Tuesday, June 03, 2008

My ta da list for May...


The month of May is always incredibly busy for me, and I'll bet for most everyone. The outdoors beckons, both for enjoyment and for maintenance, and yet indoor chores don't cease. Maybe it's because I am a Libra, but I am always striving to maintain a balance - between indoors and outdoors, work and play, solitary and social. This month, my ta da list reflects how I am trying to lead a balanced life...

I taught 5 art classes - 4 at Stampassion, and one at the senior center;
I began taking regular weekly yoga class --one of the best things I've done for my body in ages. It really works out the aches and pains that creep up on this 40-something bod;
I read three books: The member of the wedding by Carson Mccullers, Possible Side Effects by Augusten Burroughs, and The curious incident of the dog in the night-time, by Mark Haddon;
I worked on plans for new summer classes - a class called stamp & collage on canvas, among them;
I planted herbs in my container garden - I love to watch my garden grow and to reap the benefits of its little harvest;
I participated in an ATC swap, themed "all keyed up;"
and I set aside two whole days for plain old artistic experimentation - so far, I used those days for painting, but I have lots of plans to fill these days

I have discovered, with the help of my creative coach, that I am very good at achieving artistic goals when they are obligations -- like class plans, which have hard and fast deadlines, but I am not so good at making time to just play. This is something I've struggled with for a long time, so I am trying to show up for one day a week, just for experimenting. The results be that I discover a new technique or idea for a class, but right now the goal is just to play, with no specific result in mind. For someone who likes a well-trimmed lawn, and a tidy house, and all the laundry folded, and all the chores checked off of her list, this is really not easy -- because the chores are never all finished.

That's where maintaining a balance is sooo important to me.
Work AND play.
All of life is duality.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I second marilyn rock...awesome art and great post! Love the idea of a creative coach, too. Going to go check out the link to her right, now.

Have a great week and...WOW! You sure get a lot of stuff done in a month!

Patti G. said...

Kerri.........I love your new collage here, and your new blog header too!!!! FANTASTIC girlie!!!
And your publishing in Somerset and classes, and samples all look wonderful! Amazing artwork as always Kerri! Sending hugs!
Patti

Lorri said...

What a fabulously inspiring post this is!!
I must take some of that information and absorb it into my sub-consciousness.......... I too need to learn to 'play' and not make things such a task for myself.
Good advice, good ideas.
Oh, a creative coach - how do you become one of those... I would like that =)