Alphabet Soup - I is for Inspired

Wow, what a weekend!

Saturday I attended the every WOMAN 2011 conference. What I thought was going to be simply a day to be physical active, with like minded women, and a chance to try some new types of fitness classes - was so much more than I expected. I've been inspired!

Here's what I learned from the conference:

• I love conferences! When I was a teenager I became involved in leadership conferences, and other youth conferences. The energy was so incredible. I'm realizing that I love it when large groups of people come together to learn (especially when it's about themselves) for a short and intense duration of time.

• I like to be directly involved. It meets my need for belonging and my love of knowing how things work behind the scenes. ***Here's a big tip for all you starving artists - if registration costs are a little too much for you, find out if you can volunteer!*** That's what I did, and it granted me entry and a place on the team. And I am so glad I did. I was able to pop into a dreams to goals workshop that wasn't on my schedule, and it created some wonderful shifts in my perspective!

• Visualization exercises make me teary.

• I want to be an artist. Not quietly in my own space. Like out there on other people's walls, loud and proud, using my eventual BFA for professional gain, not just personal.

• Everything I need is inside of me!

• Hula Hooping is an amazing form of exercise that works muscles that I haven't been able to get at before. And so much fun! We were all laughing and cheering each other on. Even when a couple of us got hit in the face :) Want one, now!!

• Creating more structure in my life will leave me feeling like I have more freedom!

• Feeling controlled still triggers me big time.

• Art Journaling every day is possible, and probable, and can have a valued space in my schedule.

• I'm cute, and I'm okay with it. Cute in the sweet, and adorable way. Like an energetic puppy.

• I like being sexy, and I'm learning to enjoy it and be more refined in how I am. Being sexy isn't something I need to be known as. It's an underlying part of me, and there's a time and a place to vamp it up, and boy do I know how now. Even something as simple as enjoying the way my arm feels to me... is very attractive.

What an amazing experience! So, 5:00 hit that night, and I got right down to my art journaling. Thanks again Emily, for sharing yours and inspiring me. Here's one side of my first entry, using some of the doodling techniques I've been playing with, that captures a bit of what inspired me at the conference...

The amazingness didn't end there. Yesterday, the sweetie and I went on a day trip adventure. As we were preparing everything the night before, he suggested we bring the Drawing Lab book for the ferry ride, since we missed our weekly assignment. Seriously!? I hadn't want to suggest it. Drawing is something he's still getting comfortable with. Sure enough, we whipped it out as soon as we got settled on board. (I forgot our supplies, though I was able to dig a pen and pencil out of my computer bag, and improvise with what I'm hoping were snack bags). The assignment we chose was left handed portraits of each other, which had us trying to keep our volume down while we were giggling. I was so inspired by him and his portrait of me that I wanted to share his along with mine.

(Yep, that's right. He's a rightie, and drew this with his left!)

You know what else inspires me, and makes me super teary... when he told me, on a couple of different occasions now... that just being around me makes him more creative.

Wait, the story doesn't end here. There's more! While I was at the conference on Saturday I got an email that my place on hold for a book at the library (that I've been waiting patiently and eagerly for) had finally come up. The library was right around the corner from the conference so I was able to pick it up on the way home. It came with on the ferry ride yesterday too, and Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project is exactly what I need to carry the energy from the conference forward and turn my plans into actions. She's right. Some people really do learn from reading others' experiences, even if they are not monumental. Similar to Noelle Oxenhandler's Wishing Year, it seems, so far, to be a great blend of personal goals and triumphs, supported by well researched and enlightening information. I've only made it to the end of January in her journey, and I am already incredibly inspired. Following suit, I'm going to make a monthly chart to track some of my daily goals too :)(I'm actually looking forward to it!) I'm also looking forward to my new early bed time, because built in with that is a half an hour of indulgent reading in bed before lights out. Is it bed time yet? I super excited to see what happens in February of Gretchen's Happiness Project

Oh, I almost forgot. One more thing that I want to share with you. I'm guest blogging on Friday, over in Cinderitaville, the land of inspiration. I was a little stumped what to write about, until my current favourite foliage gave me a nudge on Saturday. Y'all know that I've been completely inspired by our Christmas tree. It became the subject for my camera again, and made it into my 365 project, appearing on day 22. :)

Now on to Monday's Music Moves Me! Yesterday it was recommended that I check out Explosions in the Sky. I've been in need of some good instrumental music to inspire me while focusing on school work or art adventures, and I think I've found it!

reverb 20 - Making Music

The reverb prompt came in and I could feel myself making a sour face. The word "should" really irks me. There were a lot of big things I "needed" to do this year, and I did them: left my job, changed my degree studies, etc. On a lighter note though, (rewriting the prompt in my head) there is something I did "less of" in 2010 that I would like to do "more of" in 2011. Play guitar.

My excuse is that I want a new one. I've been playing a classical guitar, that was passed down to me and I cherish it dearly. However, my sweetie plays a steel stringed acoustic and playing his has spoiled me. The narrow neck makes the transitions faster and allows me to challenge myself with tougher chords. Now, we can't both play his guitar when we sing together, so I haven't been playing at all. Makes sense right? No, not really! I'm getting a big laugh out of this right now :)

I guess I can play his when it's just me, for the joy of it, and simply sing with him when he's playing. And play mine for those pretty songs that need a classical guitar. Maybe even learn some songs designed for a classical. Perhaps, down the road, the two of us can jam together, on two guitars. In the meantime, I will dust off these rusty fingers, grab that steel string and nurture another creative aspect of myself.

reverb 20 - Beyond Avoidance

What should you have done this year but didn't because you were

too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwise deterred from doing?

(Bonus: Will you do it?)

reverb 7 - Harmony

Community.

Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010?

What community would you like to join, create

or more deeply connect with in 2011?

I'm singing away as I write this. Little bits of tunes, that might sound a little off out loud because they're missing the harmony that accompanies in my mind. A harmony that comes from 50 or 60 voices, broken into four parts and joined in one song. One voice.

I joined a choir this fall, and this is one of the places I have found community. Unexpectedly. It was meant simply to be a creative outlet for me. A place to soothe my soul with song. But, as the choir leader put it today: "Harmony needs community, and harmony builds community".

So (almost) every Tuesday I show up to share my voice. I am greeted by a large group of familiar faces - warm people who make me feel welcome and offer encouragement. I've even gained a new friend, and she is pushing me outside of myself, further then I've ventured just in the act of showing up. And a fun-loving 68 year old grandmother who reminds me to settle for nothing less than what brings me joy.

Thanks to this prompt I am seeing myself as a part of many communities, and realizing how much harmony I am beginning to have within. I used to keep myself so guarded and locked away, careful and selective of who I would connect with, for fear of losing a piece of me. Instead I have found that when you connect more freely with others, you can connect more easily to yourself. One of the song verses really stood out to me today, because it honours this new awareness.

In darkness we cradled our sorrow,

And stoked all our fires with fear.

Now these bones that lay empty and hollow,

Are ready for gladness to cheer.

(Follow the Heron - Karine Polwart)

What's to come? I made the commitment to join in again with the choir in the new year, because it brings me joy, therefore I will find a way to make it work. And I'm looking forward to seeing some familiar AEDM faces with me on the Creative Every Day challenge of 2011.

Here's one of the songs that dances in my head during the week when I'm not at choir. It's just not the same without the a capella voices and harmonies of my little community choir. Maybe I will try to get a recording next week, at our last gathering before the holidays...