from it, with information about the dire effects of plastic with a QR code and a brief list of how to avoid plastic, especially at the holidays.
4. Full effort for gift-making:
Full effort requires attention; you remember your intentions - what it is you want to do and your deepest reasons why - and also notice your emotions, energy, challenges, etc.
I don't have time this year for any big projects, so my gift-making intention is to think small: a small handmade gift for each person on my list with a theme of Wild Life, plus give my book intro to the adults, and bigger gifts to each of my children and grandchildren.
Today I am kicking off my season of gift-making creativity with a brainstorm session for inspiration, a backwards calendar for gift projects, and a list of things I need to collect.
Gift-making is my weekend focus: Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and evenings as I can; I'll gather and set out supplies on Saturday morning.
My calendar for advent gift-making is:
Week 1:
- Continue to edit book intro, adding artwork and photos
- Make St. Nicholas gifts: Pfefernusse, nuts, and Inspirational word magnets
- Start one handwork project that I can do in the evenings while I watch tv - this year, plastic bag crochet perhaps?
- Finish 2nd worry monster
- Brainstorm my small out-of-town projects
- Continue to edit book intro, adding artwork and photos
- Small nature-inspired gifts for extended family
- Order final toy gifts
5. Preschool and Advent plans:
The third kind of creativity I want is to make things with my grandsons - fun things, exploring basic skills, seasonal materials, and folk crafts. This will be my mid-week focus, Tuesday through Friday; on Thursday I will choose next themes, brainstorm projects, and define the nature and skills goals; on the weekend I will gather books and supplies (and take time to stash away the last projects and supplies); and I will do all the prep and making samples on Monday.
Next week is Earth Week: Ideas-
- Hang the stick tree in the window
- Make twig ornaments (cutting, glueing, painting, beading)
- Pinecone bird feeders
- Plant paperwhite bulbs
- Decorate our outside Christmas tree
- Make nut snacks
Doing the smallest thing is a great way to make courageous creative work less frightening; also finding the "minimum effective dose", the amount of work that keeps me challenged and joyful, and if I keep at it will get me to the finish line on time.
Today I will list specific goals for each day's creative projects; also itemize the supplies and preparation steps.
- F: Make lavender pillow;
- Gather greens for wreath,
- Sat: Make advent wreath;
- Stash away last projects and supplies; get 4 candles for wreath, basket and book for Corinne? + paperwhite bulbs;
- Sun:Make Inspirational Word magnets
- Toy for Tots gift, stamps, cheap peanut butter;
- M: make sample twig tree and star
- Calendar PH’s, Gather pinecones, twigs, beads; Find stick tree, ornaments;
- T: Make twig tree and star
- W: Make bird cones
- Pfefernusse ingredients, candy, oranges, choc. coins, nuts and seasonings;
- Th: Make pfeffernusse
- Collect tiny tree lights and ornaments;
- F: Make tags to take on Sunday; Brainstorm my small out-of-town projects
- Collect plastic toys for tags; Gather plastic bags, crochet hook;
- Sat: Start plastic bag crochet perhaps? Finish 2nd worry monster
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