Week 7: Tasks

Easy Does it, But Do Do It

Switch my winter clothes for my summer clothes
Dust the ceilings
Clean out the refrigerator
Clear the countertops
Sort through the basement

Geography

What culture other than your own speaks to you? Russians
What age other than the one we’re in resonates with your sensibilities? The 1930s
What foreign cuisine feels like home in your palate? Italian
What exotic smells give you a sense of expansion and well-being? Indian food
What spiritual tradition intrigues you beyond your own? Buddhism
What music from another culture plucks your heartstrings? Celtic
In another age, what physical age do you see yourself? mid-30s
In another culture and time, what is your sex? gay man
Do you enjoy period movies? Or movies, period? Not terribly keen on my period movies. Loved “The Great Gatsby,” though.
If you were to write a film, what age and time, what place and predicament, would you choose to explore? Homosexual musician in new york in the 1930

Learning to Navigate the Learning Curve

1. Bake fresh bread
2. Drive stick
3. Use a Mac
4. Photoshop
5. Spin poi
6. Beef wellington
7. haikus
8. be a people person
9. ice skate
10. be more aggressive

Week 6: Check in

1. How many days this week did you write?
I missed Monday because we were on the road home from LA. I wrote every other day.

2, Did you do your Artist's Date this week?
Staying in and recharging my batteries will be my artist's date this week. I did go to yoga though which is good for my brain.

3. Did you go on your weekly walk?
I lost three pounds from dancing this weekend but no, I did not go on my walk. It's raining here. Yes, still.

4. Were there any other issues this week that felt significant to your self discovery?
I feel like the universe may be guiding me toward kitchen arts for awhile. I still want to write, but it doesn't seem like a priority at the moment.

Week 6: Writing Tasks

A Room of Your Own

1. I could sit in Bittersweet and eat pie and drink cider.
2. I could bring a folding chair to the beach.
3. I could sit in the rose garden at Sequoia Park.
4. I could make a little nest in a redwood tree stump.
5. I could turn a closet into an office.
6. I could come into the shop later.
7. I could designate a day just for creative work.
8. I could cat sit for a friend and bring my writing.
9. I could make the most of my husband going out of town without me.
10. I could cafe hop all around town.

Communing with Community

1. A daily ritual I could take in community is taking a walk around my neighborhood.
2. A community paper I could read is The Lostcoast Outpost.
3. A community store I could support is Eureka Natural Foods.
4. A community concern I could support is taking care of the homeless population.
5. A community service I could volunteer is working the local NPR station's phone drive.

Interestingly, I live in a very community focused area and these are all things I already do on a regular basis.

Book of the Month: March

I read seven books in March, five of which were written by women, two of which were graphic novels (one was a graphic novel written by a woman!). I actually read several things that I found somewhat disappointing this month which is unfortunate but I suppose it was good to get them all over with in one go.

My favorite book from March was "The Bell Jar," by Sylvia Plath. This is a feminist classic and I have been meaning to read it for quite some time but had never made time for it. I assumed it would would be like many other feminist classics and be kind of awkward, uncomfortable, and somewhat man-hating. I was very pleased to find this wasn't the case! While the story is quite twisted and sad, I found this slice-of-life story to be incredibly interesting. It entirely captured my attention.

This month's Women Reading Women selection was "The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance," by Elna Baker. The Our Shared Shelf section for March was "All About Love," by Bell Hooks. I found the Women Reading Women book to be fun and witty. I did not enjoy "All About Love." I found it to be both heavy-handed and dated.

Week 5 Check In

1. How many days this week did you do morning pages?
I didn't do my pages on Friday because I forgot.

2. Did you do an artist's date this week? What did you do? How did it feel?
Nice little trip up to Brookings, OR witht he family. It was a really nice.

3. Did you get out on your weekly walk? Where did you go? How did it make you feel?
I walked two miles for donuts. It wasn't the most pleasant of walks because I forgot I'd have to walk through some sketch parts of town but there were donuts.

4. Wer there any other issues this week that felt significant to your self-discovery?
I feel like I'm good at starting short stories but terrible at finishing them.