My Birthday for a New Perspective

Today is the start of my 70th year -  and this calls for an acknowledgement and celebration of a real shift in perspective. Aging has brought a natural evolution of my priorities, and a realignment of the perceived importance of all the small traumas of life. I find I am generally happier and less attached to grudges and blue moods. I feel a profound sense of contentment from simply being present with the people I love. 

Agenda:

1. Generosity practice

2. Rite of initiation

3. Read "Find Your Unicorn Space"

4. Beginner's mind for creativity

5. Pre-K school plans

6. Projects for the week

7. Winter nature tray

1. Generosity practice:

On the third day of the waning gibbous moon, I practice a love meditation, and then journal about generosity with time and attention. I start with ideas for being generous with myself, then my family, my neighborhood, community, and the earth. I might decide to give money or a gift, or simple acts of helping and sharing my time.

This month's generosity plan:

1. Let go of the need to be perfect
2. Forgive my family for small disrespects
3. Winter wildlife care
4. Progress on Earthcare group tasks, news letters, and scheduling
5. Tenacity with Big House projects

When I'm motivated by the desire to give, just the intention to offer my help, and my willingness to listen, will begin to lessen suffering in the world.

2. Rite of initiation:

I've been working all week to prepare for an Initiation Rite. Initiation is like Wokeness, when you have a moment that shakes you up so you see things in a different perspective, and are never the same again.

To prepare, I cut strips of paper in my sketchbook and have been writing on them each day, all the things that oppress and limit me - all the negative forces in my life that keep me chained down. (I thought the page would be hard to fill but the negative rolled out of me!)

The last two parts I need are symbols:

1. A symbol that represents all the negative forces in my life: I've chosen the word SCORN, which captures all the disrespect and diminishment that women and our planet have endured.
2. A symbol of my liberation - something I can wear or display as a reminder of my power: I've chosen a small green dragonfly pendant. Dragonflies are a symbol of transformation, adaptability, strength, lightness and joy.

I have set these two items out in front of me, and then the next step is to make my paper strips into chains, and attach them to my wrists. I sit now for a bit, feeling the weight holding me down. 

Now I am ready - I chant these words by Asata Shakir: 

"It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains."

I chant this until it becomes resonant inside me, then break my chains and tear them up. And I tear up the SCORN as well.

After dawn today I will gather the scraps and burn them outside, and collect the ashes to bury at a crossroads - or in my case, poor down the storm drain.

The last two steps are to wear my symbol of liberation and claim my freedom, then look for and record omens and dreams for the next few days.

3. Read "Find Your Unicorn Space":

I'm just starting this library book by Eve Rodsky (2021), With the subtitle Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too-Busy World. She defines Unicorn Space as carving out time for "the active and open pursuit of self-expression, which requires values-based curiosity and purposeful sharing with the world." The first section is Time for a Reset, and the first chapter is Unleash Your Unicorn.

It's another way of saying creative obsession, which I'm engaged in, but I could definitely use a reset. She talks about how the pandemic offered us a time to re-evaluate and reinvent our purpose, and I use winter months for that exact thing each year.

4. Beginner's mind meditation for creativity:

My theme this year is Creative Perspective: 

Creative perspective: To keep a positive and broad perspective; shift my perspective to help myself find equanimity, and also expand my perspective (think outside the box), having the courage to take experimental risks and express myself honestly with words and art.

On Thursday through Monday I take time to review and plan how I will act on this theme. Today I start with a beginners mind meditation for creativity. Beginner's mind is dropping expectations and preconceived ideas, seeing things with an open mind, fresh eyes, curiosity and wonder.

Today I settle into meditation, and ask the query, "How can I utilize all the craft skills I have built over my lifetime to help me to spread my message of Nature-Culture?

• Through a winter climate ceremony
• With craftivism: Pine cone tags
• Little gifts with a message: Seed charms
• Art classes: Watershed watercolor project
• Retreat for butterfly reciprocity

5. Pre-K school plans:

Today 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's theme is Rain and Puddles: Ideas-

• Puddle class at Nearby Nature on Tuesday (Buy new boots)
• Alley walks (How can I lure A-1 outside?)
• Watercolor (art puddles)
• Rain painting: Dry tempera sprinkled on paper outside; also food color dropped onto wet paper

6. Projects for the week:

Each week on Thursday I plan the projects I will work on in the next week - one or two kid projects, and one or two Unicorn projects (those that feed ME). This next week I will:

1. Finish a Worry Monster
2. Design a watershed watercolor project
3. Rain painting with kids
4. Sew on hankies

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, put them on my calendar, also itemize the supplies and preparation steps.

5. Winter nature tray:

Nature trays or tables are a place to celebrate the changing seasons, and the natural cycle of the year. We put away the Autumn nature tray at the start of advent, and yesterday we cleared away the advent candles and set up a Winter tray.

We enjoy two parts: Collection and observation. Our grandsons loves to collect nature objects - sticks, leaves, pinecones, rocks - not all beautiful, but who am I to judge? Our nature tray is a display of their collection with some additions from me. Eventually our walks will help them to sharpen their observation of what goes on in nature, and they will become more discerning about what to collect.

Observation is rather ceremonial - we visit the table, light the candles and touch or play with the objects, but they live on the table.

Supplies: Tray or low table, candle or two, natural objects (feathers, sticks, nuts, rocks, flowers, pinecones), appropriate seasonal figures or objects (bells), and a word for winter.