{be creative everyday} 2013

Last year, although many, many wonderful things happened, I didn't feel I was doing my best work or giving my creative life the room it needed to bloom. I was left feeling empty and aimless when I thought I was doing the right things. I kept asking myself what I was missing. I finally figured it out. I was missing a plan. I didn't have a specific enough quest. 

My creative life needs challenges. It needs attention or it withers. It needs planning and brainstorming. We all know that nothing comes from nothing. And I'm sick of all this nothing. 

What does my uncontainable need to create cry out for? 

TIME. ROUTINE. FREEDOM TO PLAY. COMMUNITY. 

Above all: PRACTICE. PRACTICE. PRACTICE. 

I need art more than I need oxygen. I want to fill my days with awareness and find the creativity in the world around me. My creativity needs to be a part of my daily routine. I've been taking my creativity for granted, which prevents me from seeing it as infinite potential. 

I am on a mission. A [wide-open] secret mission. Since I like you very much, I will let you in on the [wide-open] secret mission. I am going to {be creative everyday} in 2013. Yup. Every. Single. Day. For 365 days. As of today (01/12/13) I am on track for all 12 days of January. Woot! This blog post counts! 

I am embarking on learning something new and creating new habits. Right now the novelty of {be creative everyday} hasn't worn off and I've attacked my projects like wildfire these past 12 days. Some mornings I can't wait to get up and get creative. (Remember, creativity come in many forms: doodles, music, painting, writing, cooking, brainstorming, doing puzzles, teaching, blogging, etc.) 

I know at some point that novelty will wear off a bit. That's ok. In learning a new habit, at the start it's ok to kind of stink at it. That's how this learning and practice thing works. So my plan is simply to show up. Be there in my studio and bridge the gap from crap to "I MADE THAT?!?!" with sheer volume. Maybe it will bring my muse tiptoeing around to see what all the fuss is about. 

I won't be sharing every single creative endeavor here. Some things are a little too mundane to post. My plan is to post weekly wrap-ups and highlight specific projects as they come up. Some months will be dedicated to other specific everyday projects like Index-Card-A-Day 2013 (ICAD3) at Daisy Yellow's blog in June and July. I'll be making cards for Operation Write Home throughout the year. Some art will be abandoned. I'll be entering shows like 6x6x2013 at Rochester Contemporary, and taking advantage of my Honorable Mention award at last year's Artists Row with free booth space in 2013. 


I am keeping track of my daily creativity with photos using an app on my phone called Photo365. It lets me post pictures for specific days to tell the story of {be creative everyday} 2013 in a calendar of images. 

Tons of everyday projects are starting up and it's never too late to join some. Hanna is doing 365 somethings in 2013. Tammy at Daisy Yellow is also joining in for 2013. If you want to join in on 365 Somethings go join the flickr group for #365in2013 

I'm looking forward to keeping you up to date on {be creative everyday} 2013. Please let me know in the comments if you have a project going on! 

- Vickie

Willowing and A Video

This video from Willowing really has made an impact for me today. She talks about being “good enough”. Plus she paints a beautiful art journal page. Take a moment to listen to her. She’s delightful, I promise!

“How often do you tell yourself you are not good enough?”

I have lost count. I think I say this to myself a lot. I mean A LOT. So I live in this constant state of “not good enough”, which is not a fun place to be. It makes everything I do seem worthless. It keeps me from getting started on pretty much anything. Why would I want to do/create/be something that will never be good enough?

Would you tell someone you love that they are not good enough? Then why are you doing it to yourself? All the “should”s “must”s and “have to”s … it’s crazy-making!

This kind of self-talk is limiting. It crushes part of my soul every time I say it to myself. It just keeps adding up. I believe it more the more I hear it. It’s not helping spur me onto self-improvement because I feel bad about myself and feel I am not worthy of being a better person. What happens then? Total stagnation.

I find that I end up running around, trying to get it all done, and falling short. I think, “See? How can I be good enough if it is ALL not finished today? See all this evidence around you that is screaming you are not good enough?!” You see, I have actual evidence.

This pattern happens way too much in my life as I deal with disabling pain and fatigue from daily chronic migraines and fibromyalgia. I cannot keep up with the rest of you “healthy” people. And I obviously have a problem accepting that. I have limitations that I have to respect or I get really ill. But to be honest, it makes me quite mad that I have these limitations. I have to remember that I am not my disability or my limitations. I am Vickie. I am an artist. And as a “beautiful exhale from The Universe” I am good enough already (even if the laundry is piling up and the house is dirty).

There is a huge difference between the bad self-talk about not being good enough and the motivation of wanting to improve because I am learning something new and I’m not quite where I want to be with it yet. That kind of “not good enough” creates movement – not stagnation.

I am taking Willowing’s excellent advice and taking deep breaths when I catch myself somewhere other than this moment. During fear, during pain, during limiting negative self-talk. I am giving myself permission to feel better, to be okay with myself wherever I am, and to be open to the possibilities around me. I am working on focusing on the stuff I can do rather than the stuff I can’t do.

How is the “Not Good Enough Monster” affecting your life? Please share in the comments how you deal with it!

Where to find more from Willowing:
Site: willowing.org
Blog: willowinglove.blogspot.com
YouTube: youtube.com/user/willowing
Twitter: @willowing
Facebook: facebook.com/willowing
Ning: willowing.ning.com