Spring into New Adventures!

Quote of the Day:  Be brave enough to live creatively. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. You can only get there by hard work, by risking and by not quite knowing what you are doing. What you will discover will be wonderful: Yourself.
Alan Alda (1936 - ) Quoted in The Educators Book of Quotes, ed John Blaydes, Corwin Press, 2003, p208 found on The Adventure of Life blog.

Millie and Willie Cottonpoly sharing an anniversary muffin and chocolates

 

Millie and Willie Cottonpoly, my sock puppet creations, did so well inspiring and sharing their story through the April Blogging From A to Z Challenge, 2013, that I felt it was time for them to celebrate their anniversary.  The Cottonpoly's became a pair May 20, 1968, a little less than a year after they met in July 1967. They have become tightly woven into the fabric of each other's lives ever since.

 

Willie:  July 5, 1967, was the best day of my life.

 

Millie:  (smiling) I didn't know what to make of you.

 

Willie:  I got so nervous, I could barely remember my own name.

 

Millie:  You did seem like a man with two left feet.

 

Willie:  All I could think about is how much I wanted to do the two-step with you, Millie.

 

Millie:  Oh, Willie. You add a spark to my life, that's for sure.

 

Willie:  Let's dive into this muffin while it's still hot.

 

Millie:  (blushes) It's still hot with you, Willie.

 

 

(Willie kisses Millie's head and wishes her a Happy Anniversary.)

 

**************

Much is happening in the creative world of the Cottonpoly's and their creator. Spring is finally here in Minnesota. Another school year is ending. Summer beckons with many new adventures. I finally got out on the bike with the Biker Chef, read about it at Ride off the Page!

 

Go. Create. Inspire!

 

Journaling Prompt:  What's happening in your creative life? Any anniversaries or milestones that you're celebrating?

 

Old-fashioned Girls

Quote of the Day:  Creative Clutter is better than idle neatness. from Pinterest

Creativity takes Courage. Henri Matisse

Creativity is intelligence having fun. Albert Einstein

Creativity is a natural extension of our enthusiasm. Earl Nightingale

I enjoyed finding those quotes on Pinterest this morning!

My first crochet snowflake

 

Since my sister has arrived, we've been to the fabric/craft store about five times. She taught me how to crochet the above snowflake this weekend. I like to knit, but haven't done any crocheting, so it was fun to learn a new way to play with yarn. As we were sitting side by side on the couch, pouring over a pattern we found on 21 Crochet Snowflake Patterns, we were like our aunts and great-aunts who spent their evenings knitting, sewing, and creating things back in the times before tv and computers, facebook and other distractions. It always feels good to make something. It's good therapy, too, time to sit a moment, think, and let your thoughts unravel with the yarn and reform into a new creation.

 

We'll get to the cleaning, furniture rearranging and holiday decorating later this week!

 

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Have you tried a new craft or hobby lately?

Turn on the Faucet

Quote of the Day: 

If you're going to be a writer, the first essential

is just to write. Do not wait for an idea. Start

writing something and the ideas will come. You have

to turn the faucet on before the water starts to flow.

~ Louis L'Amour

My cat, Leo, likes to drink that little bit of water at the bottom of the bathtub. The boys thought that was funny, so when he's climbing around the edge of the tub, they turn on the water so there's enough for him to drink.  Yesterday, he was in the tub, so I started just a trickle. He thought that was fun to play with. I finished getting ready and left. When I came back, hours later, the slow trickle had filled the tub half-full (versus half-empty, cause that's the way I am). I was embarrassed about leaving the water running, apologized to the Earth for wasting water, but saw the grand metaphor in my error. Even a slow trickle will eventually produce enough water to fill a tub.

That slow trickle can be the few minutes you carve out of each day to work on your art, your projects, and your dreams. Open the faucet and let the ideas flow out. Believe that you are the only person who can bring that art to life. It's you, your unique experiences and collection of gifts and talents.

Your daily goals might need to be small - one page or poem a day, one new contact a week, one new color on a painting, or one block for your quilt.

Go. Create. Inspire!

And, fill your tub of creativity, no matter how slow the flow.

Journaling Prompt:  Keep track of all that you DID accomplish this week.

What do you Control?

Quote of the Day:  I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.~ Jimmy Dean

This is a famous quote that you've probably heard before.  It speaks to what we can control in our lives and what we can't. For the most part, we control nothing but our own reaction to the situation or person or outcome. We can keep adjusting our "sails" by thinking of new ways to do something to feel successful.

I was trying to take a picture of Eric and our cat Leo.  You can pick Leo up, but you can't make him look in the right direction.

Switch directions

Okay, that didn't work either.

Moved in closer, tried to snap faster (quick, he's looking my way!), and got a fur face.

Finally, Eric set Leo on the ground where he calmly laid down.

Eric adjusted his "sails" to fit Leo's comfort.

I adjusted my "sails" of what would make a great picture,

and viola!

Here's the thing. In our lives, especially in our creative endeavors, we can't control who will show up or how they will respond to what we've created. All we can do is create what is in us and wants to come out. We'll build up our inventory, polish our skills, and eventually we'll shine.  More than one of us has walked away from an event that felt less than successful. But, is that all perspective? So, only a few people were there, not much money was earned, but what did you gain from the experience.  I think of writers who sit at book signings all afternoon and sell only a copy or two.  Was it a waste of time?  I don't know. Maybe the joy was in sitting in a bookstore for an afternoon chatting with the workers, browsing the shelves, drinking coffee, connecting with that one buyer who really wanted to read your book.

Or, maybe that feeling of "this just isn't working" is your call to try a new perspective. What preconceived notion do you need to let go in order to find just the right fit?

Go. Create. Inspire! and look for success in new ways.

Journaling Prompt:  When have you felt blue about your art?  How did you adjust your sails?

Book Binding

Quote of the Day: If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once a week; for perhaps the parts of my brain now atrophied would have thus been kept active through use.  The loss of these tastes is a loss of happiness, and may possibly be injurious to the intellect, and more probably to the moral character, by enfeebling the emotional part of our nature. - Charles Darwin (the beginning quote in my favorite poetry book The Music Lover's Petry Anthology)

(I would say do those things at least once a day. Creativity, art, music, nature, poetry, all the arts stimulate our minds.) 

A few of you guessed it. We made journal books.  The little one is an accordian fold book.  The larger one is made with nicely textured Japanese paper and an accordian spine.  We put three sections of paper in it.  The purple one is a multi-sectioned French twist binding.

Georgia has also taught me a modified Japanese book binding which I've used when teaching journal making, and writing.  I'd love to do more of this, both making the books and teaching.

I get all excited about the different kinds of paper you can find at art stores.  I love the textures and the things that are embedded in the fibers.  It stimulates my creativity.

My sister Joy and cousin Angie are visiting for a couple days.  We're off to the coffee shop where I do my writing for a cup of inspiration.

Journaling Prompt:  What stimulates your creativity?  Are you a teaching artist, or an artist who teaches, or would you rather not teach?  I think my first calling is teacher.

No one said it would be Easy

Quote of the Day:  A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people. — Thomas Mann

I'd like to debate that Thomas Mann quote.  Substitute the word that describes you and your art or skill.  Is it harder for you to create, or easier?  In some ways it's easier.  You have the desire.  You think of ways to describe things.  I often find myself reacting to a situation or person or event like a writer.  I start thinking of how I can describe it for other people so that they can experience it through my work.  Then, the "it's harder" part comes in.  I agonize over just the write words and phrasings.

It's like getting yourself all geared up for that big climb, like Eric on the ropes course up there.  My boys had a preview of their camp experience by going to Camp Shamineau with their class this spring.  It gave them the spark of desire.  They tasted success and thrilled at the adventure.  But, it was still a little scary stretching themselves a little further, sleeping away from home, trying new things, meeting new people.

Last night, it stormed - loud and long.  I was awake for a while.  Then, I felt restless and couldn't fall back to sleep.  All that crash, bang, boom must have been loud in those cabins.  I wondered if it woke the boys. Who might have freaked out, and if the counselors got any sleep.

Yesterday, was one of those idyllic summer days, temps in the low 80s, low humidity, slight breeze, lots of sunshine. I sat on my deck in the afternoon and read a book. (Hey, the little guys are gone, I enjoyed the quiet time. I can clean house later.). I thought, what a great day to be a camper.  Last night, during the storm, I thought, it's a bit more challenging to be a camper right now.

Such is our artistic life.  Sometimes the words come easy.  We can see the description in our heads, or just know the right color and texture combination in our art.  Musicians hit the combination of notes that sends shivers through your body.  Then, there are times when you erase what you've written, paint over the first layer on the canvas, or try new combinations of notes.  When it's your thing, you want it to be just right, and that's when you know it's work, but you love it.  It's a hard climb, but it's worth it.

I'm trying to find the best time to have my play performed with the cast who loves it the most.  I want it to be perfect.  Maybe I need to let go of "Perfect" (the unattainable), and let the creative forces take over.  I met two lovely and talented young women this week - at the coffee shop, of course. They get my play and want to be in it.  I am so encouraged by that - people willing to take a risk with me, a new playwright, and my original play. 

Okay, Creative Spirit, take it away.  I'm geared up and ready for the climb and glad I have supportive friends holding the ropes.

Go. Create. Inspire! (and be sure to wear your protective gear)

Journaling Prompt:  What's the next project for you?  Where do you want to go with your artist's life?

When Women Giggle

Quote of the Day:  from the song Come to Us, Creative Spirit
Come to us, creative Spirit, in this holy house;
every human talent hallow, hidden skills arouse,
that within your earthly temple, wise and simple may rejoice.

Poet, painter, music-maker, all your treasures bring;
craftsman, actor, graceful dancer, make your offering;
join your hands in celebration:  let creation shout and sing!

JeMA and I led journaling and art at Mount Carmel this weekend for a Women's Retreat.  As the women were gathering at this place, we were gathering pieces of Mount Carmel to embed in our canvases.

First, we reminded the women how fluid and free we were as children in our art.  We were like the Kindergartners who shout, "Yes, I'm a dancer! Yes, I'm a writer!  Yes, I'm an artist!"  Then, they begin singing and dancing and letting their creative spirits soar.  Somewhere along the journey, most people become crystalized in their art.  They might have had "art trauma."  We heard a few stories this weekend of when and where, even what the child-self was wearing on the day, art died.  They might suffer from comparison disorder.  The "I'm not good enough" disease.  Our hope was to help these women release their inner creative spirit.

I started our session by reading The Secret of Saying Thanks by Douglas Wood, a beautiful picture book about all the gifts that God gives us in nature.  I held it up the way your favorite teacher did, and I felt people relax into the poetry of the words, the comfort of a story book. We sang, This Little Light of Mine.  JeMA and I squirted paint on their papers for fingerpainting.  Then, the giggles started.  The smiles spread across glowing cheeks and our handiwork became our journal covers - after they dried and we cut them into the shapes we imagined.

I do believe these ladies are exploring the art of "playing off the page!"

So much of who I am comes to life at these retreats.  I'm in community with loving and welcoming women.  I share the gifts and talents God put in me, and my creative spirit soars.  I took many photos and gathered experiences to share.  This is just your first glimpse.  Come back later this week as we explore a creative path.  It may not always be clear, but it is beautiful.

Journaling Prompt: (that I used this weekend):  What did you do as a child to express your creativity?  What do you do now? And, what would you like to be doing?  Is your creativity in the arts, or cooking, gardening, sewing, planning, organizing, decorating?

Women's Retreat

Quote of the Day:  Come to the fount of creation, where the water of life is flowing free. lyrics from the song by John Ylvisaker

Sunset after a storm at Mount Carmel

At a Weekend for Women, Sept. 17-19, I will be leading journal writing at Mount Carmel Camp near Alexandria, MN.  You can visit their website by clicking on the name, or contact me, if you wish, and I'll connect you.  mary(dot)aalgaard(at)yahoo com.

What happens at a women's retreat?  Besides great food, fun, and fellowship, you have time to tap into your creativity, or just Be.  I have some things to share about journaling, a few prompts, and we'll have time to write and create.  My friend, JeMA, will teach art, using nature and texture, and re-awakening our creative spirits.

You also have the option for massage, spiritual direction, walks, time to enjoy the lake, meet new people, or even take a nap.

Last year, I attended two of these retreats, lead some journaling, and enjoyed the beautiful women who were there.  Mothers & daughters, sisters, cousins, aunts, friends, and singles arrived to find rest and nurturing by the still waters.

Last year, I sat next to this lovely woman and her sister for dinner on Fri. night.  Turns out, she raised four children, taught piano lessons, and was a church musician.  What a great connection!  I enjoyed helping with the journaling and teaching the women how to make their own journals.  I had a cabin to myself along the water's edge.  The weather was lovely for September.  I fell asleep to the lapping of the water along the shore and felt peace.

Come away with me, if you can, or find a retreat for yourself wherever you live.  Women need to nurture their creativity and tend to their own needs.  Give yourself a little time-off.

Journaling Prompt: Write about a retreat experience that you've taken, or one that you dream of taking.

Joy in Creating

Quote of the Day:  We are adventuring in the chartless seas of imagination. - Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Children teach us so much about experiencing Joy in creating.  As you enter Lake Carlos from the shores of Mount Carmel, you must walk over layers of rock.  You can think of it as a bad thing as they dig into your feet.  Or, you can see it as a good thing, as it gives you endless tools for building a tower of rocks as you sit in the cool water.

You might discover that your new friend who is really your second cousin likes to build, too, and you make a pier together.

Maybe you and your daughters create a sand turtle to live on the beach. 

What you have really discovered is that making something doesn't cost anything.  It takes as long as it needs to, and it lasts forever in your mind, or as a picture, or only until the next wave comes up and washes it away.

I was talking to my oldest son about the magic of computers and how information that seems lost can be recovered.  He said, "That just shows you that once something is created, it's never completely gone."

Summer is slipping into the past, lingering in our memories, and yet, we cherish what we've made.

Journaling Prompt:  Where did you go this summer?  What memories did you make?  Which ones will linger the longest in the snapshot of your mind?

Global Artist Colony

Quote of the Day:  Through a strange chain of events, I received a link to your blog telling about your visit to the Hot Shops Art Center in Omaha. Friends, who had friends in about 4 different states, kept forwarding an email that was eventually received by another artist in the Hot Shops, and she forwarded to me. Must have something to do with the 6 degrees of separation! I am the one who made the glass for the piano and Mike Godek made the stainless steel baby grand piano. I thought you might like to see the finished product!
 

Thanks for mentioning us and the Hot Shops in your blog.


Gerry Klein

Here is the gorgeous finished project!  That message made me feel connected to the artist world, both at the Hot Shops, and around this globe of amazing artists.  I AM connected.  Here I sit in my office in my tiny little dot of a place in central Minnesota, yet my words have floated all around the globe (maybe?), clearly through several of these United States of America.

Thank you, JeMA, for bringing me to Omaha and introducing me to the Hot Shops.

Thank you, Gerry Klein for finding me through the six (or more) degrees of separation (better said: connections).

Thank you, Mike Godek, for pausing in your work that day to show us around, introduce us to your artist world, and bring us into the creative community.

Journaling Prompt:  Describe a time when a friend connected a friend, or a moment that led you into a great relationship or creative inspiration.

Fear No Art

Quote of the Day:  Fear No Art - a sign above a door at the Hot Shops Art Center in Omaha, NE. From their website:  A place where artists can work and interact establishes an atmosphere for creative art discourse. This will not only be an energizing influence on development of art, it will ultimately create relationships with other artists fostering a sense of community.

Have you ever wondered why people take the time to make things beautiful?  On our trip to Omaha, my friend, who is a visual artist, looked up places of interest in the arts.  We visited the Hot Shops and the Joslyn Art Museum.  All forms of art existed in every culture from the beginning of time.  What motivated the Native Americans to spend hours sewing elaborate bead patterns on their dresses?  What motivated Monet to break out of the mode of realism and develop something new?  How have the stories and legends of our ancestors been passed down through generations, and why are we still interested in them?  How is it that music written over a hundred years ago stirs up in us today the deep emotions that stirred the creator?

The Hot Shops and the artists who gather there have what I dream of having - a community that encourages one another and builds each other up.  When we found the shops, we walked up to a man welding a miniature baby grand piano.  He showed us the glasswork keyboard that would go on it.  The glassmaker had made that for him.  He said they work together to make art.  They interact and bounce ideas off one another.  They encourage each other to "go for it," when they think they're having a wild and crazy idea in their art.  When you're surrounded by all that art and beauty, your creative spirit soars.

Journaling Prompt:  Who is on your creative team?  What art would you do if you had no fear and unlimited resources?

The blogging world is my creative team. Thank you Joanne at Whole Latte Life for pointing that out to me.  We writers are great creative support to one another.  Thank you all!  Lisa and Laura featured the book It's Raining Cupcakes (the very thought!) on their blog this week, and have a copy to give away.  Their question was, What's your favorite flavor of cupcake?  Since I made them drool with my favorite, I included the recipe below for all to try and enjoy!

Black Bottom Cupcake
Part 1
6 oz. cream cheese
2 beaten eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 c. sugar
12 oz. package chocolate chips
Beat all the ingredients well, then stir in the chocolate chips.  Set aside.

Part 2
3 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
Sift together.

Part 3
2 c. water
2/3 c. cooking oil
2 tsp. vanilla
Beat well and add to Part 2. Fill cupcake tin (add papers if you like) about 1/2 full. Drop 1 tsp. of Part 1 on top of each one.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Oh, ya, they're worth every calorie!

Have a safe and reflective Memorial weekend.

Breaking the Curse of the Good Girl

Quote of the Day:  Emotional Intelligence is a portal to fulfillment in every area of life. - Rachel Simmons, author of The Curse of the Good Girl Raising Authentic Girls with Courage and Confidence

I have four sons, but no daughters, so you might be wondering why I've been reading this book.  I bought it first to help myself.  I suffer from this curse.  The author describes how many girls are taught that they need to "be nice."  They're made to feel like they must be happy, kind, shy, nurturing, and not too smart.  They list "bad girls" as the ones who stand out, wear flashy clothes, are creative, speak their minds.  Girls start to believe that they're only allowed to have "good" emotions, be happy, smile, be self-sacrificing, and in doing so, they lose themselves and become ashamed of having fears, anger, needs, and original thoughts.

I also read this book because every week creative, intelligent girls come to my door and sit on my piano bench.  I want to help them become authentic women who aren't afraid of hitting a wrong note, making a mistake, having a bad day, or shedding a few tears of frustration, because that's what it means to be real.  I want them to know that making mistakes is part of learning, and that you can't be perfect all the time, if ever.  Perfect, to me, is a dirty word.  I'm trying to eliminate it from my vocabulary.

I want to nurture their creative spirits and show them how to encourage one another and build each other up.

As a woman who teaches, nurtures, and counsels girls, I need to show them that I am a human being with a full range of emotions.  I make mistakes.  I have conflicts in relationships, and I embrace who I am, imperfections and all.  As a mother of four sons, I need to show them that women are not happy, smiling Barbie dolls whose needs are less important than theirs.  We all have needs.  We all have good days and bad days.  Sometimes we're able to care for others, and other times we need their care.  That's what it means to be in a relationship with someone and to live an authentic life.

Journaling Prompt:  Describe a strong, authentic woman in your life.