The Artist's Date - Loretta Bouillon

The Artist’s Date -  by Loretta Bouillon

It is an interesting concept; the “Artist’s Date”. I have been reading Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way and she suggests a weekly date, about two hours a week, to stimulate our senses and feed the artist in us. My initial thought was this….how can I do this in a town of 1000 people, without a theatre, coffee shop, or in a nutshell, anything that I could possible use for an artist’s date? It is good in theory but not very easy to do in this town. This, combined with the fact that it is winter and we live in the north, has been my excuse.

I have come up with more excuses than possibilities for “dates”. Besides having nowhere to go, I have no time. What busy mom has two hours of time a week to spend on something so unnecessary? Or is it necessary?

As I write this, I have taken an unexpected trip to Vancouver. I am happily overloading on hours of artist dates for a week. Can it work that way? Artistic gluttony! I am artistically and culturally starving and it feels fabulous to fuel up. Walking around Vancouver alone is feeding my muse. I am typing on my laptop as I write in a lovely coffee shop, sipping an Americano. Beside me is another writer furiously typing away on her laptop. The two men beside me are discussing a theatre production they are directing.

So far this week, I have wandered through small art galleries, handcrafted jewelry shops, a specialty handmade broom store, a glass blowing shop, a pottery shop, and the Vancouver Art Gallery. I have taken walks with my laptop in tow and sat writing on the seawall, on a ferry, and at a couple of markets listening to buskers. It’s so easy here. I love it and thrive on this energy. But, I don’t live in it. Maybe I should l look at this as an artistic retreat?

 As challenging as it is, after brainstorming, I have made a list of creative artist’s dates that I could have in my little town.

o   Attending any plays or musical nights that come through our town (once in awhile this happens)

o   Visit our little museum (for the twentieth time but take my time and go through it slowly)

o   Take a winter walk and look at the nature around me through artist eyes and appreciate God’s creation

o   Plan my garden with a drawing (even though I don’t draw)

o   Plant something exotic in my greenhouse/garden this Spring

o   Paint something abstract with watercolours (I say abstract because I don’t draw!)

o   Paint something abstract with acrylic

o   Draw something from my kids’ beginner drawing books (I seriously don’t draw!)

o   Watch those artist’s videos that I made my kids watch for our art course years ago

o   Watch some Jane Austen movies

o   Read a Shakespeare play

o   Read a biography about a writer or poet

So as I write this, I realize that the possibilities are endless. I just need to be creative about being creative! Here I go! 

Inspired All Over Again - Tracy Krauss

Creative people like writers, artists and musicians pour a tremendous amount of energy into their art. The instinct to 'let it out' is strong, but at some point it is essential to fill up the depleted tank of inspiration.

I love this month's prompt because I have read and enjoyed the book THE ARTIST'S WAY by Julia Cameron, which is one of the springboards for this month's prompt. In fact, I blogged about it myself quite awhile back and wrote a review of the book.

Since that post expresses quite well what I want to say here, I've included an excerpt:

"... the author’s premise that everyone has a creative side since we are all a product of the Great Creator, is exactly what I believe. God is the ultimate creator and since we are made in His image, we are each naturally creative in our own way.

There were two main exercises that I found truly inspirational.  She calls these the ‘Morning Pages’ and the ‘Artist’s Date’.  Basically, the morning pages are simply taking the time to journal each morning before you start your day.  She recommends writing three pages about anything that comes to mind – a ‘stream of consciousness’ exercise that works as a therapeutic ‘outlet’.  This is easy. I journal regularly and totally agree that it is a great way to ‘dump’ your thoughts and feelings. Just getting them out is often enough to bring clarity.  According to the author, this helps de-clutter the anxieties and hang-ups that might be hampering your creative efforts. It certainly works for me!

The ‘Artist’s Date’ is equally beneficial and even more intriguing. This is a once a week event that you schedule with YOURSELF. It is a date between you and your inner artist. Essentially, you are setting aside time to feed your muse. Think of the things that bring inspiration. Perhaps it’s a walk in nature; going to a play; listening to music… this is the ‘input’ side of the equation. She stresses the need to do this activity alone. It is not a time to discuss things or ask for input. It is simply you allowing yourself to be inspired.

For me, I love visiting art galleries, and come to think about it, I enjoy this experience most when I’m alone. I can just sit and stare at a particular piece for as long as I want with no sense of being hurried along and no obligation to discuss the merits (or lack thereof) of the piece in question.  I also like sitting looking out over an amazing view – be it a city skyline, a mountain valley, the ocean at sunset, or the vastness of the prairie sky. This inspires me. I’ve also found inspiration in people watching. Airports, parks, shopping malls… there are lots of interesting characters just waiting to be discovered."

 Think back to the times when you have felt truly inspired. Then make a date with yourself to do these things more often.

Tracy Krauss is a multi-published author, artist and playwright living in beautiful tumbler Ridge, BC.  visit her website for more. 

My Artists Date & God’s Love by Bobbi Junior

How to re-energize? That’s the question of the month. 

For me, it’s usually as simple as waking up. During those quiet moments, snug in my quilted cocoon, my brain happily, wildly, vigorously composes words to apply to whatever writing project I may have been dreaming about. Now the challenge is to jump up and jot down a few key phrases so I don’t forget my early-morning brilliance between making coffee and my morning scripture reading. 

Scripture. That’s often my next energy-fix. 

Paul wasn’t kidding when he said God’s word is alive (Hebrews 4:12). Verses I’ve read umpteen times in the past suddenly take on a whole new meaning according to whatever circumstance I’m currently in, and I have no choice but to open a Scrivener page and follow this new train of thought through tangles and surprises until we reach its destination.

Finally, I get to open my e-mail where I find my daily devotional in the form of the InScribe Members Blog. The dual focus on God and writing shapes my attitude for the day. The opportunity to comment triggers thoughts I may not have explored before, and reading comments from my fellow InScribers opens my mind to a variety of perspectives, often taking my writerly soul off on a new tangent.  

Re-energize? In truth, there isn’t enough time in the day to catch up to myself! (I thank God I’m an early riser - generally before 5 a.m. -  because once all this is done, I have to head off to my day job.)

Today, though, I get to focus on a way to re-energize each and every one of us. I was tickled when I realized my scheduled post landed on Valentines Day.  For something a little different I decided to send out a call to those who are writing our 2015 InScribe blogs.

“In one sentence,” I asked, “tell me something about God’s love.” 

What encouragement I’ve received as their heartfelt words came to my inbox. For you, fellow InScriber, I ask that you add your own response in the comment section, because…

Our God is an Awesome God of Love

• I'm so glad God's love never fails, never gives up, and never runs out.  ~ Tracy Krauss

• In the struggles of daily life and in the concerns of extreme life, God's love brings peace that calms the soul.  ~ Marnie Pohlmann

• God, in His great love, has always been waiting with open arms, no matter how many times I have been too busy, too distracted, or too complacent to draw near. ~ Steph Nickel

• Love is always the answer . . .  to everything.  ~ Linda Aleta Tame

• When I'm tired I find rest in His loving arms. ~ Terrie Lynne

• When I don't know what I'm praying about, God does. ~ Bruce Atchison

• (Love) like the energy that flows through the wires, I do not understand, but it brings the glow. ~ Jocelyn Faire

• Knowing that God loves me, no matter what, reassures me, then gives me comfort, purpose and a desire to serve Him from the bottom of my heart. ~ Glynis Belec

• What freedom it is to realize that God loves who I am and I don’t have to be anybody else.  ~ Joy Bailey

• God's love is beyond written words, therefore I cannot write anything at all. ~ Melanie Fischer

• God’s love remains firm, steadfast, and unchanging; no matter how much I fight against his wisdom in my life. ~ Bobbi Junior

This is my prayer for my fellow Word Warriors:  May God’s love fill our hearts to overflowing, so that it spills from our writing in ways we could never imagine. 

Now tell me, what does God’s love mean to you?

photo credit: Afternoon Sun On The Rails & Power Lines (Washington, DC) via photopin (license)
photo credit: Love Tree via photopin (license)
photo credit: Love Note 2 via photopin (license)

What is a Man? By T. L. Wiens

The strong silent man. The macho man. Tall dark and handsome. How did these become good descriptions for the perfect man? Are they God’s descriptions?

These thoughts have been going around in my head after a very interesting discussion with my son. He was blessed with the same softness my father displayed. Like my dad, my son is struggling to fit into a world where the stereotype is pushing him to be something other than who he is and labelling him as what he is not.

My dad struggled with many things. He refused to ever read the Bible aloud in public because it always brought him to tears. That wasn’t manly. And that was just one of the things that he avoided because of his tender heart. His passionate disposition could also come out in displays of outrage at injustice. Not, violent, just strong words spoken without question of where he stood on a matter. Even these displays of  passion were few and far between and seldom seen by anyone beyond the immediate family. Fears of being seen less than manly robbed my dad of freedom to be the person God created.
Then everything changed. My dad had a heart attack and we almost lost him. When he recovered, he was different. He still cried but now he pushed through the tears. I can’t tell you how many discussions we had over the next three years about his love for Jesus Christ—discussions that would never have occurred before his heart attack. And I wasn’t alone. After his death, my mom received many letters from strangers, people from far and wide. They all expressed their thanks that my dad took the time to sit down with them and share Jesus Christ’s love. My once shy, fearful dad overcame the stigma of being less than what society deemed as manly and changed the lives of strangers.

I think my dad realized the same thing I shared with my son: society’s definition of a real man isn’t God’s definition. God chose David, a man after his own heart, a passionate, heart on his sleeve man. He chose Jeremiah, the weeping prophet. And last but not least, God sent His Son Jesus Christ who showed us love in the prayers He spoke for all of us, the tears He shed over the death of a friend and the passion for His Father’s house when cleansing the temple. He also chose men like Saul, a zealous Pharisee and Luke the doctor. God doesn’t want us to define men by societal standards but by His.
I don’t want my son to live the majority of his life in a societal box fearing ridicule for being tender hearted. I want him to be free, happy and secure in the fact that God sees him and likes what He sees.