Tiny White Flowers

Tiny White Flowers
Showing posts with label Growth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Growth. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Artist's Way Journal - Week Four, Day Three

I'm still back in time, but I've decided that this is the way it was meant to be.  This is the first time of doing the Artist's Way, for me.  There will be other times, and each time will be different. I don't have to be hard on myself for not "doing it right" right now.  Just the fact that I'm as attentive as I am is good enough.  No one expected diabetes to come into our lives right now, and we adjust accordingly.  

That's still quite rough, and I find that I experience the gamut of emotion all in one day.  The highs of "this will work out," when DS is happy and handling the shots well and his blood sugar is down to a respectable level, and the lows of "I can't believe we are doing this," and "this is for the rest of his life," and "I feel so lost."  Because of this I opted to *not* skip poetry workshop this evening, and went anyway.  Everything was covered here on the home front, so really there were no worries.  But I still feel strange leaving, when this is all so new.



Photo taken by DS this past spring

I'll try Task #1, still from Chapter Three--

>Describe your childhood room.  What was your favorite thing about it?  What's your favorite thing about your room right now?  

I had two rooms as a child.  One I spent time in on weekends and two weeks during the summer.  It had a big shelf in it along one wall, made by my dad, each cubicle painted a different color.  I kept lots of little things and books in it.  I had another shelf I seem to remember as more of a natural wood color, and in this one I kept all of my horse statues, most of them my Breyer collection.  

I had stereo, which was exciting to me, as I could play music in my room, and headphones my dad never used--big comfortable ones that allowed me to hear all the little nuances, catch the movement of music from one ear to the other--it was through these I listened for hours, over and over, Pink Floyd's The Wall, fascinated by the lyrics and the creativity of the music.  I'd sit on the floor, back against my twin bed, headphones on, and the album cover and insert with all of it's wild drawings and lyrics for each song, in my lap.  Lyrics have always been important to me.

There were various stuffed animals, Barbie things I sort of liked but not too much, and a spring horse I rode when I was five or six, yelling "hi yo Silver!" when I thought no one was listening.  There as a white dresser my grandfather made, and a little white chest of drawers that held my socks and underwear.  A pink vinyl case for my toe shoes, and I'm sure I put my white straw cowboy hat and $1 real leather garage sale cowboys boots somewhere in the room, maybe in the closet.

In the closet I hung my clothes, including the red and royal blue ski parka I wore, though I really didn't ski until high school--I took riding lessons, or just rode my own horse.  On the shelf of the closet were things I didn't use all the time, some blankets and pillows, and the little three legged piano my mom swore played on its own while she was alone in the house, taking a bath.

The bed was small, and on the nightstand I had a little pink and white alarm clock that rattled back and forth when I needed to be up for dance lessons.  Later my first clock radio played music to gently let me know that we would soon leave for the stable for lessons with Bob, or to a horse show.

Later I left this room, preferring the space of the rec room upstairs, a new room added on when I was older.  It had a pool table in the middle of it, my dad's weights, and a black vinyl wrapped and studded bar with a little t.v., and a red shag rug.  I bundled my old sleeping bag, some sheets and pillows up there, my clock radio and some books, and slept under one end of the pool table.  My old room was where I went to be alone, or to change clothes.

What did I like about this room, the old one?  It was small, and housed just me.  There was just me--no other siblings to share with.  Although I *did* sometimes wish I had an older brother.  

Tomorrow I'll describe my other room.




Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Artist's Way Journal - Week Four, Day Two

Anger, Synchronicity, Shame--I read about those last night, finally.  I'm only over a week behind.  And I'm sure I shouldn't be reading anything right now.  How to catch up?  Like this:

Chapter Three, Detective Work, an Exercise

1. My favorite childhood toy was a white fir cat, for one, and many other stuffed animals.  I used to pack them up in the Italian prune tree in the back yard for adventures.

2. My favorite childhood game was ... hard to pin point.  I loved playing Yahtzee and Kismet with my dad, "what contains the Universe?" with my self and friends, (best played at night while sitting on a bed in a dizzying state of wonderment), Monopoly.  There was another game played on a board with marbles, but the name isn't coming to me.  Frustration might be the name...

3. The best movie I even saw as a kid was first Lady and the Tramp, and later Star Wars.  Anything that involved talking animal that were (to me) cute, and anything that called into play fantasy.  Star Wars captured my desire in a strong way, and I imagined going into space.  Not to mention the fact that I had a "thing" for Mark Hamill, and later Harrison Ford.

4. I don't do it much but I enjoy retreats.  I've done maybe three retreats, and I like being away, either with a group of women, or just one, for some time to work as long as I want to on my writing.  This I love.

5. If I could lighten up a little, I'd let myself go out more.  I'd let myself be lighter at home, more fun with everyone instead of "bogged down" in mood.

6. If it weren't too late, I'd travel by myself.  I'd love to have the challenge of going overseas on my own, choosing my own direction, choosing how long I would stay in one place.  It would be open-ended, and I would run into the unexpected, especially that which I'd learn from my self.

7. My favorite mental instrument is...

* Okay, I love this mistake I just made.  I looked at the book in my lap so quickly, I translated "musical" as "mental."  I left it that way so that I could come back later and do something with it.   Well, I'll give a shot right now:

... Sudoku, the Imagination, Music...

Let's try this again.

7. My favorite musical instrument is even more difficult to say than the toy or the game.  I played the piano, but didn't do that well with it.  I still love to listen to it.  I like all instruments together.  Classical/Spanish guitar is wonderful as are the drums -- all sorts.  The harp, flute, and anything played together that recreates a minor key as in Yiddish music, Middle Eastern, etc.  I love Celtic music very much, and medieval music, as well as music played on the didjeridu.  Hmmm... can't find a favorite right now.  I love Rock, Hip Hop, and some Techno, too.

8. The amount of money I spend on treating myself to entertainment each month is not a whole lot in the grand scheme of things.  I spend more on "things" than entertainment, although some of those "things" become my entertainment, or rather, shopping for them is entertaining, some of the time.  

9. If I weren't so stingy with my artist, I'd buy her time.  That's what I ultimately don't give myself enough of.  I spend the time I have on surfing the internet to check up on my blogs, or play on Facebook, or whatever, and don't take the time to write.  This is especially bothersome when I think I've got a good space of time alone to write, and I don't do it!

10. Taking time out for myself is good for the soul.  Something I need to do better.

11. I am afraid that if I start dreaming I'll appear irresponsible.  The time spent doing what I want to do often ultimately makes me feel guilty.  Maybe DH will think I don't do enough around the house, or whatever.  

12. I secretly enjoy reading when I can.  Or, I secretly enjoy reading fantasy.  Although this is not so secret.  I just don't read a whole lot.  I love the comics because they're short and doable in a sitting.  It *does* take me some time to get through the Sunday editions because I take time to read and reread, taking in the illustrations, etc.  I love Harry Potter, Inkheart, Inkspell, LOTR, and other such books.  

13. If I had had a perfect childhood I'd have grown up to be free of guilt, happy with my talents, enough that I might push them further.  I did have a lot of support with regards to the arts, but also coaching on being sensible, which I am not, very.  I'd try new things without feeling like I should be doing something else that makes someone else happy.

14. If if didn't sound so crazy, I'd write a fantasy book.  I'd write a book targeting the middle teen to adult audience.  I'd start a journal and take submissions.

15. My parents think artists are fine, as long as one has something that brings in money.  

16. My God thinks artists are important.

17. What makes me feel weird about this recovery is that I can't see getting past my guilt.  I can't see feeling strong enough to make peace with thinking I'm spending not enough time around the home, getting what needs doing, done.  

18. Learning to trust myself is probably going to be hard.  I'm not sure yet what I'm trusting.  

19. My most cheer-me-up music is Celtic, and some Rock, as long as it is positive in nature.

20. My favorite way to dress is creatively.  It might be dressy, or chic.  Or just some black workout clothes with DH's old worn-out jean jacket with the frayed sleeves.  And some sunglasses.


*  *   *

Okay, now I'm on to Growth.  And still the Tasks at the end of the chapter.  I'll check in later.





LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails