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| photo by Alan Gillespie |
Agenda:
1. Take a vision walk
2. Celebrate Grace
3. Read "The Creativity Book"
4. Craftivism plans
5. Full effort for gift-making
6. Preschool plans
7. Do the smallest thing
1. Take a vision walk:
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.
Today I will settle into silence and access my intuitive mind - my connection to the Creator and the Inner Guide - by putting myself into a relaxed, trance-like state, and seeking a leading of the spirit. I call on the Spirit of Light to guide me, bring me clarity and open my eyes. I ask:
This year I am finally finishing 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?
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 become better at feeling and exhibiting "goodwill for all"?
How might I shift my perspective to open the door to new insights and grace? How can I remember to bend, let go, and forgive?
How can I use my gifts this month to serve my family, community, and the Earth, and work to create the conditions of peace?
2. Celebrate grace:
One thing I've decided about grace: I did not arrive with strings attached: I don't HAVE to use my gifts of grace for good in the world. But I can choose to receive these gifts (freely given) and reciprocate. I can choose to hear the messages and act.
Today I remind myself of my intentions, and then celebrate my accomplishments and reaffirm this theme for the next two weeks. To celebrate grace I will:
- Write about the grace of intentionality.
- Make a sweet monster.
- Flow with home projects synergy: Perhaps build a railing?
3. Read "the Creativity Book":
This year I am finally finishing 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 34: Serve Up a Sacred Cow. This section is about pointing out falsehoods, making waves, and getting in trouble - and how truthfulness is connected to creativity. "Turn a blind eye to the insanity of the arms race and you can't write Dr. Strangelove. ... To create is to use your inner resources fully and completely, to use your heart, mind, and hands in the service of meaningful work that makes you proud."
"Serving up sacred cows -- those commonly held, cherished beliefs that are neither true nor good-- is a natural, if risky, part of a creator's life."
The exercise is to pick a lie and blow the whistle, which is what my book is doing.
4. 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 will finish and print some samples of my plastics tag to give away on Sunday- 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.
5. Full effort for gift-making:
I don't have time this year for any big projects, so my gift-making intention is to think small: a small handmade or purchased 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.
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:
This Week:
- Continue to edit book intro, adding artwork and photos
- Make St. Nicholas gifts: Pfefernusse, nuts, and twig ornaments
- Finish 2nd worry monster
- (Order final toy and wildlife merch gifts)
- Continue to edit book intro, adding artwork and photos
- Start one handwork project that I can do in the evenings while I watch tv - this year, plastic bag crochet perhaps?
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 The People Week: Ideas-
- Make a piñata
- Read books about other people
- Make paper doll cutouts
- Set up the snow scene
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.
- Th: Make pfeffernusse, work on Arthur's monster
- Order final gifts: Shirt, craft supplies, toys, books...
- F: Make nuts; Make tags to take on Sunday
- Collect tiny tree lights and ornaments; Pack St. Nick gifts - deliver to office;
- Sat: Finish 2nd worry monster
- Stash away last projects and supplies; Gather plastic bags, crochet hook
- Sun: Make Inspirational Word magnets;
- Buy ingredients for all recipes: fudge, peanut brittle windmills,
- M: Make sample paper dolls; Start plastic bag crochet perhaps?
- Calendar PH’s, Gather balloons, newspapers, make paste
- T: Make Piñata
- W: Make paper dolls, snow scene
- Th: Fudge;
- F: Lussi Night - baking and packing for out of town
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