And Now For Something Completely Different
I am getting the distinct feeling that maybe y’all are a little burnt out on recipes. No? Am I being oversensitive? Are you just outside playing in the sunshine? Here’s hoping.
But in any case, I thought it was time for a little shake-up. Remember when we were all going on and on about morning pages last month? Well, when I found out that Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, was teaching a “Creativity Boot Camp” class at the Open Center, I figured it was a pretty good way to spend four Wednesday evenings.
Julia Cameron is a real trip, in the best way possible. She’s got these loose, luxurious blonde curls, wears deep red lipstick, and can somehow convince a room full of adults to sing songs with lyrics like, “your green heart is filled with apples!” In a word, she’s amazing.
In our first class, she did an exercise with us that I loved so much, I had to share it with you guys. So if you’re in for some creative, big-dreaming Friday fun, grab a piece of paper (or chime in in the comments) and let your imagination loose. Don’t spend too much time thinking about each list; just be loose and go with your gut.
- Write ten things you love.
- Write five things you would do if you knew you wouldn’t fail.
- Write five alternative lives you would like to live other than your own.
- Write four tiny things you can do in the life you have to bring you closer to those imagined lives.
Now, imagine an older, wiser version of yourself who has some advice to share.
- What do you need to know?
- What do you need to embrace?
- What do you need to do?
- What do you need to grieve?
- What do you need to celebrate?
Happy weekend to you lovelies! As always, thanks for dropping in here, reading, and adding your delightful and insightful two cents.
Image via Valeriana Solaris
Amanda Kate: How fun!
Write ten things you love: (1) The New York Times, (2) Paris, (3) Coffee, (4) New York City, (5) Mom & Dad, (6) Books, (7) Hotel Bars, (8) Therapy, (9) Baking, (10) NPR
Write five things you would do if you knew you wouldn’t fail: (1) Move to New York City, (2) Go back to school (again), (3) Rennovate a dilapidated house, (4) Triathalon, (5) Write (a blog, a novel, an essay, whatever…)
Write five alternative lives you would like to live other than your own: (1) Philanthropist, (2) Book Shop Owner, (3) Peace Corps Volunteer, (4) College Professor, (5) Senate Staffer1 year ago
Megan: i also love hotel bars!1 year ago
Maureen: Just wanted to say I love your recipes, but don’t comment much. Thanks to you, I was finally able to successfully poach an egg!1 year ago
What is it about hotel bars? So glamorous, so sexy, so anonymous…
I’d like to sing in a piano bar, like Diane Keaton in Annie Hall, and live an alternate life as an Italian sex symbol in the early ’60s.
Congrats on the egg success, Maureen! I’m so happy to hear that!1 year ago
Rebecca: Sarah,
This is fantastic. Thank you. I had too much to say so I had to create my own blog post to complete the exercise.
Have a great weekend.
Rebecca
P.S. Keep the recipes coming, please.1 year ago
Lib: Thanks for this- what a great idea! I’m in the midst of my grad school finals, and have bookmarked this exercise to come back & do when I have headspace that isn’t filled with exam material.
I’m another devoted reader but infrequent commenter. I do like your recipes- I’m a vegetarian, and always on the look out for new recipes; I really enjoyed your quinoa salad.1 year ago
heather: i’m in one of those times in life where this exercise started out feeling exciting, and ended up making me cry a little. you know those times? kind of scared and sticky? bluh. (that’s all me, though! i love that you posted it!)
i’d like to read four tiny things you could do in life, sarah, to get you closer to your imagined life as an Italian sex symbol in the early ’60s.
and as a lifelong terrible-egg-poacher, i’m looking forward to giving it ONE more try, using your method, before i give up and buy those little silicone poaching cups.1 year ago
Ashley: Love the recipes! Your pasta with brussel sprouts and pine nuts and the yellow lentils with carmelized onions are two of my mainstays!
This is fun too though, thanks for sharing
1 year ago
Ellen: I love sleeping in (1), desserts with fresh, summer fruit (2), black & white photos (3), long, leisurely meals with friends (4), crisp, cool sheets to slip between (5), indie girl music (6), old wedding photos (7), head massages (8), the anticipation of planning (9), and my husband’s eyes on me (10).
If I knew I wouldn’t fail, I would write my MA thesis (1), take a stand on getting my reclusive mother out & about (2), begin a “flashback” series of movies at my local, independent theatre (3), teach abroad (4) – without losing my current teaching position, finish my book (5).
I really enjoy my life, but if I had to be someone else, I’d be a New York city book editor (1), local literacy activist (2), famous character actress (3), daring pilot (4), and renown society host (5).
I actually think I have this one covered. I already pause after reading a book to ascertain it’s impact on me, volunteer three hours / week teaching an adult to read, am extremely dramatic when reading out loud to my students, spend time gazing up at the clouds & plan a party every other month to get my friends together. Not bad!
I am terrible with advice, so I am going to skip the last part, but I will say that I faithfully read your blog & very rarely comment, but I do enjoy it!1 year ago
Heather, i know what you mean, but i hope it was a good kind of cry. the kind that’s been lurking under the surface and just needed to come out. I guess I could…wear liquid eyeliner and pencil skirts, drop a few Italian phrases into my everyday convo (without being totally obnoxious), and jump into fountains when I’m having a really, really good time.
Ashley, Oh, that pasta and brussels sprouts recipes is good. can’t believe I’ve only made it the one time!
Ellen, Absolutely love your list (especially the head massage!).1 year ago
lindsay: I love the recipes, but I’m vegetarian and broke! I did make the salted toffee chocolate graham squares for an NBA final/Glee finale night and they were delish.1 year ago
Sarah (yet another): I’m a faithful reader and first time commenter. Ellen’s love list made me well up a little. Welly girl,here.
Here’s mine:
I love 1) sweet dog friends, 2) birdcages filled with origami paper birds, 3) homemade lemonade, 4) mid-century furniture (especially sideboards), 5) Miss Regina Spektor, 6) being showered with praise, 7) cheese boards (especially from La Laiterie in Providence),
yard sale-ing, 9) interiors by Barbara Bestor, 10) the safety net of family
If I knew I wouldn’t fail I would 1) go back to school to become a chef, 2) start a design firm and/or beautiful things shop, 3) really, really learn to sew and screen print, 4) live abroad for awhile, 5) write and teach (both so scary)
I’d like to live the life of 1) funny lady/hostess extraordinaire, Amy Sedaris, 2) simple food pioneer, Alice Waters, 3) potter/interior designer, Jonathan Adler, 4) Kate Hudson’s radiant groupie character, Penny Lane, 5) one of the totally inspiring contestants on So You Think You Can Dance
Tiny things to bring me closer to those imagined lives. Hmmmm. This part may have to be between me and my morning pages. Sarah, you, even more than The Artist’s Way sitting on my nightstand for 3 months, have inspired me to start them tomorrow morning. Thank-you.1 year ago
Sarah (yet another): Giggle. My 8 followed by a parenthesis looks to me like a smiley emoticon wearing wayfarer sunglasses.1 year ago
Rebecca: And I must add… odd that you wrote that about the recipes, since in the past week I made the spring tofu stirfry for at least the tenth time, and the peanut butter cup cookies for the first time (so so good.. dangerously good….)1 year ago
Leah: An excercise like this led me to start my blog to begin with. I think I may have to revisit my first post to see how my progress is going… Thank you so much for inspiring me to keep on track.1 year ago
Jackie: Thanks for this post…I was so happy to share it with my freshmen and sophomore high school students on our last together.1 year ago
Feli: Thank you for this post!
I shared it with my friends1 year ago
Kim Askew: Thanks so much for this post. Very inspiring!1 year ago
Jackie: I took this workshop last year and loved it. I blissfully remember my artist dates with myself and try to incorporate these into my hectic life schedule when I remember…
Also, synchronicity! Has it been mentioned yet? I hope you keep posting about this, brings back sweet memories and thoughts!
Ahhh…media fasting…1 year ago
We haven’t talked about synchronicity yet, though perhaps that’s coming up tonight. This past week was supposed to be my media diet, which I only partly participated in. Truth be told, Julia gave me a scornful look of death last week when my cell phone went off in class and it made me think she was less of a loving earth goddess. Oh god: and you just reminded me I’m supposed to bring a totem to represent my creativity to class tonight!
1 year ago
Jackie: Haha, I’d love to know what you ended up taking to class for that project. Some people really went above and beyond, right??!1 year ago