Thursday

Thursday is my day to open the door to creative thinking and doing; I've reverted to an earlier phase of my life, before painting and art school, when I was internally driven to Make Things, and they were varied and creative. But I'm also a different person now - as Grandma Earth Teacher I am led to make things that are a gift to the Earth in some way, sustainable, and with a message. 

Also, I need to prepare for the next week of Grandma Camps, with themes, projects, and field trips.

The First Quarter is yang, a time to take decisive and smart action on my intentions; time to remain flexible, use my obstacles as fuel for growth, and show full effort for priorities. 

Agenda: 

1. Read "Your Heart was Made for This"

2. Projects for the week

3. Camp preparedness

4. Full effort for creativity

1. Read "Your Heart Was Made for This":

I'm reading this book by Oren Jay Sofer (2023), with the subtitle, "Contemplative Practices for Meeting a World in Crisis with Courage, Integrity, and Love". It has 26 short chapters on innate qualities we each have, that we can cultivate and develop as inner and external expression, meant to be read and practiced in order, one every 1-2 weeks.

Part One explores six core qualities, and the 4th is Mindfulness, about training my mind to stop endless habitual thinking, feeling, and reacting, and instead become wakeful, alert, receptive, and engaged. I can become awake to each experience moment by moment, feeling the air and my clothing, and really listening to what people say, in a balanced and curious way, without bias or need for control. "We're not judging what's happening, waiting for something else, or trying to get something. Thus mindfulness has two parts: Awareness and equanimity."

Reflection: Begin to pay attention to the habits and narratives that dominate my day. What are the tracks that play most often? (probably defensiveness, planning, and overwhelm.) I can give these names and notice them - how they feel in my body.

Action: One idea to strengthen my mindfulness is to do a habitual activity in a different way, but I find that too stressful. My preference is to use a very itemized routine, and then go through it in a mindful, slow way. One tip: Pay attention to my body and sensations (sight, touch, sound, smells, taste) as I do tasks - this is a great way to cultivate awareness. Also, especially notice my feelings of overwhelm, when I tend to shut down; name it, pause, breathe, and bring attention to my body to calm down.

3. Projects for the week:

The projects I see as priorities now are:

1. For my substack: Better photos, including project samples, and watercolor illustrations (a new moth logo).
2. Craftivism and nature projects to support my Nature-Culture shifts: Hangers, signs (a "Native Plants" sign for Meeting).
3. House and practical fix-it projects: (my Earth coat).
4. Sharing skill and fun teaching projects (Fairies and story drawing).

This week:

• Th: Make fairies + take out second sleeve; 
• F: Cut sleeve, lining, cuff + practice new moth logo
• Sat: Finish moth and post
• Sun: Sew sleeves + Set up for bat cave - clay over cardboard? + find sign board and sand;
• M: Sew sleeves + draw "Free Native Plants sign"
• T: Start sign (wood-burning?) + Bat cave design
• W: Sign + Bat cave
• Th: Watercolor fishes + Bat cave

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.

3. Camp preparedness:

The theme next week is a bat cave and a fairy garden. Ideas:

• Look at pictures of a bat cave and draw a design
• Make walls of cardboard and papier-mâché
• Make a roof that can be removed!
• Gather bits and pieces to put in fairy garden
• Make fairies

Preparations: Find pictures of a bat cave; collect cardboard for walls and roof; hot glue sticks? Need plants for fairy garden; Gather bits and pieces, set out supplies.

4. Full effort for creativity:

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'm thinking today about full effort for creativity.

My intention:

I intend to give daily attention to my art practices to bring me back to the studio for purposeful creation: Take photos and make art to illustrate the Nature-Culture ideas I want to share; make and share craftivism, such as garden signage and giveaway art, that witnesses to earthcare, and might inspire the passion for change that I feel; use creativity and art to create meaningful messages in my home and yard; make fun things with my hands and play with art. 

Here's my plan: I want to fit one tiny exploration of art into every day.

9:00:  Morning project prep - Make a note of my projects, and needed supplies; gather supplies.

12:00:  Art Prep Routine: 

1. Make a cup of coffee;  
2. Gather supplies;
3. Announce "I'm going to the studio for a bit" (or "time for some art!");  
4. Clear a space; 
5. Decide on a single, simple step to take and take it.