First Quarter Moon of August

Tonight is 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. I use this end-of-August quarter moon's energy to help me to discern my Truth and then act on it; this requires some discipline.

Discernment is a deep process: It can feel like intuition, or a gut feeling. You might experience it as butterflies, or tingling on the back of the neck, or as a flash that takes the breath away. Some call it a guiding voice, or leading of the spirit. Sometimes it is quiet and subtle, and sometimes loud and clear - a flash of insight, or creative impulse, or sudden clarity, or a leading or itch to act on something you never thought of before.

And when your Inner Guide speaks to you with a message that seems foreign to how you normally think (maybe a rush of new hopefulness, or an urging to action), then it's hard to not credit it to a something outside yourself. 

Who's to say?

Agenda Today:

1. Read "Creativity Takes Courage"

2. Journal queries
3. Make a full effort plan

4. Evaluate my creativity habits:

5. Do the smallest thing

1. Read "Creativity Takes Courage":

I'm reading this beautiful book by Irene Smit and Astrid van Der Hulse (2018) with the subtitle of Dare to Think Differently. Every page is a work of art.

Chapter 11 is Dare to Nourish Yourself. "If you want to be creative, you need to fill yourself with inspiration." They suggest bookstores, museums, bike rides, a creative date, or a workshop. It's important that I do it alone, and in an open frame of mind, to look at everything as a child does, seeing and hearing new details.

Another trick is to collect things that I see on walks and while shopping - shells, rocks, seed pods, postcards, litter...

My ideas:

1. Visit my favorite used bookstore.
2. Take a native plant class
3. Do a visual search online for craftivism ideas.
4. Spend an hour by the river.

2. Journal queries:

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 depth and discernment. The challenge to awareness is ignorance and confusion. If I'm uninformed or mystified, I cannot be truly conscious or aware of my path. Practice centering, and seeing clearly.

What are my most important reasons for living? What are my priorities? What would my best life look like? What actions give me the feeling of a meaningful life, and best support my beliefs and values? 

If there were no barriers to what I could do in life, what new work would I undertake that would bring me personal fulfillment?

What potential challenges and obstacles do I face this week and month (things I don’t enjoy, don’t know how to approach, or feel blocked on)? How can I best meet these challenges?

What do I need (tools, information, allies) to help me on my path?

From my journal: I'm in the depths of a passion project, a creative obsession with writing a book that is really way outside my current knowledge - so I'll need to swim deep and immerse myself in information and experience to get a better handle on what it is I need to write. It's scary and meaningful, and thrilling. I need a plan for topics and resources, so I can stay clear and centered.

3. Make a full effort plan:

At any point in my life I will always have some things to pause and think about, and other things I'm ready to act decisively on. My Nature-Culture project has so many arms and legs - research and writing, artwork, kid crafts, craftivism, activism, gardening  and awareness practices, and more. It's hard for me to choose themes and tasks each week and stay focused

The process requires my Full Effort, excitement and attention; I remember my intentions - what it is I want to do and my deepest reasons why - make a plan, and also notice my emotions, energy, challenges, etc.

My intention is to write a book called "Nature-Culture is for Everybody", a how-to book for living our lives as part of nature that includes awareness practices for every season; practical activities for creating sanctuary for nature; advise for how to change our habits to do less harm; ideas for how to “pay forward” the gifts we receive from nature; and journal queries. My goal is to create a real-life-living concept to help us to shift the paradigm our culture is so mired in, with an easy to follow step-by-step guide, and exciting, inspirational challenges, because this is one way to use my creativity and courage to save the planet.

My end of summer themes and topics are water wisdom (and fires). Today I'll set weekly topics for writing about water for each section of my book: 

1. Awareness: Study water and drought conditions, know the source of your drinking water and where your waste water goes, take time near water. (Sunday and Tuesday)
2. Sanctuary: Stormwater rain garden, Waterwise planting (Friday)
3. Natural Living: Water wisdom, cleaning supplies, plastics, oil, what else? (Monday)
4. Reciprocity: Plastics advocacy and education, trout-friendly education and craftivism. (Wednesday and Saturday)

4. Evaluate my creativity habits:

Once a week I try to take stock of my creative habits: 

Have I launched into a large creative project, one worth exhausting myself on, and if not, why? 

Have I constructed a schedule for my creative work and am I keeping to it? 

Do I set goals at the beginning of each week? 

Do I have a daily routine that that supports my creative efforts?

 

Journal: I'm working on rebooting my studio space: More kid-friendly, spacious, and visually inviting. Today I will set up a nature tray and altar for Ganesh, and play with watercolors.

5. Do the smallest thing:

Eric Maisel has many suggestions for managing creative anxiety. Doing the smallest thing is a great way to make courageous creative work less frightening. In "The Sweet Spot", Christine Carter suggests 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. The key is to create a pace and schedule that keeps me excited to get up in the morning, and feels ridiculously easy (so I will do it): It's effective but not stressful.

Today I will list specific goals for this week's creative projects and what to complete each day, and also itemize the preparation steps on a check list. My creative projects plan this week:

Saturday: Watercolor playdate

Sunday: Craftivism visual exploration and planning

Monday: Paint butterflies in bathroom

Tuesday: Fish painting

Wednesday: Paint ocean with a straw for blowing

Thursday: Coat of Many Earth Colors- Sew pocket on coat.

Friday: Artist date to river and/or bookstore