My Mini Creative Retreat Update & This Week’s Creativity

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Happy Monday! I hope this is finding you well. We are having gorgeous weather today and I have been spending some time out in the garden. There is lots to do (isn’t there always) and I still have lots to plant out. Zinnia seeds, snapdragon plants I picked up and so much more.

I wanted to give you a little update about my mini creative retreat. I ended up having-in essence 3 days in the house all to myself something I haven’t had in close to 8 years maybe? Hubby took the little ones on an adventure looking at dinosaurs, snakes and owls. Then swimming in the pool and riding amusement park rides. It would seem our 3 year-old has quite the adventurous spirit when it comes to the rides so I am hopeful I will have another friend to ride the roller coasters with.

Everyone hit the road just around noon on Thursday and I spent the day at home. I did some of my free writing which was a practice I let fall away the past few months. It never ceases to amaze me how the practices I love the most and that replenish and fill me the most are the first things I let go of. Still it felt wonderful to be back with my daily writing journal and just letting the thoughts flow out. It was from this exercise that I decided I wanted to make myself a treasure box and I wanted to do it out of paper mache. Now I have never made a box using paper mache but it sounded like it could be a fun project. I did a little search to see if there were any tips and I found a wonderful video and a blog showing how to make exactly what I wanted to make. Sadly neither the channel nor the blog have been updated in 8 years or so but I still enjoyed looking around. There is something I am just loving about blogs again and I feel there is going to be more and more of them coming back in the purest of forms. Here’s hoping anyway.

So I made up my paper mache box and set it out to dry. Can I just say how much fun it was to do? I love getting messy and I find this kind of creativity so therapeutic. I also had do a minor repair on my paper mache project from Sarah Hand’s class that I mentioned last week. I had them both sitting on the kitchen table under the ceiling fan drying. I did quite a bit of art journalling too and really just relaxing and playing. At night I was looking for a movie to watch and found “Groundhog Day,” which I had actually never seen before. It was a nice light movie to end the day with.

On Friday I woke early (well early for me anyway) and video chatted with the family. The weather was gray and not overly inviting to work outside so I spent time prepping and sanding my paper mache pieces. I think the best part of this little retreat was just floating around and doing things as and when I wanted them. I took a little drive to the craft store and picked up some paints for gelli printing and a few other miscellaneous items for other projects. I enjoyed sushi for lunch and made quite a few gelli prints following on of Carla Sonheim’s classes I just signed up for. It was a lot of fun and I have some plans for these prints that I am looking forward to exploring.  I did manage some gardening and planted up some hanging baskets and a pot for the front porch that I am pretty proud of.

On Saturday I napped in the afternoon. I was tired and just needed a nap and thought, “why not nap?” The family came home around 8pm so the house was chaotic with luggage and laundry and things to be put away and stories to hear. Sunday was my son’s birthday and we celebrated at home just us. He asked for a treasure hunt to find his presents and pizza for dinner. I had picked up his cake on Saturday which was delicious. Unfortunately the family is dealing with colds now-seems to be a bit of a norm when they travel. Nothing serious just running noses and laying around. Most are already feeling better and on the mend but I think any plans for the rest of the vacation will be on hold.

I am grateful to be writing this blog post on our patio under the tent. The afternoon sun floods the garden and I am enjoying a cup of tea, 2 pieces of dark chocolate and writing to you.

I feel I learned a lot from my mini retreat. Namely how important time like this is for me, my mental health and my creativity. I am hoping to make these happen regularly and to also bring into each day some of the best parts of my retreat. Making my creative a priority is not only healing for me it’s a gift I have been given that needs to be nourished.

I hope you are having a nice start to your week. I would love to hear about your creative retreats if you take any and how you go about it. I prefer to do my retreats at home but I think the mobile minivan studio will be coming out again soon.

Wishing you a beautiful week!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Getting Ready for a Mini Creative Retreat

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Happy Monday. I hope you had a wonderful weekend and maybe even got some creative time in.

I have been having a tough few weeks. I am struggling with the whole family/life/creativity balance and sometimes it feels a lot more like drowning than balance. On Sunday the hubby took the kids to visit with his parents and I had the house to myself. It was a beautiful spring day, the house was clean and I was able to dig into some creativity and some creative corner cleaning and I thought it would be fun to share a little update with you.

First I want to share with you my first foray into Paper Mache! I know it’s hard to believe but I have no memory of having ever done this before in my life. I have wanted to do it forever but just never got around to it. I think some of the things I read seemed a lot more challenging and it put me off trying it. The truth is-it’s so much fun!

I had ordered Sarah Hand’s book a while back which lead me to her website and then to her online class. I purchased the class and have been watching it over and over working on my ideas for my character and the other day it came to me-a bird with a sunhat!

I have some more plans for this girl to show up in other projects and I’ll be sure to share them with you when I do. For now I just have the base all done and dry and then I need to give it a quick sand and add the paint-something I think I am going to save for my Mini Creative Retreat.

If you are interested in paper mache and a unique project I highly recommend Sarah’s class. It’s really fun and I love her approach.

While I was waiting for my characters to dry I decided to start a much needed creative corner clean-out. We have a built-in hutch in our room which was holding just a miss-match of items so I went through and cleared it out. I also did a big recycle of cardboard and junk mail I was keeping to use in projects. I still have lots to use but it was time to get rid of the hoard.

As you can see I had project baskets (and boxes) and just things tossed everywhere! This is behind our door so it’s usually out of sight which I think is why I let it get so cluttered. The printer is even in the mess of stuff.

And this is how it looks now! It feels so much cleaner and I was even able to get some things off the floor in my creative corner (the giant bag of foam for starters). Now I have everything organized and yet I can still see what I have. I am very visual and if I don’t have my supplies and projects out in front of me I forget I have them. I also need to move things around after a bit because things tend to blend together and I don’t notice them. Like hiding in plain sight.

I also tackled my desk which was full of stuff from a recent project. It didn’t take long at all and I was so happy with the results I couldn’t wait to sit down and create something. I am thinking of going back to putting down paper on my desk to catch all my drips. I stopped doing it because I have such a small space to work on it seemed that I was running out of dry spots on the paper to actually do work on. I might give it a shot again though because I love having the paper to use in backgrounds and mixed media.

This little clean up inspired me to make this a regular habit. I don’t know about you but I always feel so inspired when I am cleaning and “finding” all these supplies. I might just make a mini clean up a regular part of my creative practice.

What about you? Do you like all your supplies hidden away so your space is neat and tidy or do you need to see things? I would love to hear!

This week I am hoping to work on the shelves and the cabinet above the desk along with my sewing cart. I’ll be sure to share more pics when they are done.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Time to Myself….What to Do?

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I am sitting at my kitchen table. The ceiling fan is on creating a gorgeous breeze as the windows are open bringing spring indoors. Probably a few bugs as well since almost all of our windows are original to our 120 year-old house. Still, it’s my favorite time of year.

I do love fall and winter equally but for very different reasons. I love the coziness, the hunkering down that comes with the chilling off of the weather. I love snuggling up with a cozy blanket and a warm drink. I love putting the storm windows down and retreating within. I love crisp walks in the cold, red noses and watching the snow fall.

And then I love the spring. As those same storm windows go up, screens come down and windows are open. I love the first time you can step outside without a coat and when the sun shines bright enough that you remember what it’s like to be hot again.

My days are usually simple and similar. I like to keep my schedule clear and move from one moment to the next enjoying what is presented in front of me. Or at least trying to. I admit that this does prove to be a challenge when you are part of a family, especially a family with little ones. My creative, introverted self has been seeking some retreat time. Solo time in the house where I can explore with a bit more depth (i.e. time) my creativity and really to just be. This month my husband is taking the kiddos for a little vacation and I will be on my own for 2 days.

My first thought was, “What am I going to do?”

There is pressure sometimes isn’t there? Pressure to make plans or to make things extraordinary. I have been looking for a little break like this for quite literally years and now that it is coming I feel a bit unsure. My brain initially was asking about my plans-telling me I have to make the most of this time and just do everything I want to do.

I listen, get caught up in it’s thinking for a minute before smiling and reminding the mind just who I am. How I hate plans, I don’t like big deals and I much prefer living fully within the little moments.

So my plan is to make no plans but to make lots of containers.

I was really introduced to the concept of energetic containers by Andrea Schroeder. The idea that, for an example, if your workspace is clean and ready to go it’s a container waiting for you to make art. You could really take this in lots of directions. If your car is cleaned and full of gas it’s a container for a road trip. So for me, I am not setting any lofty expectations for my mini-artistic retreat (other than naming it, “Michele’s Mini-Artistic Retreat”).

When I was first dipping my toes into homeschooling I read about how you can leave interesting things around the house for kids to discover. Books, toys, etc where you aren’t telling the kids they have to read this book then use these blocks to build a house but rather you are giving them access to these things that they could do with however they feel inspired to. They may use the books to build with and the blocks become characters.

That’s what I am going to do for myself. Leave lots of goodies and spaces ready for me to play in.

I was planning on taking part in a studio clean out that is happening over at Jennibellie’s Journal Workshops but that’s not happening until June and I really want to pretty up my space for my little retreat. No worries though, I am a really messy artist and pretty sure the creative corner will need another clear out come June 🙂

I am thinking I might have some audio books ready, podcasts ready, playlists ready and my work stations prepped and ready to go. My car will be clean in case I want to go for a drive and the house will be clean with candles at the ready and probably some incense.

I am going to create containers that I can pick and choose from as I wish, moving from moment to moment. I might not make anything creative. I might not read one book or plant one flower. I might take naps and binge watch other people making art and planting flowers.

And that’s ok.

I might make amazing pieces of art, record some podcasts and write some blog posts. I might fill the garden with flowers, go for walks in the woods and take fabulous photos of what I see. I might go on my own little adventure or finish my book.

And that’s ok.

I might come up with something completely different than anything I can think of right now.

And that’s ok.

I don’t want to add pressure to myself to cram into 2 days the dreams I hold. Instead, I am hoping to listen to myself-really listen to what I need without interruption. I want to give myself the grace to experience this different way of being without rules or expectations and to just float from moment to moment.

And maybe, just maybe, bring more of that back to the everyday.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

P.S.

I would love to hear what you would do with 2 days free to play and make art. Please comment below. I also am thinking of sharing my creative corner clean up with you so please let me know if that interests you.

Podcasts, Postcards and Playing

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Happy Monday.

I am sitting in a sun filled room, at a messy desk with a cup of tea that is getting cold. There are lots of things I should be doing. I probably should be starting dinner. I should probably fold and put away some laundry. I should probably clean something-or a hundred somethings. I should probably be outside getting some fresh air.

Instead I am doing what I am feeling.

I am feeling that some time with my creativity is where my attention needs to be right now.
I am feeling that tea can be reheated, laundry can always be folded and there will always be something to clean.
So those things can wait.

I am feeling that the call of my creativity really and truly matters.
I am feeling that I have spent far too much of my adult life doing what other people said I should be doing instead of following through on what I was feeling called to do.

I am feeling that that no external validation of me, my work or how I spend my time is needed for it to be a value. For it to be important to the world in ways I could not possibly know or understand.

I am feeling that when one person chooses to do what they are truly called to do they make, in that very moment, magic that ripples out into the world and changes things for the better.

I am feeling that when a creative person does their thing the energy of that inspires countless others to follow suit-like an energetic ripple that tears through the Universe, unseen but felt.

And that each time that ripple touches another and they also choose to do their thing that they also send out a ripple. And so on and so on.

I believe these creative ripples can spread faster than any viral video and best of all-hold lots more staying power. This is where change initiates. This is the fertile soil where dream seeds are planted and hope is inspired in others. Creativity does all this. It matters. Yes yours matters.

Even if you don’t share it with anyone.
Even if no one hearts it or thumbs it.
You see, each moment that a creative person does what they were put here to do-they make magic true and real.
They start the movement of giant cosmic gears to shift and change and bring about light, love and joy.
Your creativity matters so much. Even if you don’t think it does-it does.
It matters to you.
It matters to me.

Here’s to play time.

Until next time…

–Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

P.S.

I recorded a new podcast today. You can listen here if you like.

Meeting My Inner Critic

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Today I read a blog post over on Laura Bray’s blog where she talks about her inner critic. It’s a fabulous post and if you are struggling with your own inner critic you might fight some company in her words.

It started me thinking about my own inner critic. I am not new to critic work (and if you would like some assistance on working with and identifying your own inner critic I highly recommend Andrea Schroeder’s work).

I’ve become aware the past few years of the voice that speaks to me all day long.
She’s not kind.
In fact, if she was a person that I interacted with on a daily basis I am pretty sure our relationship would have ended shortly after it began. Perhaps with a few choice words on my part.

Since she is part of me the separation is a bit more difficult. After reflecting on Laura’s post I started to think about my inner critic and how she shows up in my life.

My inner critics pop up in the guise of people I know and are based on what I am doing in the moment. If my house is a mess my inner critic shows up as the person I know would NEVER let her house get messy like that because she is disciplined, structured and routine-all things I am not. Also according to my inner critic my lack of discipline and routine is the very reason for anything unwanted that ever happens to me. If I am short tempered or cranky she shows up as the smiling friend who never let anything get her upset and just let everything roll right off her back. Sometimes she is a chastising mother figure telling me I am not good enough. It doesn’t quite matter the situation or what I am trying to do or avoid doing but it all seems to boil down to my not being good enough. My not being good enough means I am not ready which means just hold off a little longer to do that thing so we can be good enough and ready.

Who knew my inner critic was such a procrastinator?

Of course our inner critics are just the scared parts of ourselves. The parts that want us to stay safe and quiet over there reading our book or maybe writing poetry.  Not poetry to share mind you, just quietly writing in a notebook never to see the light of day. After all if we write poetry and share poetry people might write unkind things about it. And they did. I self-published a chapbook of my poetry and I was amazed at the beautiful and wonderful support I received from my friends and fellow writers from the writers group I was part of at that time. I had a beautiful book launch and felt very supported and loved.

Of course there were the snide comments that came online. The ones that tend to accompany a star rating of some kind. They hurt I won’t pretend they didn’t and it was moments like that where my inner critic was given some real ground to stand on. Of course there are a million reasons she tells me not to share my work.

*Your art isn’t good enough-no one as ever complimented your art ever. (except my 7 year-old son who tells everyone that his Mommy is a real artist).

*That piece looks too much like that other artist-only not as good and you don’t want to get sued for copyright. (even when the art does not look like the other artist and it is my own unique work).

*What if you write something and that person reads it? You know what it’s going to be like the next time you see them? Then they will know you believe in this or that and you know they don’t agree with that kind of thing. You are going to make everyone mad at you.

There is a big one right? Making people upset. I am a people pleaser whole and true. I grew up with an entire family of people who really only cared about how they felt and what was happening to them so there were lots of arguments. I learned I was good at peace-making and everyone really liked it when Michele made the peace by giving in. I liked seeing them happy (for once) so I kept doing it. After all it was so much easier to give in what I really wanted rather than sit and listen to arguing all day. I could never listen to my New Kids on the Blocks tapes that way.

As I have grown and had kids of my own I have tried to be the positive voice in their head. To be the one that is cheering them on rather than the one telling them they can’t or they shouldn’t. What I am realizing now is that we aren’t conditioned by the voices we hear over and over again. We are conditioned by the voices we believe. You can tell someone they are amazing and if they don’t believe it their inner critic voice will be much louder than yours.

I don’t blame anyone else for my own inner critics. We are all just muddling around this life doing what we know how to do the best way we know how to do it. I am sure I am someone else’s negative voice at times whether by my actions or their perceptions. The trick is realizing that we can write a new soundtrack to our lives. One that builds us up when we are doing something. “Your house is a mess! You never were very disciplined at keeping things neat.” Can be responded with, “I know but look at all the fun we had! And my ability to live in the present moment is what makes me happy and my life unique and colorful.”

“That art is never going to sell-you totally messed up this sketch and should have left it alone-you always color in to much!” Can be met with, “I am making art which is something I love to do so by extension I am making more love to go out into the world-that’s an amazing gift!”

Perhaps, over time our inner critics will relax a bit and realize we are already safe and that the opinions or thoughts of others don’t define who we are. The truth is we are so much more than even we can realize or accept and we are the ones who get to define our lives.

Here’s to a weekend of making messes, playing with words and color and maybe wearing some red lipstick-no matter what Maude thinks 🙂

-Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Little Books of Words: Writing Words Part 1

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The house has a chill to it. Spring has turned cold again reminding me that nature is forever changing and shifting and moving forward. Spring reminds me that we need to be present in the now and not take for granted that because something has been labeled one way it will act in a certain way.

Not seasons, not people. We are all forever changing and shifting and growing.  Perhaps meeting ourselves (and those around us) new each time might open the door for magic.

I was inspired today to write a poem. I pulled out my little planner that is more journal than planner and jotted down a few small words. It was clear that this little poem of mine was perfect for my Little Book of Words so I jotted it down-my first entry. I would love to share it with you.

“As the Garden Grows…”
As the garden grows
some plants wither some plants bloom
some birds arrive some fly away
sun shines
rain falls
snow blankets the earth
all as
the garden grows.

What is in your little book of words? Please feel free to share below.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

 

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