I love reading your comments. They swosh around in my head and my heart and I feel bigger and more connected and more alive.
This idea of coming into the present when shoulds are fermenting inside of me is changing my days.
I’ve got one week to finish this book. I’m liking it and I’m also so curious about the pull of art- making these days. I’ve never experienced anything like it. I find I have to go to the art table and work for a little while and then I can write. What is up with that? I mean, it would be groovy if I didn’t need to be spending every waking moment writing, if I hadn’t already missed one deadline.
It isn’t that I don’t want to write or that I feel too much creative anxiety. I love this book and after it is off, I’m very eager to rewrite my novel and I love writing my column for Body+Soul and I adore writing my newsletter and this blog is my community-thinking-feeling ground. It’s simply that I want to play with art stuff more. So I made my first two artist trading cards last night for the upcoming ArtFest. It was interesting to watch the voice of "But will people like these?" puff around in my mind and not my body. My body is too busy being curious and totally engaged. Therefore, my mind just doesn’t have the same power.
Bill Murry’s Eye
Chakra Tea Lips
4 responses so far ↓
1 Gwen Delmore Mar 11, 2006
I know just what you mean about working on art and being able to listen but not pay too much attention to the “inner critic” or “inner spoiler of fun”–more like.
While working on my stuff for ArtFest, I have found myself in the same place. I am enjoying myself too much to let my critic tell me that it probably won’t be as good as anyone else’s work. I notice the comments, and just say, “thanks, but I don’t really care!”
Looking forward to seeing those ATC’s–I haven’t done mine yet!
2 Maureen Mar 11, 2006
I’m thinking of you, Jen,
as you struggle to give
birth. Can’t wait to have
a new Jen book to read.
Wanted to recommend
to you and any and
all, a new book I am reading
Eat, Pray, Love, by
Elizabeth Gilbert.
She essentially went on a
1 year retreat – 1/3
in Italy, 1/3 in India, 1/3 in Bali. Learned a
ton about herself.
It’s tempting.
Love
and Namaste,
Maureen
3 Jennifer Louden Mar 12, 2006
Maureen, we are so in sync! I just requested a review copy last week and want to see about having her on the radio show!!
And Gwen, I have now made six Artist Trading Cards that I like. The pictures of the first two posted here are terrible. I think it is time to buy a scanner and learn how to scan!
4 Danielle Mar 14, 2006
Remember our Priorities in this order fulltime mother to our beatiful childern, fulltime finding a way to earn sufficient hard cash to feedd and cloth our beatiful childern, and fulltime creativity to inspire and engage to whole loop. jennifer for souls like you and me — going a year long retreat, although a very appealing idea — is not realistic my dear. There seems to be a somewhat large creative shift going on right now from coast to coast – I have just returned from a workshop in VT where it was felt loud and clear and now I read this from the west coast. Interesting. A fellow Sister in Motherhood, Job and Knitting Needles.