have Creative Sunday Night at least 2x/month

this goal!

I think I struggled with it ‘cos I thought dedicating time to creativity (rather than squeezing it in when I couldn’t face studying any more) was a guilty pleasure too far. But – far better this than more online/tv/vegetating time!

I’m going to catch up by trying for a most-of-day creative Sunday today, methinks :)

update
Urgh, that did not go well! I think planning on being uber-creative all day was too much pressure, so after a happy organisation session I managed all of about 10 minutes before giving up, frustrated, having lost my idea.

New plan: a bit of ‘copying’. Pick something pretty from one of my magazines, reproduce! I need to get some more skillz down before I let loose my imagination!!

because my freelance work (necessary right now to meet our financial goals) keeps me busy a couple of evenings a week & all day most Saturdays, so that Sunday afternoon/evening is often a catchup time for other things.

This will not be a permanent situation: I love my editing work, but it would be intolerable to be only an editor. So there is lots of praying, thinking & brainstorming going on . . . & I am looking forward to a more human, Ruthful life rhythm soon.

given that it was specifically intended to keep me working on picture-book illustrations. Should I keep it on my list?

• Sunday is normally free of social commitments.
• Working on art is very nurturing to me.
• If I find a publisher for my book, it will be helpful to have as many illustrations done already as possible, so as not to have to finish in a rush.
• This can be one of my weekly rewards for fitness accomplishments.

• I might be perpetuating failure.
• Sometimes there are practical things to do on Sunday nights in preparation for the work week.
• Sometimes I’m just tired.

OK, the pro list wins. Since I’m going to be posting weekly updates about a bunch of other goals, I’ll post about this while I’m at it. That will be a helpful nudge.

I’m struggling with a persistent cough & lethargy, so I wasn’t up for actually working with pastels today. But I did do something productive: surfed the web for images of a Colombian street that could serve as the basis for an illustration for my picture book.

It wasn’t as easy as it sounds. I wanted a busy street in a working-class town or city neighborhood—lots of shops, people, vehicles. But people don’t post photos like that! Most of the online Colombian street scenes have an eerie quality of solitude, as if Colombia had very few cars & people didn’t walk the streets. The reason, of course, is that most of what is posted online is oriented toward tourists, & the image tourism promoters & government officials want to convey is of peaceful, beautiful landscapes in city & countryside. Nothing gritty. Likewise tourists themselves post photos of stately colonial buildings & not grubby, crowded cheap neighborhoods.

But I found a couple of arresting images that I could adapt, adding a few more cars & people. And I found an image of a truck with bananas piled high & hanging over the back! Hopefully I can work that in. :-)

deliciously creative. I was in California for my sister’s 25th wedding anniversary, & I thoroughly enjoyed several creative pursuits while there:

1. lettering the 80+ place cards, using bright Sharpies
2. arranging ten vases of flowers (this took me a couple of hours, I think; I completely lost track of time, as it was very meditative, engrossing work)
3. writing ghazals to read in honor of my sister & her husband, & enlisting our other two sisters to help me complete the set of 26 (then we read them during the celebration, & M., J., & many others who were present were just thrilled with them!)

I actually had my main creative spurt on Thursday night, finishing my first ever card commission! I did two ideas for a wedding reception acceptance card – the (unsurprising) winner being the one above. Int it pretty?! :)

my creative pursuits focused on (1) making plans for the picture-book work & submission & (2) submitting poems to a literary journal.

I <3 it! If that's not too big headed about my own noodlings!

Anyway. I’m still trying for a bit of creativity, I just wasn’t finding Sunday nights necessarily the best time. Saturday I finally finished a fleur-de-lys card that I’d started ages ago, and thought that was my lot for the weekend. But… I set myself a target of 4 cards for my spring goal challenge, and since this was the last weekend, I knew I was unlikely to do two during the week… if only I could remember one of my ideas!!

And there it was. Probably took about 20-30 minutes (glueing those squiggles was fiddly!), but I had such an urge to move away from the (goes with everything) creams and (everyone’s favourite colour, it would appear!) pale blues. That lime green paper is just fantastic!

So. Hurrah! :) Anyone want a handmade card? ;)

for me either, because of a whole lot of other things. However, I did have some delicious time making music this afternoon—after worship & potluck at church, a vocal ensemble gathered to practice music for Good Friday. I love the music we’re singing & its lush harmonies.

...on hold until after the exams.

I thought it would be a nice balance, but I’m finding time is far too short for anything bar working and moments of nothing.

Although I did find time today to stick four daisies on the card I started aaaaaaaages ago, and thus finished it at last. lol!