Agenda:
1. Read "Brainstorm"
2. Transform my world intentions
3. Simple project list
4. Do the smallest thing
1. Read "Brainstorm":
I got this book called "Brainstorm: Harnessing the Power of Productive Obsession" (2010), by my favorite writing and art guru, Eric Maisel, several years ago, and started but never got far. This seems like the right time to dive in!
In the introduction Eric says, "When you get into the habit of biting more fully into your own ideas, stirring up brainstorms, and productively obsessing, you feel more alive and become more creative." This is exactly what I'm looking for!
"A productive obsession is an idea that you choose for good reasons and pursue with all your brain's power. ... You take that seed of an idea and you bite in to it, providing it with genuine neural devotion." (I love the way he writes!)
The first several chapters are about how and why to choose an obsession; I'm moving on to Chapter 8: One Month of Productive Obsessing. Here are some tips:
- Act as if it matters - dedicate my whole self (brain, body, and soul) to the service of this idea.
- Stretch myself - take a vacation from my usual way of being.
- Learn how to extinguish distractions (such as phone games and worrying) so I can concentrate.
- Manifest my courage.
- Strategize about how to self-regulate and manage my emotions.
- Plan how to fit my obsession into my day, and flow in and out of it.
- Monitor how it's going, and recommit often.
2. Transform my world intentions:
Last month I did a brainstorm on what to do to transform my world towards what I want to see, and did not come to a conclusive leading, beyond what I've been doing already. As the month progressed though, it became clear to me that the big project I'm led to do (that is so juicy and alive that I can hardly stand it) is to write another book:
I Intend to write a book called "Nature-Culture for Everybody", a how-to book for living our lives as part of nature that includes awareness practices for every season; practical activities for healing nature; journal queries to help shift priorities; and ideas for how to “pay forward” the gifts we receive from nature. My goal is to create a real-life-living concept to help us to shift the paradigm our culture is so mired in, because this is one way to use my creativity and courage to save the planet.
- I intend to harness the power of productive obsession and engage slow passion, a kind of simmering energy that keeps me focused and engaged with my priorities; let go of caution and involve myself wholeheartedly with this project that I love; stretch beyond the way I’ve always done things.
- and at the same time, I will maintain clarity of purpose, keep the end in mind, monitor, and recommit often, so that I have the courage to risk being the creative person the world needs.
- And I intend to work the parts of this project into the flow of my day, let it reach into all my roles - teacher, grandma, activist, writer, artist, home and garden - take it slow and let it grow organically.
3. Simple project list:
In the fall I started using Leo Babauta's "Simple Projects List", with my top three projects. (A "project" is something that has several steps, and takes only a week or two.) "The top three projects on your Simple Projects List will be your entire focus until you finish all three ... This ensures that you aren't spreading your focus too thin, and that you are completing your projects."
Tips: You can't actually do projects - you can only do tasks. Make a list of tasks for each project, and focus on doing one at a time. Each day, choose three tasks to complete.
My simple projects list for the next few weeks:
- Write summer chapters for Nature-Culture book.
- Summer N-C garden and life projects, and photos.
- Draw and paint motifs for N-C book
- Kids Art Camp projects
Eric Maisel has many suggestions for managing creative anxiety. Doing the smallest thing is a great way to make courageous creative work less frightening. I made a list of small things I need to do for each of my current projects, and assigned one or two per day.
Tomorrow's tasks are:
- Write summer phenology
- Take phenology photos
- Paint simplified native plant motifs
- Prep for camp: Collect supplies
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