Daily Practice

what a concept! it’s one of many detailed in this book 
 that i have latched on to and i’m so glad i did. not long ago, i was lamenting how i tend to get so caught up in chores and so many competing “shoulds” that i often end up sabotaging what should have been my creative time. i feel like everything else needs to be done first. i still struggle with this, but this one simple concept has definitely made an impact!

(writing at lake stanley, idaho)

the daily practice is something that you commit to everyday, preferably at the same time. the key is that you only commit to about a 15-20 minute session. it needs to be one of your creative endeavors, something you really enjoy and look forward to. you do it no matter what, then you are free to do other stuff. well, what happens for me is that the short commitment time hooks me in and, once i get started, i do often spend longer, but not a lot. then i can do whatever, but i feel so much better, knowing this time has been spent. and the time adds up, so you can really make some progress.

here's a quote from page 228, "it may feel irrelevant when you give it time in your hectic life, but the truth is that if you continue to return to your daily process (whatever that may be), your creativity will burst forth in all sorts of unforeseen ways."  i like it!!

i actually have chosen 2 daily practices, although i don’t always do both of them. one is writing. i have a huge interest in the whole concept of creativity and it seems that i am writing a little “curriculum” of sorts for a possible workshop, retreat, or ??. i just started writing and, well…. that’s the direction it took, a little piece at a time.

my other daily practice is photoshop work. i have to tell you, i have a real love/hate relationship with photoshop. to me it is like a vast desert that i wander around in. some areas i’m very familiar and comfortable in. other areas i knew once but have forgotten. and then there are those areas that elude me, that make me feel humble and like i’ll never be a true native. i have resources – books, cd’s, tutorials, etc., but what i totally lack is the discipline required to sit and learn new skills. once i learn them, i like them, but oh… the procrastination! so the short sessions are much more manageable. i’m including a few of my little experiments here.

likely, some of you have aleady discovered the truth in this powerful concept.  if not, you should give it a try!!