catching up with friends

I have a buddy with my getting stuff done goal setting.  We met up just after new year full of dreams and promises.  And then life happened and I suddenly remembered that we had agreed to back each other up and check in and keep on track.  SO we had a lovely catch up on Sunday, going through our goals, dreams and lists.  Despite not having been really ON IT, we had made progress, which was really reassuring and encouraging.  Its like the act of writing things down does help make things happen.  Or maybe its the crossing them off the list......

Either way, we are now back on track with the lists and the meeting up to check in and make progress.  Some key things were noted.  Such as, we need to give ourselves deadlines on things.  Not having a clearly defined deadline means there is no 'urgency' and it can be put off.  Creative work is hard, even though it is enjoyable and worthwhile, it is so, because it is hard and challenging.  Easy stuff doesn't feel so rewarding.  Because it is hard work, even though it is good work, it is difficult to start.  We are a little afraid of it.  We don't know what to do, because we are creating it, we cannot know before hand.  It requires a leap.  And a leap requires energy and urgency and =  well it needs a deadline.  So

actually this means I really have to go finish a piece before I go to bed.   HA HA. 

And the other thing is, I really need to keep the hell out of facebook.  I need to go on it for work purposes, and I like to go on it for social purposes.  But like any internet browsing, unlimited time on it, can drift into a wormhole of nonsense and watching ridiculous holiday videos of some fat bloke dancing and suddenly you thinkg OMIGOD my life is being WASTED here..

My main method for this today has been not to start.  And so this morning I wrote morning pages.  And I did stuff.  And it wasn't until 5pm and i was in partial childcare mode.  Bub was watching TV and I was waiting for that to finish.....

Yes I did watch a video of a fat chap dancing.  It was kind of funny. 

Anyway.  I am off to finish editing a blog piece I really need to finish....

I am enjoying being back on my own case.  And its nice to have a buddy watching me and my deadlines.  It really helps.

the return to tracking.

its kind of circular right? 

I want to revisit what this is all about.  Its about having big dreams and working my way towards them.  Step by step and coincidence by magical coincidence. 

So.  I just want to keep a track of my progress.  So far.

I have

continued to deliver do:work courses
investigated 2 possible leads for new work in that field
started a yoga business with my colleagues at Clocktower Yoga.  It is slowly growing in student numbers.  We have experimented with a Living Social deal - which has brought in new potential clients - we will see if any of them stick. 
arranged 2 art gatherings.  More of these to come.
run another succesful sale of baby & kids stuff
set up a co hosted Yoga and Art day retreat / workshop. 
sold 4 portraits.
paid our tax bill
got some new jeans and a dark blue hoody


SO WHAT IS NEXT

end goals
get more do:work trainings set up and in the pipeline
10+ students into class for Clocktower Yoga
running successful art and yoga retreats / events
another yoga class and 5 private yoga clients
selling artwork for £200+ each piece
hanging with my tribe
working with my tribe
good holidays
house decluttered (loft in particular)
new trainers (dark blue / dark grey)
finances totally under control (funds set by for future taxes & other known expenses)
will written
I am the best yoga teacher / trainer / parent / artist that I can be

inspiration soup

piece  by me done during an art gathering. 

So at my People Who Do work.....  We are reigniting inspiration and have instigated a book club.  And a digest and a general aim to keep inspired.  Damn fine I say.  Sometimes you need a *thing* to rally around.  And I do love a bit of inspiration.  And I love even more having people to SHARE that inspiration with.

I have to choose a book to read.  I am a little stuck.  Funnily enough.  I have started reading Anti Fragile by Nasim Taleb.  And its kind of ALREADY annoying me.  Much as Seth Godin did with his Icarus Project.  Sometimes its just hard to keep going through stuff which is really just a collection of good ideas. Though it has been pointed out to me by my lovely Hub who has read both, says that Nasim Taleb's book is pretty awesome and worth persisting with, whereas the Icarus project wasn't.  OK.  Maybe I ought to give it a better shot.

This book has to be something I haven't read already.  Yup.  STUCK.  I have read some really inspirational books.  But I can't choose those.

I started browsing Amazon with the aim of picking something unknown and seemingly having the right sort of title - I came across something called The Future of Work, or some such, but it just didn't appeal.

So I started mining my Evernote collection.  I keep shed loads of stuff in there with shed loads of tags.  And one called 'inspiration'

 I came across a whole piece about ideas for Foolish Projects.  Some were really really good.  And this

What would you like to learn? What are you truly hungry for? What sounds like pure joy? What do you most need to find?

AND I remembered my WORD for this year.  DELIGHT.  I want to find something that is delightful.  I am hungry for some sort of inspiration that feels and tastes delightful.  NOT worthy.  I don't want my inspiration to be a SHOULD.

I am not there yet.  But if any of you have a good idea about a great inspiring book to read I would be interested to know what it was.

OH.  actually I think I have an idea.  See, honestly its REALLY REALLY difficult to stay stuck for long.  


Thanks.   

Clocktower Yoga Story - first draft.....

I went to see Liz at Officreche today to offer her our business deal for teams that we have got going at Clocktower Yoga.  Beautiful co working spaces there by the way - interior designed and full of art with amazing high ceilings and views down to the sea.....

She wants me to write a blog post of 300 words about Clocktower Yoga and what we are about and why we set up and so on. 

I thought I would practice it here.

Hi - Moyra here from Clocktower Yoga.  We are a new Yoga class in Brighton town Centre - just down the road from Officreche.  We are 4 Yoga teachers (myself, Nicky Crabb, Sue Bradley and Fiona Ring) working together as a collective and we offer lunchtime yoga 1.10-1.50pm every weekday.

Our story is,

Even though we have all be practicing Yoga for many years, we all all graduated from the Vajrasati School of Yoga (500 hour Yoga Alliance accredited) last year and we wanted to support each other in starting out as teachers.   When we came across this fantastic central studio that wasn't being used during the day, we had the idea to form Clocktower Yoga together.  We share the costs and work of promoting a new class and we share the income too - so we don't mind which class you go to! .   We each teach with our own style and personality but the standard and values of the teaching is the same.   

We really believe in Yoga, it is so good on so many levels! - it keeps your body supple, keeps your mind clear, it builds strength and flexibility in the body and its refreshing and energising rather than exhausting,  reduces anxiety and stress, keeps bones strong....... it quite simply makes life better!

but many people find it hard to find the time in our busy lives to fit a class in.  It can take over your evening or its such a rush to get to the class and back at lunchtime that you lose all the wonderful calm you created by doing it. 

We also feel that many people who would benefit massively from doing a little yoga are scared off it by the classes that seem to be filled with acrobats or dancers already, or ones that are done in saunas!

We really want to make Yoga available to everyone,  by making it easier to fit a class into your day.  Our classes are just 40 minutes long so that they are easy to fit into your lunch hour.  We run classes every  week day from 1.10-1.50pm -  just enough to relax, get mindful, stretch out tension, build strength at a safe pace, and return to your day energised and calm.

We are not a sweaty workout sort of class, so you can even do our classes in your own comfy clothes. Vajrasati Yoga is a gentle Yoga that builds stregnth and flexibility at a pace to suit your body.  It is strongly influenced by Iyengar Yoga and so we all have a thorough understanding of anatomy, safety, alignment and Yogic philosophy.  Yoga can be practiced on and off the mat.  And we want to bring a bit of Yoga into your day.

We'd love you to try us out to see if we are right for you.  We have arranged with Liz for all Officreche members and users to have one free class with us.  And if you like it, there is the opportunity to buy a 5 class pass at the discounted rate of £20. 
classes.  Liz has the free class passes for your free trial. Please ask her for one.  Looking foward to seeing you in class.  

oh hey

its been a while. 

I went to visit an art studio again.  I really want to sign up to it.  I also really want to sign up to another online course (or two) and an in person workshop in september.

the art studio is £155 a month.  Its not very big, but its in a complex where there is shared social space and room to host workshops.  I want to have an art studio.  I want one in a place that has a shared social space.  It fits with a dream I have about having an art studio where I can host art workshops and also have feasts and social times.

In my dream the studio is mine.  Like I have a room big enough to have a big table in it myself and host in there.  SO its not quite right.  And right now I don't actually have £140 a month spare.  AND YET.   it feels like the right opportunity.  Am going to sit on it and see how much I still want it.  You know, after a few days.

I have also been rather ill, with a bad sinus type cold.  And a friend - is dying.  Has died.  Is leaving this world.  In a beautiful way. And was a beautiful loved shiny person who had a good life and who has been ill and has decided to let go and leave.  Its emotional.  Not a very close friend of mine, but someone I really liked, admired, was fond of.  Am fond of. 

I think the studio feels shiny.  I am going to wait and see.  How shiny it is still.

the year of health

I was listening to someone on the radio a while back, going on about the whole year of..... thing.  Like its the Chinese year of the Horse, don't cha know.  Its also year of other things.  But I can't remember them..  And the suggestion was that you named your own year.  For example the year of Health.  Which is unofficially the word of our house this year.

For my part its mostly because I am signed up to RUN in a crazy difficult OFF ROAD IN THE MUD AND THROUGH RIVERS (jesus wept) race for charity.  Its my cousin's charity and its a bloody good cause, helping my cousin's little boy to be able to walk by some amazing new expensive surgery.  Do please sponsor me if you haven't already.  It helps to know I am getting them money for my efforts, it really does.   You can donate here  http://www.justgiving.com/Moyra-Scott

So, I am not a runner.  And I have been trying.  I keep injuring bits of my legs in the process.  But slowly slowly, I am getting fitter. 

I also started teaching Yoga as part of Clocktower Yoga.  We a collective (I know! SO Brighton) of Yoga teachers and its our joint venture.  Lunch hour Yoga 1.10-1.50pm every week day.  And (I measured it) its 2km away.  Down and Up hills.  So most days I am walking there, doing yoga and walking back. Yup.  Getting Fitter!

And then yesterday I read something  - about good habits to do first thing.  And it mentions doing a 7 min exercise regime.  YES 7 minutes.  I thought, this sounds good, short enough to be doable.  And there an app for that. 

And I am finding it pretty easy.  Apart from the push ups.  I can't do those at all yet.  Not at ALL!  But I do try, for 30 seconds, I do try.  And that is the genius of it.  You only have to do each thing for 30 seconds!  And so even if it is super hard.  Just 30 seconds.  Apparently this is all you need to do to be fit.  Works for me.

So if you fancy it.  Check it out here.

PSH

"The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

 

Here's to uncool moments.  That are the bonds of friendship and meaning and art and humanity.  Here's to being uncool and being rich in a bankrupt world.  Here is to doing something that touches the awe beauty horror and joy that is existence.  

I ended up writing a lot last night about what the experience of art gave me.  What was it that made it art.  And it was this sense of wonder and truth.  Of cutting through the bullshit and shining forth like a beacon of juicy reality. Nourishing something deep.  Of the recognition of something being good, properly truly good, when we are so used to being sold something that says its good, and is quite, and seems so, until you come across something that really is.  

There is so much trash. So much stuff.  So much quite nice, alrightish, not bad.  But somethings are really good.  And its the unguarded uncool that stands out and means something.