"For a long time, for years, I have carried in my mind the excruciating image of plants, bulbs, in a cellar, trying to grow without light, putting out white shoots that will inevitably wither."
(Journal of a Solitude, p. 57)
I love this image! I think it so accurately describes what can happen to us mommies when we don't take a little bit of time to do something that nourishes our spirits. We have little white shoots of inspiration, energy, passion or creativity and because we don't take time to nourish those, they just wither and we feel lifeless and drained.
Take some time! Get a babysitter, ask a friend to trade babysitting, determine to spend one naptime this week doing something just for you.
For me, if I can force myself to walk into the office/art room and just sit at the art desk, I can usually summon the energy to work on a project. Once that happens, it is self-sustaining because the creative process takes me out of my "I am too tired from chasing the kids" mentality and into a different place mentally. The hard part is getting up and actually making it into the art room. I always feel "too tired to be creative" and like I "have" to take a nap. Once in a while, I sit down at the desk and have no inspiration and the tiredness doesn't go away- in that case, I DO go take a nap because that is obviously what my body needs that day.
Don't let your shoots wither!
Showing posts with label journal of a solitude. Show all posts
Showing posts with label journal of a solitude. Show all posts
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
"It is Harder for Women"
Another quote from Journal of a Solitude:
p 56
"It is harder for women, perhaps to be 'one-pointed,' much harder for them to clear space around whatever it is they want to do beyond household chores and family life. Their lives are fragmented... the cry not so much for a 'a room of one's own' as time of one's own. Conflict become acute, whatever it may be about, when there is no margin left on any day in which to try at least to resolve it."
I do want to be single-minded about the things that are important in my life. And I have noticed that I am a much better mommy, more focused, more joyful, more able to be 'one-pointed,' when I have just a bit of time for creativity, for something that nourishes my spirit. Take time, ladies! You need it. Your family needs you at your best.
p 56
"It is harder for women, perhaps to be 'one-pointed,' much harder for them to clear space around whatever it is they want to do beyond household chores and family life. Their lives are fragmented... the cry not so much for a 'a room of one's own' as time of one's own. Conflict become acute, whatever it may be about, when there is no margin left on any day in which to try at least to resolve it."
I do want to be single-minded about the things that are important in my life. And I have noticed that I am a much better mommy, more focused, more joyful, more able to be 'one-pointed,' when I have just a bit of time for creativity, for something that nourishes my spirit. Take time, ladies! You need it. Your family needs you at your best.
Journal of a Solitude by May Sarton
Read an interesting book over the weekend while I was sick in bed. It's called Journal of a Solitude. I don't agree with everything philosophically that she says and I bet if I knew more about the author, I would disagree even more. That said, this book, as a stand alone, has some great thoughts about solitude and pace of life that I whole-heartedly agree with.
p15
"Machines do things very quickly and outside the natural rhythm of life, and we are indignant if a car doesn't start at the first try. So the few things that we do still do, such as cooking,...knitting, gardening, anything at all that cannot be hurried, have a particular value."
From my own life, I would add reading whole books, making art and paper scrapbooking! Find something that cannot be hurried and determine to invest some of your time into it. Something restful for your brain, away from mommy-land if you are in that all-consuming season.
p15
"Machines do things very quickly and outside the natural rhythm of life, and we are indignant if a car doesn't start at the first try. So the few things that we do still do, such as cooking,...knitting, gardening, anything at all that cannot be hurried, have a particular value."
From my own life, I would add reading whole books, making art and paper scrapbooking! Find something that cannot be hurried and determine to invest some of your time into it. Something restful for your brain, away from mommy-land if you are in that all-consuming season.
