Bex Hall

Bex Hall > the 100 day project

the 100 day project

Creativity comes in different forms

And that’s okay

Books I’m currently reading

Today’s creativity involves book recommendations, sharing some rituals, what I’m writing, and an office supply acquisition—a new paper cutter! And a bullet journal. And a Zebra M301 pencil. Ok, and some sticky notes.

Love the new paper cutter

I’m currently in love with two books by Elle Luna, “The Crossroads of Should and Must” (a MUST read) and “Your Story is Your Power.” I’m only halfway through each, but I find the exercises are thought provoking and helpful. Wise words and the graphics and artwork are rich and delightful.

The Crossroads of Should and Must
Both books by Elle Luna
Your Story is Your Power

I write in my morning pages every day and on Week 9 of the Artist’s Way. Morning pages are an excellent tool/activity for creative recovery and discovery. They are three pages of longhand writing, strictly stream-of-consciousness and might also be called brain drain. Some mornings are whiny and petty and other times brilliant ideas are born.

The Artist’s Way & Morning Pages Journal

The Memoir Project by Marion Roach Smith is a refresher from the class I took last year. I’m still writing a memoir, working title “Choose Your Scar” about cheating death, second chances, and the power of kindness.

I recently finished a course with Traci Skuce, author of “Hunger Moon” about story clarity. She runs The Writing Journey and offers a masterclass on finishing your book.

And I just picked up Anne Lamott’s book Bird By Bird after listening to an interview with her on Kate Bowler’s podcast, “Everything Happens.”

This concludes today’s check-in. Until tomorrow, take care.

The Phenology Wheel Project evolves

It’s about the process, not the product

February Phenology Wheel

On January 26th, I wrote about the phenology wheel and how Rebecca Morris had inspired me to create my own. The post explains a phenology wheel is simply a visual representation of what is happening month by month in the natural world around you.

It was a clumsy start in January. I would forget to record a day’s temperatures and weather and have to scramble for old information. It was mid-month before I began, so half the entries were blank. I considered adding the first part of February so I’d have more entries, but then what would February’s wheel look like missing the first five days? I began to dread showing up to the journal.

My heart wasn’t in it. 

That was a clumsy attempt

Before I knew it, the month was over and I hadn’t drawn anything else. I had noticed many things—squirrels, a rabbit, a hawk—but there was a disconnect between my eyes and fingers. And a lot of procrastination.

In the Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron speaks about procrastination as fear. “Fear is what blocks an artist. The fear of not being good enough. The fear of not finishing. The fear of failure and of success. The fear of beginning at all.”

She goes on to write, “There is only one cure for fear. That cure is love. Use love for your artist to cure its fear.”

Since I consider February to be the month of love, I took what she wrote to heart and look what happened.

February Phenology Wheel and Nature Page

The art just poured out onto the pages. It was easier when I loved my inner artist instead of yelling at her for smudges and crooked lines. There was joy in the process instead of worry about the end result.

“Focused on process, our creative life retains a sense of adventure. Focused on product, the same creative life can feel foolish or barren. We inherit the obsession with product and the idea that art produces finished product from our consumer-oriented society.” 

—Julia Cameron

We will do well to remember art is a process and it’s supposed to be fun. When there’s play and joy, you’re free to be yourself and share that on the page, and then ultimately with others.

Go create something, anything! Pick up that paintbrush, that pen, or that camera.

Go.

Outback and Over Yonder
Weird words and books I’m reading
February P wheel

Walk When the Moon is Full

February’s Snow Moon marks our first adventure

Full Snow Moon

About 29 years ago when my daughters were 8 and 2 years old, we camped at Cave Run Lake in Kentucky. There was a visitor center where I found a book called Walk When the Moon is Full.   The author describes thirteen moonlight walks with her children and the nature observations they made. I fell in love with the idea and initiated the practice that year.

Out of print book Walk When the Moon is Full

I don’t know why I didn’t document the expeditions. Life got in the way. Priorities shifted. Years passed, the girls grew up and moved away, and the book got lost in the shuffle.

Enter my curious 7-year-old granddaughter, Ellie. 

I located a copy of the now out of print book to revisit ideas and Ellie, Pawpaw, and I walked Saturday night under the full February Snow Moon. 

February Walk

We didn’t see any wildlife, it was extremely muddy, there was a light rain and lots of cloud cover. Ellie nearly lost a boot in the mud crossing the creek. The dog ran off, our two cats stalked us like panthers, and Ellie talked herself right into being afraid of the dark. She was eager to get back to the house.

Boot eating creek

But here’s the thing—we had fun. She spent the day beforehand getting ready for the journey. Flashlight, boots, rain coat. The anticipation was delightful. The preparation. 

We saw the little pond at dark. We heard strange noises and tried to identify them. We heard the blue Heron squawk as he flew away from the nearby cove. We waded into the swamp a little way. We made scary faces in the flashlight glow. Took some photos.

Nothing major, really, but it was an adventure. One we will refine and repeat. Next month is the Full Worm Moon on March 28th and we will walk again.

When the moon is full.

The wonder of enthusiasm

Artistic, creative expression and experimentation feeds joy

Ellie’s hands

So lucky to have my 7-year-old granddaughter Ellie in the studio today. She discovered the wonder of watercolor powders and a spray bottle. The magic of a heat gun’s effects on a wet index card; the curling action is wizardry. That it’s okay to have stained fingers, and elbows, and hands.

Most importantly, that she did not need permission. She asked if she could pick up the paper and let the water drip. If she could use any color she wanted. If it was good to mix pan with powder, fingers or brush.

My answer every time was “Let’s find out.” Eventually she stopped asking and she simply dove in with wanton abandonment.

In the studio

She has beginner’s mind and enthusiasm has very little space in a culture that expects perfection, mastery, and control. Enthusiasm is messy, exuberant, and irrational. But most of all it’s full of joy.

“The grace to be a beginner is always the best prayer for an artist. Exploration leads to accomplishment. All of it begins at the beginning, with the first small and scary step.”

—Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way

She made lots of paintings this morning and now needs a cork board in her room to post them. Just like Mimi.

You KNOW where I’m going today and what I’m going to pick up for her. 

I hope today you share your enthusiasm with others and approach your work with wanton abandonment!

Ellie’s and Mimi’s hands

The end of the challenge

Art challenge recap, part deux

The birds like to get together sometimes and spell things
“On occasion the birds like to get together and spell words.”

“Bird is the word” is today’s final 28 Feathered Friends art challenge prompt. Which leaves 72 days of The 100 Day Project and I’m uncertain what I’m going to do for the remainder of the time.

But, I’ve learned the answers to “What am I going to draw or create today?” appear as long as I don’t force it. The answers come where they will, not where I *will* it.

Some other things I experienced during this art challenge:

Showing up every day whether I felt like it or not, helped build my confidence. And sharing my work, whether I liked it or not, gave me accountability.

Some surprising things like The Secret Life of Birds showed up on the page. Some realistic drawings came out. Some not so good.

I listened to an interview on the Art Juice podcast with Gabriel Lipper and he talked about the Rule of 7s. If you do seven sketches, at least one of them is going to teach you something. And probably true with paintings too. We can’t land them all. There’s always a standout. One of the seven will certainly be better than the other six.

I like this concept very much and agree wholeheartedly. 

Having a daily prompt gave me the constraint I needed to focus and create. Parameters are conducive to creating.

Conversely, comparing my art to others is detrimental to my creativity. I love the quote by Jon Acuff, “Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle.”

And last, creativity lies not in the done, but in the doing.

Let’s keep making art and see what happens.

Onward!

Bird is the word