missions

after a bout of really and truly not quite knowing what to do next I am suddenly filling up with missions of one sort or another. 

None are long term yet.  Unless you count

Be a yoga teacher
be an artist
teach art
parenting
get our loft converted

ah, see they come flying out once I even ask myself the question

On the mini mission side of things

grow herbs (coriander, basil, sage)
grow lettuce / salads (pea shoots, rocket)
make something using gram four (its in the cupboard, annoying me by just sitting there not being used) am thinking a kind of savoury pancake stuffedwith curry see here a couple of recipes down.
I have been tidying out cupboards again.  I think it needs doing every 6 months.  I forget what is in there, and hoard stuff I no longer need or use.  I love a good cupboard clear out! Am going to put it in my diary for 6 months time!!!  as a recurrance!! get me!!! ha ha!

Bub's room needs decorating of course.  And simplifying.  And getting stuff prepared so that he can make dens in there.  All good and exciting

On a later note.  I planted coriander, basil and rocket.  and pea shoots (well. you know, peas, to eat as they shoot. 

Bub has spent all morning hanging out, playing, making concoctions for a while. 

work

I have been reading Steven Pressfields the War of Art

Its quite a motivator! 

And it has also got me thinking about what my WORK is.

Its not just art.  I wish it were that simple.  Perhaps I would be better at it if it were. I have several jobs.

Art
Teaching / Practicing Yoga
Making & Keeping Home
Making and Maintaining Friendships & Relationships
Making FUN. 
Earning Money

I wonder if I can simplify it further? 

Art actually may be part of  FUN - and FUN for me, means actively creating something interesting.  That is engaging.
Earning Money is actually part of Fun then, and also part of Making and Keeping Home.
Yoga is part of fun. hmmm.

foolish projects

I am finding myself deeply tempted to join Andrea Sher on her foolish project course.  I am particularly keen on doing something like that pot luck Sunday dinner.  Not that we could do it outside in this country.  But even so. 

Here she is telling everyone all about it.

Start a Foolish Project! from andrea scher on Vimeo.

Talking of foolish projects.  I did find myself today talking to a complete stranger about the notion of a summer salad pop up supper club.  Which was a (foolish) project that I really wanted (but didn't) manage to pop up last summer. 

I am tempted to join Andrea, this summer.  And instigate my summer salad supper club idea.  I could do it on my own, but do like the community, even if it is only virtual, and doing things together with other foolish projecteers.  I do like what Andrea gets up to!!

SO yes, today, complete stranger.  And a rather random afternoon.  I went along, to something called Fusebox.  At least that is what I thought I was going to.  Perhaps it was?  Fusebox has funding.  To do something creative and digital in Brighton.  I think it has rules.  Or these may have been the rules of The Lab for the Recently Possible. Which is a venue.  Kind of.  And which is where the Fusebox meeting was being held this week.  This Lab, also happens to be where I am going to go on the 4th of July, to a workshop about Money with a chap called Charlie Davies.  Who was there and kind of hosting.

Its all a little vague.  And I so, instead of 'finding out about Fusebox' (my friend Rachel told me that I ought to go along as they needed more artists involved) I found myself writing what I most needed on a little card, and then chatting to Prem (who runs the Lab) about it.  He had introduced his Lab, as an experimental space.  Perhaps this is where the rules come in.
 RULES
1. the default response is YES
2. if you are not learning anything or teaching anything or its not useful, go home
3. I can't remember any of the other rules.  They may come back to me.

SO given that rule, of YES.  And that there was a space he wants to use, the pop up supper club popped back into my head.  And so we talked about that.  And vegetarianism.  And then we were moved around and I talked to another fellow about his plans to develop a training pamphlet to help journalists send emails that are encrypted.  And then we all talked about the idea of a school, where by you pay a set fee and go to as many classes as you want in a set period of time.

I must say I also wrote down the word "paramaters" on my card (man, have I spelt that right? it looks weird).  As it all felt so wide open that it was almost impossible to think of anything.  THough I know one chap talked about what he was going to cook for dinner that night....... It was all definitely a tad random, slightly out of the comfort zone and operating slightly off the hoof.  I found it a bit awkward and exhilarating at the same time.  And I come home to this foolish project idea.  And I kind of want to just run with it.  Sometimes you just have to follow the sparkly lights.

And am now even more intruiged by the Creative with  Money workshop.  And ever so slightly nervous.  Or excited.  Sometimes its hard to know the difference.  It certainly appeals to my curiosity.  Hey ho.  Off we go!

Back to Simple. War on Toy Creep

I read a blog post today on Down to Earth.  I loved how she stopped to think about what she really wanted in life.  She writes

I want my life to provide me with:

• A reason to get up every morning
• Interesting and productive work
• Contentment that explodes into happiness occasionally
• A framework in which to live simply
• The opportunity and continued ability to learn skills that facilitate our lifestyle
• A strong and generous family circle that supports every member of our family – during the good times and especially when it’s tougher
• Opportunities to express generosity, kindness and empathy
• The strength to be a role model to the younger women in my family
• The enthusiasm and perseverance to take charge of my home and make it a place of comfort, welcome and warmth
  As for me - - - - I have been reading a book about simplifying our childrens' lives.  I need to look up the title, but its very interesting. It is
  
  Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids
  
  A while ago, during one of the do:work sessions, I was asking the folk on the course, what was bothering them, what undone thing was at the forefront of their minds.  Its part of our process.  And I sometimes while they are working go through the process myself. 
  
  And what was really really bothering me, was the mess in my son's room.  It was a SEA of plastic toys.  Honestly, poor wee chap, he couldn't be expected to tidy it up as there was not enough room to put everything away.  So I wrote down TOY STORAGE.  This was the issue that was bothering me most. 
  
  As a consequence of that, we are embarking on a major redecoration of his room.  Firstly we had a mattress on the floor which was sort of a day bed / spare bed.  SO, I thought if we made that into an actual bed, there could be toy storage areas underneath it.  And with the idea of building a bed (there is not enough room for an actual bed, as in the one that came with the mattress, which we used to build a built in bed.... another story..... actually you can see that story (here when I find the post with the pictures!) ah, so we needed to build a bed, that fitted exactly under the mattress.  Which brought us on to thinking that if we are going to build a bed, then really we need to sort out the wall first.  The wall had water damage from a long while ago.  Ah, so now we have everything out of the room, the wall is being replastered, and while we are at it the ceiling is being skimmed (it has very badly done artex on it - vile) and  - while we are there, we will be repainting......
  
  And so major decoration.  
  
  And before I even started reading this book about simple childhood, I was thinking I needed to do something about the 'toy creep', and so was talking about culling the toys, and creating a toy library in the attic, and was then recommended this book.  Which is all about how too much choice can freak our children out, and actually stop them from playing creatively. 
  
  So I am right back into the whole idea of simplifying.  I definitely have a tendency to proliferate and over complicate, and I am loving reading this book, which is all about underlining LESS IS MORE.  It advocates a massive cull on toys (and BOOKS!!) to create a calmer more creative environment.  You get rid of loads and then create the toy and book library.  It advocates
  
  building toys
  special cuddly bed time toys
  figures (as generic as possible)
  a dwelling of some kind (house / farm)
  dressing up box
  some cloth and rope and pegs to enable the child to build environments themself
  and 10 books.  (brutal! we won't be going that far!!)
  
  But I am going to reduce the clutter to this other groupings of toys.  The huge box of broken bits of plastic crap that came free in various forms or other is going OUT.  The rest will be reduced and there is going to be a 'libary' in the loft (or maybe the wardrobe) to swap things around and keep them fresh.
  
  Bub's room, when it is all newly decorated and lovely, with a new bed, a new den (under his old bed) will have significantly LESS in it.  Calmer, easier to tidy, more room to actually play. 
  
  I am on the case.  Am back into simplifying.  LESS IS MORE. 
   

dreams and dreams

this might be one of those posts that gets left on the editing floor.  not that there is a floor, for bits of unedited text to fall onto.  Maybe a digital cloud somewhere, taken up with writings not exactly published, but stored in draft form all over the backrooms of tinternet.

Maybe I will publish. 

Dreams and how to make them a reality.  My last post, re blogged a post by Danielle Daniel.  I first read her blog many moons ago, and she was just starting out, ish.  A bit like I was.  And now she is teaching at an art retreat.  She has really found her voice it seems with her paper mache dolls and kooky quirky style. 

And I immediately wanted to know that one day I would be writing that post about how I finally am teaching at an art retreat.  So hey, there's a dream to fulfil!!

and it made me think of the very first post I ever put on this blog.  It got deleted somehow.  ironic huh.  I know I deleted a shed load because I was a bit moany in the posts, about people who exist, and I decided that, it wasn't on for me to do that in public.  So I deleted all my really old posts. 

But that very first post was all about how I really wanted to live.  I remember it.  I envisioned a large kitchen space, with chickens in the big garden outside.  And - actually that is mostly all I can remember.  I think  I had a big yoga studio and an art studio, and lots of great friends all coming around a lot and it being this hub of creativity and friendship.

I want to vision again. 

SO.  in 5 years time.  That is in 2018.  (my that is crazy)

It is 2018.  I am *(old!) I am very happy, and very healthy.  Bub is also happy and healthy.  So is Hub and my brother and my parents.  Nuff said.  We are happy and healthy.

We have a converted attic in our brighton house.  It is also extended so we have this big kitchen with a sofa in it.  And a BIG table.  There is always a big table in my dreams.  And its a really lovely homely, creative, welcoming, friendly kitchen.  It has a roof terrace on it, or at the very least a meadow roof.  Because our conversion is very green and energy efficient!  Yeah! we have electricity panels and hot water panels there too. 

We have an upstairs bathroom and my studio is - in the loft.  or the back bedroom.  or the front one and Bub is upstairs.  OR we all have a room each anyways.  to be in.  And there is no TV in the big kitchen which is also really the living room.  We have a piano in the house. 

We feel happy and at home and sociable here. 

I am teaching yoga and art retreats and working with People Who Do (because all of these things make me happy).  I have published a book.  And I have a very succesful blog.  I am wealthy and can afford many holidays and trips.  We eat healthily and well, and organically and locally sourced as much as is possible.  We grow a lot of our own vegetables. 

Hmm, this is interesting.  Its mostly everything I have already, but better, more established.  I guess this means I am on the right track with it all.  Just further along the line with it. 

AND - there is something yet undiscovered which is going to be big and interesting and exciting for me in this time.  a new track which builds on all of my experience and takes it up a level.  and its really really really good and fun and lucrative.  

so,  things to do.  Make sure I practice my yoga teaching.  my art teaching.  my own yoga practice and my own art practice.  keep going.  its all good. 

one day I want to write a post a bit like this one

http://danielledaniel.com/2013/06/another-incredible-full-circle/

a tidy drawer

Just emptied and tidied my office drawer.  It was kind of a long time coming, rather overdue and so on.  But it does feel good to have it done.  I always discover I really do have a lot of pens, and staples, and paperclips and I certainly have a lot of post it notes!!  I also have quite a lot of stamps.  All good.  I think I must schedule a more regular clearing out of drawers.  It feels so good afterwards!!  I did the kitchen 'stuff' drawer, the cutlery and the baking stuff drawers the other day.  Inspired by some rather fancy drawer liner paper with sticky backing I got in Tiger Tiger.

And my make up drawers.  OK I am on a roll.

Just the art drawers to go!! Now that will be interesting.