Category: Creativity
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Revising Revision Mode…
On Monday we talked about scheduling rest times while working on a big project. The value of this new-to-me practice has been made clear these past few weeks. I credit author Ellen Sussman for introducing the concept of “units;” one-hour segments broken into 45 minutes of concentrated work, followed by fifteen minutes of non-work activity.…
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Beautiful Balance…
I recently tagged along with friends to visit a local textile art exhibit. My first reaction was to refuse the invite, given that it conflicted with a day set aside for writing, all cozy and comfy in my closet. But, as much as I protect my “jammie day,” the pull toward art is greater. For…
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Inspiration Strikes…
I recently traveled to an area where wifi was not as ubiquitous as we’ve become accustomed to. Even though I’d downloaded some content to watch when “powering down,” as is my nighttime habit, I chose to hang with family instead. That media deprivation, combined with no computer or writing time led to a spark of…
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Media Deprivation…
I recently recommended THE ARTIST’S WAY, by Julia Cameron, to an aspiring writer. It is a twelve-week “spiritual path to higher creativity,” in which Cameron encourages her followers to write three longhand pages, first thing in the morning. The purpose of these Morning Pages is to dump stuff on the page more than to create…
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Adopt a Policy…
Maybe there is a catchier way to say it, but adopt a policy means to make a decision once about an issue that comes up repeatedly. Then stick to it. When we had a landline, I decided to always respond to the urgings of telemarketers with “I have a policy to never participate in phone…
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Seventeen Minutes…
What brings you joy? What would you choose to do if you were magically given two extra hours one week? For me it would be active music (passive music is always in the background). Perhaps you know the moment you put an instrument aside, promising to return because the learning curve got a little slippery.…
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Float Your Own Boat…
What floats your boat? Don’t you love that expression? It suggests a personal creative vessel that rides the waves of inspiration. Like water, inspiration can be peaceful or tumultuous. Sometimes we need some chill time, resting in a boat on a quiet stream. Letting the things of this world pass by without too much of…
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The Understory….
The Joy of Djembe Drumming Ensemble has been honored to play at several local events to celebrate Black History Month. Recently, moms and dads brought their kids to a local library to hear our music and learn about the tradition and history of African drumming. What joy to play, to play together and to play…
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And the Winner is…
Raise your hand if you have written a novel. Put it down if it has been published. Congratulations, you have done the work of writing, rewriting, editing, revising, pitching, promoting, suffering rejections (or worse, crickets) and/or followed the steps to self-publishing. Those of you with your hand still in the air, raise it higher if…
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Running Downhill…
Is week two of the new year too early to feel a loss of momentum from that wide-open-to-every-possibility optimism we held last Monday? When we told the world we would go ahead and make our own day by honoring that which matters to our creative selves? Even though I’ve made great strides in preparing novel…
Patty Mayeux Blog 