Sunday, September 4, 2011

Practice



when i was growing up it meant forcing myself to play the piano whether or not i wanted to.  it wasn’t my own idea and since it felt forced, it gave kind of a negative connotation to the word. 

now that i find myself planning an entire retreat around the concept, "practice" has taken on a very different feel. a feel that is positive and helpful, even life-enhancing.  because i have come to believe (through both my own experience and observation of others)  that not only do practices provide structure and discipline to our lives, but they can move us forward creatively and spiritually on our life journeys.

yoga

meditation    



my own definition of practice is this:  something you engage in regularly to enhance creative and/or spiritual growth and well-being.  









the use of practices in my life has been evolving.  we have to do what works for us.  i don’t think once we begin a practice that it’s mandatory to do it forever.   or certainly that you should beat yourself up if you miss a day or more. but once it’s established it does become so much easier to do whatever it is.

soul collage

journaling



















 i have been compiling a list of practices.  there are some shown here, but  i know there are lot more that i could add.   if you would care to share what practice has been helpful for you, i would love to hear it!  i love the idea of sharing our experiences in this area.  as always, we have so much to learn from each other!

shiva nata

art journaling


art making
 Happy Practicing!!!

8 comments:

  1. Sometimes I think my whole life has become one big 'daily practice'. Yoga - on my mat. Photography - with my camera. Journalling - with my words. It can change one's life and point-of-view!!!

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  2. Great post with beautiful photos, Patty. I truly believe in "practice." For the last two years I have been learning Photohop via the self-teach method. I find the more I practice, the more I learn and my friends and internet groups have been terrific mentors. I try and practice every day and it definitely shows in the output.

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  3. I like practices now because I am choosing them. When I was practicing piano, and flute, and running - in the days when practice meant something else to me, I was never choosing it. Well, I may have chosen to start (in the case of piano and flute, the running was forced upon me), but I was told how much I was to practice and when it had to be done, so it felt more like an obligation, something that had to be gotten through before I could choose what to do.

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  4. My "newest" practice (for two months now) is writing morning pages. It has become a necessity, although it's not always in the morning. I would count my photography as practice as well as art making. All of this has become so important for me.

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  5. In order to get myself started in making art (usually very early in the a.m.) I go outside and look at the sky. Not only does it inspire me to create something beautiful , it is my practice of appreciation for the beauty that the world offers us if we take time to look. jane

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  6. I LOVE all of your practices - thank you!!

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I would love to hear from you!!