by Kathy Ruff
Like the mountain covered in fog in this picture, the year ahead lies before us hidden out of view. The fog will lift and what’s hidden now will be revealed like each day in 2016.
Looking back a year ago, many people prepared to make a resolution as New Year’s Eve approached. I wonder how many kept that resolution.
Today I celebrate meeting a year-long resolution I made last January to create one blog entry a week. This is that final blog…I did it! (Yet it was only after breaking my first resolution NOT to make ANY resolution!)
This accomplishment inspired me to do something once a week again for 2016, and I hope to get a few others to do it, too. Of the 168 hours in a 7-day week, I will commit at least one to two hours each week to go on what author Julia Cameron calls an ‘Artist’s Date.’
In essence, an ‘Artist’s Date’ is a play date, a block of time set aside to nurture your inner artist ALONE. Now, I’m no artist and I’m lucky if I can draw a stick person. Even that looks as if a 5-year-old drew it! My inner artist writes these blog entries and takes these pictures. While I plan appointments for work and organize my plan to complete those projects, I’ve rarely include a regular ‘ME’ time in there…a quality time alone to recharge my batteries and creativity.
The rules: Set aside and commit to nurturing your inner child. Maybe it’ll be a walk in the woods or at the lake. Maybe it’ll be reading a chapter in a book, watching a movie alone or a trip to the 5 & 10 to just browse and do nothing. At this point in time, I feel a bit intimidated as to what those artist dates will be, but I’m committed to trying.
According to Cameron, “Doing your artist date, you are receiving — opening yourself to insight, inspiration, guidance.” I’m going to take myself out (or in) and listen to what my inner artist has to say. Maybe it’ll be unintelligible baby talk and it may take a while to hear, but I’ll keep trying.
If anyone else is up for taking this same challenge, I’d look forward to a weekly blurb about what you did, how you felt and any other insights, inspiration and/or guidance you received. Anyone willing to meet the challenge of a New Year’s resolution?
Instead of focusing on the what, when, and how we want to do something, we should focus on the why. Routines, traditions, and to-do lists often fill up our thoughts and time. Our minds need to wake up and analyze what causes us to do what we do, what manipulations are in play, what pressures us to do the unnecessary and counterproductive and only then can we see what is necessary to thrive and grow our talents. Inspiration comes when you are in touch with reality and can express your thoughts.