My eight-year-old daughter has become quite the philosopher lately. Yesterday, after the rain ended abruptly on our drive home from her summer acting camp, I said to her, "Look at that--the rain stopped all of a sudden!" She said, "Mommy, everything is an all-of-a-sudden. Life is an all-of-a-sudden. New things just keep on happening."
I have to admit that I peeked into the rear-view mirror to check if my daughter had been replaced by a mini Zen Buddhist. Nope. It was still her in the back seat, gazing up dreamily at the clouds.
She's become more and more fascinated with clouds this summer. Especially the way they can morph so quickly from a dinosaur to a fancy lady to a rocket ship. From one to another, all of a sudden.
The dog is also a real pro at noticing even the tiniest changes. She's always on alert for new and fascinating things. So much to see, so much to smell, so many bees to try to eat.
My daughter and dog make quite a team as excellent observers of the world. I think it helps that neither one uses a cell phone.
When you're out with a camera, everything can seem new. Even the littlest things can spark an almost scientific interest, like this teeny-tiny green spider pictured above, crawling around near the top of the weed. I didn't even see it when I started focusing on the weed, and then, there it was. All of a sudden.
With my camera, my dog, and my wide-eyed daughter, I'm noticing the "all-of-a-suddens" even more. And I'm grateful. As always.
When I was a little girl, my favorite gifts from my parents were always new sketchbooks. I could spend hours alone in my room, drawing and doodling, filling up sketchbook after sketchbook with pictures, ideas, and (let's face it) a healthy dose of nonsensical ramblings! My parents were both artists (one by trade, the other by hobby), so they knew first-hand the importance of starting with a blank canvas.
Just recently, I had one of those Oprah "Aha!" moments: I realized that even after all of these years, I still can really benefit from a blank canvas. Starting off the day with an open sketchbook gives me the focus and direction I need.
I came to this realization while I was eating my breakfast last week, with a view to the woods, re-reading (and heavily underlining) Walden and feeling a sort of corny kinship across the ages with Thoreau. (I totally "get" his desire to live in the woods and work undisturbed!) I had a sketchbook near me on the table, a pencil ready. From time to time, a thought would flutter by and I'd scribble it down, then go back to my reading.
After breakfast, I moved to the couch with my sketchbook. I had a different view of the woods, still tranquil. My velvety-eared dog, Delilah, curled up next to me on the couch for a good dog-nap (snoring included), and I let my hand just wander across the pages with a pencil, making random designs and notes, catching little wisps of thoughts.
Almost an hour went by, and then the phone rang. The ringing jarred me out of intense concentration. I realized that I'd been totally "in the moment" with my own thoughts, completely unplugged from the outside world. I felt creatively rejuvenated.
My mother used to say, when she was frustrated with her painting, "I can't hear myself think!" It puzzled me when I was a little kid, but now I know exactly what she meant. If you can't hear yourself think, you tend to move through the day on auto-pilot, without any clear focus or direction. You have to have the time, the space, and the silence to tune into your own frequency.
These are some ideas that help me to focus so I can hear myself think and tap into my creativity:
Pick a "sacred time." For me, mornings are sacred, which means that I don't schedule any appointments or meetings before 11:00 a.m., if I can help it. I don't make any phonecalls, and I limit any internet time. Block out a time on your daily calendar when you're going to focus your attention fully on your creative work. Mondays and Tuesdays are my biggest creative workdays, so I try not to commit to anything else on either day.
Choose a room with a view, but not one where you're watching a whole circus pass by. If you don't have a calming view, find some tranquil pictures for your office or work space.
Use the power of silence or chimes. I know it sounds terribly "New-Age-y", but wind chimes soothe me. My good friend Alex sent me wind chimes as a housewarming gift many years back, and it's still one of my favorite gifts. It's so calming and meditative to hear the wind playing its own little tune outdoors, and its rambling "melody" is perfect for random idea-generating.
Don't get overwhelmed with trying to think up "The Big Idea." Just doodle. Free-associate. This is called "Mind Mapping" in the corporate world; for creative types, it's called art journaling.
Aim for at least 15 minutes of uninterrupted, super-focused time every day. If you have a full schedule, don't stress yourself out with trying to set aside an hour or two. If the only time you're not going to be interrupted is when everyone else in the house is asleep, then use that as your "sacred time." Or set your alarm a little earlier in the morning. Just carve out some dedicated time and make it a priority.
Respect the importance of doodling. Sometimes, your best ideas will pop up when you least expect them, so keep sharpened pencils, smooth-writing pens, and a sketchbook on-hand. Even if I'm writing, I prefer sketchbooks over lined notebook paper. (More free space!) Sketchbooks are great for writing little snippets of poetry, jotting down quotes, journaling, and creating visual plans. (Since this is a green blog, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention here that I use only sketchbooks made from recycled paper!)
Most of all, just relax and repeat these steps on a regular basis. Listening to yourself think--to your impressions, to your ideas, to your instincts--is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. My parents were really on to something!
How 'bout you? How do you generate your ideas? Do you have a "sacred time" that you set aside for your creative or personal work? I'd love to hear about it in the comment section below. (If you're an email subscriber, click on the blue title of the post to get to the main site.)
When you have a blog, it's a lot like having your own magazine, only without a staff (assuming you're not Arianna Huffington). You're the Editor-in-Chief, Art Director, Photography Department, Copy Department, Publicity Department, and Publisher, all in one.
I'm often asked how I manage to produce posts three times a week. Honestly, it's not easy! But I have found some ways to break free from writer's block (more accurately: blogger's block), and I think these tips can apply to anybody who's stuck in a creative rut and can't find the way out.
1. Take a walk. Staring at a computer screen or a blank canvas when the ideas aren't coming is not helpful. It's like the old saying: "A watched pot never boils." Get up, get out, and get a change of scenery. Fresh air and a little exercise will help your brain function better.
2.Take a power nap. I'm not talking about a three-hour nap that leaves you sleepier than when you conked out. I'm talking about a cat nap--20 minutes, tops. Set an alarm that sounds really...um...ALARMING, one that jolts you off the pillow, to get back to work.
3. Plug in to music. When I was in college and had to create studio art projects, I liked to listen to David Bowie, Kate Bush, and Talking Heads. Creative juggernauts put me in the mood to be creative myself! I still love them, but now I'm just as likely to listen to Bach's Cello Suites to put my mind in creative mode, and sometimes it's better for me to listen to music without words if I'm trying to form sentences.
4.Find unofficial mentors. (I say "unofficial" because I'm talking about people you'll probably never meet, so they won't know that you chose them.) Find two or three people whose work you admire and then research how they got to the point they're at now, paying special attention to the baby steps at the beginning. Make envy work for you!
5.The Creative Whack Pack is a great resource that helps you look at creative problems from new angles. You can get the actual deck of cards or the the app for iPhones and iPads.
6.Be a student again. Take a class that challenges you to be creative on a schedule. My friend Cathryn takes drawing e-courses regularly to stay creatively active. Along those lines, I'm happy to announce that enrollment opens TODAY (10/1/14) for my intermediate photography e-course, The Art of Photography: How to Take Your Pictures to the Next Level, which will run from November 3-21.
8. Do something creative that you loved to do as a child. Color with crayons. Play the piano. Break-dance. Basically, you're giving your brain a dose of pleasure instead of thinking of the task at-hand, so you can return refreshed.
9. Take little breaks for fuel. There's a very good reason for tea-time in England!
10. Doodle. Sometimes, if you let your mind wander with a pen in your hand, you can come up with the best ideas.
11.Stay hydrated. I don't like to drink plain water, but I like seltzer. Find something that makes you drink regularly. (Not whiskey!)
12.Clear some space. It's hard to think clearly if you're surrounded by a big mess.
If all else fails and the creativity is just not coming to you today, remember "this too shall pass," and as the never-say-die Scarlett O'Hara said, "Tomorrow is another day!"
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How 'bout you? How do you get your creative juices flowing again? I'd love to hear it in the comments section below!
I was clicking away at these blooming hydrangeas when I happened to notice an unexpected visitor within my frame--this little dragonfly, who seemed to be smiling right at me! (Doesn't it look that way?) I'm so happy I got this shot, because he flew off to another appointment the very next second!
I've made no secret of the fact that I'm pathetic at traditional meditation--sitting in the lotus position and chanting "Ommmmm" just isn't for me. But I wholeheartedly believe in the benefits of hopping off the "Mental Chatter Rollercoaster" to clear my head, refocus, and appreciate the present moment.
I've often said that macro photography is my way of meditating, allowing me to focus (literally) on the small movements of tiny things and taking me out of my own racing thoughts. But you don't need a camera--even though I highly recommend it--to appreciate any of the following soul-soothing exercises that just might transport you to a meditative state:
1) Visually trace the outlines of a many-petaled flower, like a rose or a peony. Let your eyes slowly wander around the edges of all the petals, backwards and forwards. Breathe in its scent.
2) Follow the small but deliberate actions of aspider spinningits web.
3) Meditate on a flickering flame.
4) Carefullystudy the movements of antshard at work, each one with a purpose.
5) Meditate on falling raindrops. Watch the droplets create ever-expanding circles on the surface of water.
6) Star-gaze.
7) Lie down on a picnic blanket and ponder the changing shapes of clouds.
8) Watch the waves meeting the beach (hopefully, with adorable little sandpipers scurrying back and forth to the rhythm of the tide).
9) Study a cat as it methodically gives itself a bath, massaging its ears with its paws, cleaning its face, tummy, and tail. Along those lines, listen to a cat rhythmically purring while it kneads its paws on a blanket before curling up for a nap. (Cats have relaxation down to a science, don't they?)
10) Watcha fish gracefully swishing around in its tank.
11) Watch the falling leaves.
12) Watch thefalling snow, following the drifting journey of as many individual snowflakes as you can.
I feel calmer already, and no "Ommmms" were uttered.
Your turn: What's your favorite natural scene or creature to study, or a favorite outdoor activity, that puts you into a state of relaxation? Let's hear it in the comments section below--I'm all ears!
You'd probably never guess what I was doing about 24 hours before I went into labor, both times: cleaning the house. Well, technically, before my second child, I was out in the garden, pulling up weeds, but I consider that task in the same category: getting my house in order. There's something about cleaning up and clearing out that has an almost magical way of re-shuffling my thoughts into proper working order, so I can focus on the things that really need my attention. (You know, like getting set for a new baby...!)
Please don't let me give you the wrong impression: There are plenty of times when our house looks like a roving band of toddlers went marauding through it.
And we affectionately refer to our laundry room as "Laundry Mountain."
I'm just saying that when my life gets really, really, REALLY crazy (this week, for example), sometimes the best thing to do (for me, anyway) is put down the paperwork and pick up a sponge.
Because when my to-do lists are overflowing, I need a clean slate somewhere.
I can't think straight when I'm looking around the room and noticing (even with peripheral vision) dirty dishes not loaded into the dishwasher. Or an orphaned sock in the middle of the living room floor. Or the couch's throw pillows thrown everywhere except on the couch. So, that's when I get up and straighten up. Which realigns my mind. Win-win.
It's almost meditative. Cleaning takes me out of my "mind chatter" and into "clean slate" mode. Scrubbing a sink is easier for me than sitting still and humming "ommmmmm" (and I just end up falling asleep on the yoga mat.)
"But Mom," my kids have whined to me on many occasions, "Whyyyyyyyyyyyy do we neeeeeeeeeeed to clean our rooms?"
"Clean house, clear mind," I tell them. Turns out the kids think better, too, when they're not tripping over their own Legos. They're calmer in a clean room. They have room to groove, instead of acting like little bulls in little china shops, knocking over anything and everything in their paths.
If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you already know that I'm a big proponent of evaluating our possessions on a regular basis and figuring out what we aren't using anymore. If you have so much stuff to clean that it's exhausting to even think about it, it's probably high-time to weed it out. Pass it on to somebody who will get good use out of it. That could mean a yard sale, Craig's List, eBay, or Goodwill, but sometimes, it's as easy as putting a "FREE!" sign on it at the curb.
So, if your mind is feeling cluttered, take a look around at the current state of your house. Notice any correlation?
Your turn: Do you ever clean the house to clear your mind? Let's hear it in the comments section below--I'm all ears!
Yesterday, I spent most of the morning behind a macro lens, shooting some of the most beautiful things I've ever photographed. And guess what?
They were all weeds.
The things we spray with poison*.
The "ugly ducklings" of the plant world that we pull up by the roots (if we can get to them) before their seeds glide away on the next breeze.
As I looked through the lens at the sunny-yellow dandelions, I was struck by how much they look like "legitimate" flowers--marigolds, zinnias, asters--their little, golden petals reaching out to every corner of the universe. And I'd never noticed those brown curlicues on the outskirts of the flower. Have you ever really studied dandelions this close? I hadn't. But it was a meditation, of sorts.
They reminded me of storybook lions with perfect golden manes.
They reminded me of Ferris wheels.
And frizzy hair-do's.
And Epcot Center.
Which is to say: They took me out of my own hurry-scurry thoughts and let mejust be.
Photography does that for me, especially macro photography. I'm terrible at traditional meditation--my mind in a perpetual whirl, thoughts circling like hawks on the look-out for mice. But I'm at peace behind a camera. It's from behind a camera that I look closer, and deeper, and more truthfully at the world.
My next photography e-course, "How to Take Better Photos of Nature and the World Around You", will run from July 14-July 25, 2014. (Pencil it in--full announcement coming soon!) I hope you'll join me--it's going to be FUN!
*We don't spray our lawn with herbicides and pesticides--we go the natural route with organic fertilizers and lawn treatments. See the related article below called "Keep Off The Grass: Experts Sound Off on the Health Hazards of Lawn Chemicals."
As a photographer, I'm all about focusing. It's strange, though, how hard it is for us to really focus consistently on the things that matter the most. How easy it is for us to get distracted by little things that cloud the Big Picture. The following posts focus on that problem from some different angles--take a look:
"That's fascinating," says my six-year-old daughter from the back seat as we drive home from the bus stop this morning. She's under the weather and staying home with me today; we just dropped off her big brother for school.
"What's fascinating?" I ask.
"Our car's shadow." She's been watching the play of light and shade that we're creating as our vehicle moves along. Even with a fever, she is highly attuned to the world around her. Because that's what children do: They observe. They narrate what they see. They don't fully understand everything, or even pretend to understand it all, which makes life seem more mysterious and magical.
Children are naturally poets and artists. To live creatively as adults, I think it's important to try our best at reclaiming that childlike vision, that wonder at the awesomeness of the world. Not that I have all the answers (being an adult and all), but here are a few ways to veer in that general direction:
1. Pick up a camera. It will help you to seek out the interesting and beautiful things.
2. Stop pretending to know it all. If you don't know something, just admit it and look it up. Children love learning new things.
3. Really see with your eyes. Examine things from all angles. Look at them upside down. Get closer. Children love magnifying glasses.
4. Really hear with your ears. Every little noise makes children jump up and imagine what's out there. Count how many things you can hear and identify outdoors when you're not making any noise yourself.
5. Be thankful for all of the little things--like children and their boundless imaginations.
How are you doing in the Children's Imagination Department?
