well, now that i’ve got your attention…. it’s not what you think! let me explain. in keeping with my word-of-the-year “imagine”, i’ve started another new practice. i believe in the power of practice. i’ve been pretty faithful with this one and am still loving it!
i already have a lot of notebooks, journals, etc. that i write various things in, but i saw the need to add yet another. my bs journal is for brain-storming. i made a cute cover and divided it up into sections with sticky notes – photo ideas, studio work, blog topics, retreat ideas, etc., etc.
now comes the most important part…. scheduling time to sit down and actually brain-storm! without that, i run the risk of having this book fall to the bottom of the pile after a few days of lackluster inspiration and joining the ranks of other good intentions gone awry. ummm… yes, it has happened before.
i’m only a few days into it. at first ideas were just bubbling up like soda pop, some of them drawn from other notebooks, but it felt good to get them down in the same place and categorize them. wow, this is fun!
then came a day when i sat down and stared at the page. nada. no new ideas. i’ve run dry already. not so fun after all. but that’s where the discipline comes in. so i still spend the time… i go back and read everything i’ve already written. usually that will spark something, but if not i can always add a new detail or two to what i already have.
brain-storming should be uncensored. anything that pops into my head. no evaluation. so another thing to do on those less-than-inspired days is to go back and re-read, evaluate and choose. make sure some of those ideas actually make it onto a to-do list at some point. we’ll see what happens!
doing these little disciplined practices is convincing me of something that i know in my head, but i sometimes have trouble getting it to sink down deep:
creative is not a characteristic
that a few lucky souls are born with
to the exclusion of the rest of us.
it’s a LIFE-STYLE!
(all photos taken on my morning walk with my trusty Sony point-and-shoot)
Haha. Love the acronym.
ReplyDeleteI do like the idea of a brain storming journal. I could use an idea journal. My ideas are in my regular notebooks. I tried to write idea in the margin next to them, but I am pretty sure all the older ones don't even have that. It would be lovely to collect them into one place!
Thanks for the idea - and happy brain storming!
Ha ha love all the BS! Brain storming that is! A fantastic idea that I woild do well with, I think. I am clever at forgetting brilliant ideas!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you SO MUCH for your lovely comment on my blog! ♥
Once again, you inspire me, Miss Patty. Such a great idea! Photos .... breath taking. xx
ReplyDeleteThe idea of the BS journal is inspiring. I have a little notebook where I jot down all the ideas I have, uncensored. It really helps when I'm stuck. However, yours is a step further since you actually brainstorm - good for you! I also like your discipline to do it.
ReplyDeletePatty-Oh!! I see what you were talking about..your B.S journal!!! I absolutely agree with you...creativity is a lifestyle! Have you read the book The Creative Habit...by Twyla Thwarp? It is seriously amazing!! I love all your pics Patty...especially the last one...those purple flowers just POP off the page...seriously!
ReplyDeleteAm going to send you an e-mail off soon. I had a great time the other day...it was so fun just hanging out and chatting! And thanks so much for showing me around. Oh! Guess what? Tim took me back to the antique store on Sat...and I bought uh...a few things!! There was a sale Patty!!xxx
Lovely photos! I have all sorts of notebooks too and I just threw away most of them - because I don't really need all the stuff I've written down. It's like junk in the corners. I just carried a pile of boxes to the recycling center as well as I'm in the middle of a spring clean.
ReplyDeleteI save all the valuable texts and maybe I'll start writing again but somehow writing can also become an addiction. Not all writing is necessary. :-)
yes, you did get my attention.
ReplyDeletewell, sometimes my brainstorming ideas ARE bs!
I came to you, because I found your titel so interesting. Glad I came you have great photos and great ideas for creativity.
ReplyDeleteI keep a small notebook for inspiration. Very often I write something down on a single piece of paper. But more ideas are just in my head. And I try to let them flow in my blog or some other writing, or in some new photos.