I am sorry the posts have been sparse lately. So far, in 2009 I have been very, very blessed with work and travel. I am praying to keep up and at the same time not lose my enthusiasm for creative endeavors which are such an important part of how I organize (or pretend to order) chaos.
I am re-stocking inspiration. I know you are much more interesting than me. I would love to see you, to hear you -- your voices, your stories, your photos. Blogging can feel like a bit of a solo enterprise at times. Leave me a comment or link about what is exciting or inspiring to you these days.
Thank you for stopping by and I hope to post more in April.
In the meantime, here's a potpourri post to give you something to snack on:
Books
I'm still working through this insightful book, Thomas Moore's insightful A Life At Work
Moore writes, "A life work is a multicolored, tattered quilt. It is not simple, monochromatic, one-size-fits-all template that you simply adjust to. It may have gaps and holes and incomplete sections. It may not even feel like a life work, especially when you are in the middle of it. There may come a time when you can look back and see the sense in all the parts and glimpse a true life work, but even then it may be full of holes made by a long history of struggles."
He says that your life work doesn't have to fit into one job description. It appears in different aspects of your life and you don't have to choose just one. Amen.
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Films:
Looking forward to seeing the Sundance Festival darling, 500 Days of Summer
and Spike Jonze's take on Where The Wild Things Are.
Both look like movies with good soundtracks, too.
...this preview gets me with the boats, the sunflare, the sense that -as I have always felt- children understand the tension and the balance of it all. It reminds me of the Children's Defense Fund motto, "Dear Lord be good to me. The sea is so wide and my boat is so small."
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Music
This week, my husband is teaching Pride & Prejudice, {which makes this English major nostalgic about being a student} so I've been listening to this soundtrack from the most recent film adaptation. It's really, really good for writing, cooking, editing photos, whatever you happen to be doing. Here's a link to my favorite song: 
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Food
Speaking of my husband {who has a passion for cooking} I've asked him to share a few of his quick-veggie-simple recipes here and asked him if I could videotape demonstrations of how to prepare the food and he agreed and said, "let's call it Plate Worthy." Love it. A new Plate Worthy series coming this Spring!
Can't get enough of Intelligensia Coffee which tastes amazing and also cuts out the middle-man putting money directly into the hands of the growers. I found mine at Fresh Market, but I know it's available elsewhere.
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For those of you who have written that you want more essays, thank you so very much. I am working in that direction. I didn't realize how much I need that outlet until now.
3.30.2009
To See You, To Hear You
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2 comments:
This is an excellent question. I too, am interested to hear how other ideas about how to "re-stock inspiration" and like you, I find others' music, films, books, paintings, etc. inspirational because when creative people do what they truly love, and then share that gift with others; their enthusiasm is contagious. It is impossible to fake that, and appears as natural as breathing.
I have also learned that it is important to "fill the well" by sorting out what inspires me, before I decide which direction to take next. I never fear losing my enthusiasm for creativity, but instead try to avoid being overwhelmed and choose wisely from the bounty of possibilities. And, if my focus is weighted too heavily toward output, I tend to overlook those little sparks and snippets of inspiration that are present in every moment. If I ever feel anxious that I am behind, or feel guilty that I should be producing more; I instantly find balance and peace of mind when I consider Leonardo da Vinci's advice to "Every now and then, go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen." I remind myself that even the most upbeat, energetic music has NECESSARY pauses (otherwise it would just be noise!) and even the most beautifully vibrant paintings have calm areas intended to "rest" the viewer's eye.
Also, da Vinci suggested "Men of genius sometimes accomplish most when they work the least, for they are thinking out inventions and forming in their minds the perfect idea that they subsequently express with their hands." I suspect that this advice from a mathematician, inventor, painter, engineer, philosopher would equally apply to a modern day mom, attorney, mediator, photographer, writer, insomniac girlfriend- or even to the most ordinary among us because interruptions and obligations are a necessary part of life-but how wonderful that he embraced the pauses, and found a way to make them a meaningful part of his creativity, and put it all into perspective for the rest of us as we consider what form our next "perfect idea" will take.
Please know that the love and attention to detail YOU put in your posts on this blog inspire me,
Faye
inspiration. it seems to be everywhere but not always where i am. i sometimes am standing a little too far away to grab a hold. thank you. margie
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