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By doriluthy, March 13, 2007 11:27 pm

So how is it, that now right now, I have so much more time than I have in many many months, but I can’t get around to posting to my blog in almost a month? Alissa is putting me to shame! (I’m really proud of you!)

Well, here’s my totally valid reason for not blogging. I mentioned in a previous post that I am currently working through the Artist’s Way- it’s a 12 week self driven course in “discovering and recovering your creative self”- well if you are wondering what does it look like? here it is: Once a week is a short reading that gets you psyched up for the weeks activities; a weekly artist date where you take yourself out and have some “me time”; every morning hand writing 3 full pages of free flow thoughts; weekly written tasks and activities; oh, and a lot of processing. I am not making excuses, but I am pointing out that I am actively involved in using another form of expression that satisfies the need to get words out of my head. There are these little activities that you do every week related to that week’s “recovering a sense of…” (identity, power, integrity, possibility…) I have developed a love/hate relationship with these little activities cause they usually end up exposing a bit of me that I hadn’t looked at in a long time, or maybe never before. Like there was a whole week of reading deprivation (yes, that’s a week of reading nothing! emails, magazines, blogs…) and I actually broke my over-compulsive reading habits, I managed to get some projects done around the house, and now I am reforming my reading habits in healthier, more conscious ways (think: less is more). The whole Artist’s Way experience has been intensely personal, and so often I finish a morning’s writing with “holy crap, I’m exhausted”, and usually require some food and water. Who knew that exercise in the mind could be as taxing as exercise of the body?

Anyway, some activities are really fun and just involve being totally creative in the moment without fear of committing yourself to a specific direction, but are about opening up your mind to possibilities. Here’s one that I loved, and cause I’m pretty excited about what came out, I’m going to share part of my response, and invite anyone else who feels up to the challenge to try it (you don’t have to share if you don’t want to).

*Time Travel: Describe yourself at 80. What did you do after 50 that you enjoyed? Be very specific. Now write a letter from you at 80 to you at your current age. What would you tell yourself? What interests would you encourage yourself to pursue? What dreams would you encourage?*

So here’s me at 80:

Hey little D! I’m still making art. I’ve got long hair like Gram Dorothy used to. So what’s up at 80? Well, after I turned 50 I started making land based installations and sculptures, working with architects and engineers to create massive monolithic creations. I had been teaching sculpture at university since I got my MFA when I was 49, but recently retired at 76. For years now Dustin and I have been spending our summers in our lovely little home in Vancouver, Canada, where we have dual citizenship. I am still feeling healthy and strong, and anticipate easily another 20 years out of life (we’ve got those good genes). Doing my MFA was a major turning point in my art making when I went really big. I had been doing large installations up to that point of many multiples and some space modification, but not to the point of having a bull-dozer out and moving land. How cool, I love it. Anyway, stay strong and focused on your career, that is your true path. Beware the neigh sayers and pronatalists. Be assured that you will create many things to be proud of during your time on this planet…

… there’s a bunch more (it gets more personal) but i just wanted to share this part. Dude, I love me at 80!

I definitely encourage anyone to try this little exercise. Don’t be too critical of yourself, just write whatever flows. It’s so interesting to see what comes up, or perhaps what DOESN’T come up. (no mention of kids in mine… hmm?)
ciao!