Image from here, via pinterest

1. I will not avoid inviting people over because our apartment is a mess (it usually is) and small (unfortunately it never has magically gotten bigger). (Also, this post has some great advice about hosting overnight guests when you live in a small space.)
2. I will not miss an opportunity to go fishing with Garret. One of my 8 goals for this year is to catch more fish. No joke. My motivation is two-fold: 1) Garret loves fishing and loves when we have “Shoulder-to-shoulder” time, and 2) I’ve been in a fishing slump for a few years and with G’s help, and maybe even with some pretty pink spinner lures, I’m determined to stinkin’ get out of it!
3. I will not spend lunch breaks indoors (as long as weather permits). Sunlight, a breeze, and room to breath does wonders for for me from 12-1. Instead of staying in my little office nook, I will eat outside – simply because it’s good for me.
4. We will not go out of town more than we stay in town. I love visiting family and friends, and we’re 3 hours or less from most of them, so traveling on the weekends is our norm. But, I’m going to work on maintaining a balance this year; staying home on the weekends really helps me feel refreshed and also more on top of my responsibilities.
5. I will not buy more books than I am physically/mentally capable of reading. This is one of my worst habits. I’ve got a reading schedule for all the great books I’ve already got, and I’m working to stick to it.

My typical New Years Day routine is as follows:

1. Identify all of the things wrong with myself: weight, attitudes, production, etc..
2. List generalized changes that I can make that will surely “fix” all my issues.
3. Write them down and then ignore them after a week.
4. Beat myself up about the lack of change when I unearth the list a few months later.

So, I’m trying to do it differently this year. Instead of trying to fix things, I’m saying that I know I can’t fix me. I think that what I can do is walk in dependence on the Lord, and then make wise decisions and actions towards a life more full of and focused on love, grace, hard work, and creativity.

But.

There’s this other thing I’ve been reminded to do first.

I want to remember and say thanks, say grace, for all of the good.

By God’s grace, 2011 was a good year. My second full year out of college and working at a big girl job. My first full calendar year of being married. The first time in a very long time that I worked on creative pursuits purposefully and often in my free time.

But, in 2011 I also failed at many, many things. Some failures were obvious and some weren’t. Some required Herculean patience from my husband.

But the thing about those failures is that they’re each cataloged  in a tiny library in my brain, complete with Dewey Decimal numbers and everything.

So darn it, this New Year’s Day I’m not picking myself apart and I’m not publishing goals or resolutions. I love seeking vision and specific babysteps and making changes on purpose, and Garret and I are doing that together this year, but I’m making a point this year to be grateful first, and then give myself a break.

I’m going to remind myself that PROGRESS WAS MADE in 2011.

It was not a loss. I am not a loss. Our imperfect life is not a loss. 2011 was full of life, gifts and second chances, and God is not done. The story He is writing is vast, and shockingly it includes us broken, new-years-resolution-breaking, not-in-perfect-shape folks, too.

So without further ado, here are my Good Things That Happened in 2012:

• We got to go on a wonderful road trip to DC and a great trip to Missouri with my family.
• We continued to enjoy our Home Group and the sweet friends and Bible study there.
• Garret and I made significant progress in learning how to stick to a budget.
• We made a semi-major purchase with cash. (Whoop!)
• Changes in my office brought new opportunities.
• I managed a new online newsletter at work.
• I published blog posts for every day of October for my 31 Days of Creativity Babysteps.
• Readership of this blog increased as a result of that series.
• Garret got a 4.0 in the spring!
• I was a Second-Shooter for a photographer friend at a wedding and learned SO much!
• We paid off a store credit card. The balance was very small, but every babystep counts!
• We stuck to our Christmas budget, and I made homemade gifts. (Post coming soon.)
• I ran a 10K – a distance personal best.
• I set a new 5K personal best time.
• I finished more books than I had in years.
• We joined a gym.
• I practiced swimming. (Still need A LOT more practice!)
• We continued supporting and writing to our Compassion sponsored child, and I helped in small ways with our church’s Compassion ministry.

So, I’d encourage you to do the same – write out the things that were good this year. 2011 was not a loss. Remember the blessings, the successes, the hopes fulfilled. And then look forward to 2012. 

For me, September and October were months of writing. Much of my September free time was spent preparing for the 31 Days series, and then October included filling in the gaps and making the series happen. Lots of discipline and writing and putting myself out there.

And so, because I can’t go on like that in this season of my life, November and December have been more internal months – months of spending my not-at-work time reading, having family time, and preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Quiet lunch breaks with a blanket and a good book – those are at the tip-top of my gratitude list right now.

Silence has felt utterly delicious lately.

And maybe, just maybe, I’m learning to slow down, learning that slowing down is a good thing. Stillness and quietness and reading – that’s what I’m craving this winter, as I told Garret the other night, “I’m tired of TV, and all I want to do is read. Cool?” Heh.

And so, I sat beside him and read about gratitude, while he took an after-work nap (he was getting over strep throat). As it’s finally feeling like winter here in Texas, we turn on the electric blanket, and I curl up with a book that turns my soul towards warmth and truth, and really, that just hits the spot.

So, for your amusement upon seeing my habit of reading too much too slowly, here is a recap of what I’ve been reading:

• Traveling Mercies, by Anne Lamott: In the past year or so, I’ve started visiting the public libraries more often. (FREE books, y’all! Also, my mom is a librarian, so every library is like a wonderful treasure hunt to me.) This book was literally the first book I’ve finished before it was due. Lamott’s writing is raw and wonderful, and her stories give unique depth and sensitivity to topics like faith and loss. In addition to Bittersweet, and A Million Miles, this book added to my recent love for excellent memoirs. I am one of those people who write all over book margins, so since this one didn’t belong to me, I had to scribble pages and pages of notes from it into a notebook. Bottom line: It’s an easy and inspiring read that I highly recommend.
• Two Part Invention, by Madeleine L’engle: Another library find, and another memoir, this book has been just lovely so far. I haven’t finished it yet, but honestly I’ve been enthralled by how interesting L’engle’s life was. Earlier this fall I’d been hoping to get a hold of some of her other nonfiction books soon, like Walking on Water, but this was also a good place to start. Her thoughts on love and marriage have been really interesting and helpful, and just learning about her life has been enjoyable as well. Who knew that she started out in theatre, for many years, and that her husband was on All My Children!?
• Faithful Women and their Extraordinary God, by Noel Piper (Thanks for the lend, Jenn!): I first read this collection of five biographies back in college in a ladies group with Christine. I’ve wanted to reread it since Garret and I got married, so I put it on the list. I definitely recommend these women’s stories; for me, they help me remember why seemingly monotonous daily devotion, discipline, and action really matter.
• One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp: I’ve been moving slowly through this since my mom gave it to me last Christmas, but not because it’s unmoving. It’s the opposite, actually. Each and every chapter gives me a lot to chew on. (And, like I said – I read too much too slowly.) I’m on track to finish it by the new year and I have finally started a gratitude journal, which has been really helpful in fighting off discontentment and general grumpiness. I think Voskamp’s flowery prose is not for everyone, but besides that, this book has a powerful, life-giving, perspective-shifting message of seeing the life and gift in everyday things and tasks, so much undeserved grace everywhere you look.
• The Opposite of Art by Athol Dickson: I picked this up in the library because it sounded like a fun novel. I’m about halfway through and I’ve enjoyed the story line so far, but sometimes Dickson’s prose is too much, too thick. So, the jury is still out on this.
• The Glorious Impossible by Madeleine L’Engle: I was checking out the Madeleine L’Engle website the other day, looking at the amazingly long list of her books, and this title stuck out to me. I discovered that it was a beautiful Christmas book, wished it was a tad cheaper, and filed it in my mind. Then that next weekend at the library, I found it and was pumped! It’s illustrated with with Frescoes from the Scrovegni Chapel by Giotto and tells the story of Christ. I recommend it for unique and lovely Christmas reading.

And… only two of those are on my 25 before 25 list. Fail. I guess I’ll be adding on some bonus books to that list! Or… making some replacements.

So, what have you been reading lately?

Here is a recent look at a few nooks of my home and some things that I have made in the past month or so.

I made this after seeing this pin; I made new typography for the quote, printed it, and mounted it on framed layers of scrapbook paper.

I also rearranged the gallery wall in our living room. Too bad it’s on the stairwell/door wall and therefore the pictures will always be crooked. Hanging pictures straight and level is not one of my gifts!

I’m in a monthly scrapbooking group, and this was one of our recent projects. I loved how it turned out! (It reads “abundantly blessed,” but when I first made it, I spelled it “abunTantly” – yeesh!)

The above pumpkins were pretty much the extent of Fall decor in our apartment, but I’m excited about decorating for Christmas next week!

On that note, happy Thanksgiving to you.

May you take the time to slow down and really see the beautiful people and places that surround you, reveling in the gratitude.

What have you learned from thinking on creativity babysteps this month? I’ve been reminded of the value of discipline, risk-taking, and collaborating.  I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

And now, time to announce the giveaway winner!

The winner is comment #2 – Kathy T! Kathy, I’ll be sending you an email soon!

{31 Days of Creativity Babysteps}

“Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. They depen and widen and expand our sense of life: they feed the soul. When writers make us shake our heads with the exactness of their prose and their truths, and even make us laugh about ourselves or life, our buoyancy is restored. We are given a shot at dancing with, or at least clapping along with, the absurdity of life, instead of being squashed by it over and over again. It’s like singing on a boat during a terrible storm at sea. You can’t stop the raging storm, but singing can change the hearts and spirits of the people who are together on that ship.”

— Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Also, I’ll post the winner of the giveaway tomorrow!

{31 Days of Creativity Babysteps}

As a creative writing major turned medical student, I have had to rework my approach to finding time for creativity.  From the moment I traded in my fiction and poetry classes for physiology and pathology, I knew that my creativity would only be engaged if I found an outlet outside of school that I intentionally sought in my spare time.  Easier said than done.

This is by no means a challenge faced only by medical students; it is something that all of us face, regardless of our profession, in our pursuit of creativity.  However, there are quite literally hundreds of ways, many of which Leslie has already shared in this series, that we can use to grab those little snippets of time and inspiration in our daily life to engage our creative side.  Just to add to what Leslie has already described, here’s another set of exercises that will hopefully spark some ideas for creativity, even if you’re in a seemingly un-creative environment.

1. Take a picture from the plane window.  Even if you’re not sitting by the window.  Even if you’re in the middle of the middle of the middle of the plane and you can’t tell where the nearest window is between the heavily filled chairs and babies crying around you.  Even if the window shades are closed.  Sometimes what you see between you and the window is more impactful or inspiring than the clouds beyond the glass.  (This can easily be applied to office windows as well)
2. Eat foreign cuisine.  What did you choose?  How do you pronounce that?  Was it scrumptious or just so-so? What was its texture? Color? Taste? Smell? Will you eat it again?  Take a picture (before it’s all gone of course).
3. What shape are the clouds?  How’s the weather?  Is the sky gray, blue, hazy, clear, smoggy, bright?  Is it raining?  How warm is it?  Take a picture of the sky at least once a week.  Even if you think it looks the same, just change your angle.
4. What are you/they/it wearing?  How does your attire compare?  Are the colors the same or similar to everyone else, or do you stick out in a crowd?  Do you/they wear pants/dresses/shorts/jackets/pantyhose/vests/hats/jewelry?  Do you/they carry umbrellas/purses/suitcases/dogs?  If possible, take a picture.
5. Listen.  What do you hear?  Birds?  Music playing?  From a radio or live instrument?  Do you hear people talking?  Yelling?  Whispering?  Laughing?  Singing?  Do the dogs yelp, sniffle, or whine?  Are there dogs?  What does the transportation sound like?  Like Houston traffic?  What kind of cards do they drive?  Do they drive?  What does it sound like while walking the streets?  While in your classroom/office?  At your home?  Record some sounds with your camera if it has the video option.
6. Talk to people you don’t know.  At least 3.  On the street.  In a store.  At the library.  On the train.  What are their names?  What do they look like?  Tall?  Short?  Thin?  Hefty?  Male?  Female?  Blonde?  Brunette?  Curly hair?  Facial hair?  Eye color?  Glasses?  What are they wearing?  Where are they from?  What do they do?  Do they have any mannerisms or make any gestures?  Talk with their hands?  Smile?  Frown?  Seem disinterested?  Ignore you?  Ask to meet again?  How old are they?  Did you initiate conversation or did they?  Do they know about Christ?
7. What grows here?  What plants do you see?  Trees?  Flowers?  Vines?  Only cement and buildings?  Only potted plants in people’s windows?  What colors do you see?  How do the plants smell?  Any you’ve never seen before?  Take a few pictures (I’m sure you saw that coming).
8. Try something the same, differently.  Something you do often.  Every day maybe.  But today, change it.  Maybe it’s just brushing your teeth with your left hand instead of your right.  Maybe it’s doing quiet time on a park bench instead of in your room.  Maybe it’s eating at a different place, or just ordering something new off the menu at the same place.  Walk on a different side of the road.  Carry your bag on the opposite shoulder.  Sit in a different chair in the classroom.  Eat with silverware versus your hands.  Etc.  Don’t just do it to do it though.  Note the difference in what you see, feel, how you react, how others react.  Will you try it again?
9. Try a new perspective.  View the church from a bench.  From the stairs.  While sitting on the ground.  From across the street.  From across the city.  How does this change its appearance, its size, its color?  How does it change your thoughts or impression of it?  Try this with many buildings, places, people, foods, etc.  Take pictures of each perspective.
10. How do you feel today?  Excited?  Happy?  Frustrated?  Gloomy?  Lonely?  Peaceful?  Why?  What happened today?  What did you do?  Where did you go?  How did that make you feel?  Did you smile during a conversation on the street?  Did you feel a renewed peace after reading your Bible today?  How are your emotions tied with certain events?  How would you like for your reactions to change?

    

11. Count…cars.  People.  Signs.  Letters.  Hats.  Birds.  Shoes.  Bare feet.  Coats.  Etc.  How many times you hear a particular word.  Not that you have to tally the results, but rather, just be aware of the numbers.
12. Walk barefoot.  How does the ground feel?  Is it dirt?  Cement?  Gravel?  Cobblestone?  Is it smooth?  Rough?  Sharp?  Cold?  Hot?  Or is it carpet?  If so, what color?  Texture?  How sanitary do you feel right now?  How do other people around you view bare feet?  Offensive?  Indifferent?  Are they barefoot too?
13. Wear your hair differently.  Braid part of it.  Pull your bangs back with a bobby pin.  Wear a headband.  Ribbon.  Barrette.  Flower.  How does this change your vision or how you feel?  If you wear it all loose, how does this change how well you see or how comfortable you feel?  How does this change how other people act around or toward you?
14. Expand your vocabulary in a foreign language.  Learn at least 10 new random words today.  Maybe words that aren’t used in everyday vocabulary or conversation.  Then try to start up a conversation using them.  Pomegranate.  Funnel.  Marble.  Sea anemone.  Flying a kite.  Combat boots.  Write down pieces of your conversations that come as a result.
15. Be touchy-feely, in a totally non-creepy way.  Pay attention to texture.  How does the banister on the staircase feel?  How stiff or soft are the curtains?  What about the coats hanging?  Are the walls smooth or rough?  How about your bag?  The doors?  The buildings?  The newspaper?  The desk?  The chair?  Your food?  Anything feel different than you expected from its appearance?
16. Window watching.  Look out and through windows, both from inside the buildings looking out and from outside looking in.  What do you see?  How do the two views differ?  Does it change how you view certain places, people, or events?  How does it change what you hear?  Smell?  Feel?  Take pictures (without appearing stalkerish of course).
17. Change your angle.  While taking pictures, switch your view.  Horizontal.  Vertical.  Off-center.  Slanted.  Sepia.  Black and white.  Zoomed in.  Far away.  From above.  From below.  Try multiple views of the same target shot.  How does this change how you see or interpret the image?
18. Notice architecture.  What are buildings made of?  Brick?  Concrete?  Glass?  Stucco?  What color are they?  Do they have arches? Domes?  Gothic towers?  Pillars?  Stairs?  Fountains?  How are they decorated?  What does the landscaping look like?  How do the structures feel?  Are there statues or carvings?  What impression or mood does the structure evoke?  Does it remind you of anything?  As always, take pictures.
    
19. The light doth break the shadow… Notice lighting.  How are rooms lit?  Bright?  Dim?  Natural?  Open uncovered windows?  How does this change how you’re able to see certain things?  Do you turn on more lights?  What mood does the lighting evoke?  Why do you think such lighting was chosen?  Would you have chosen differently?  How does the lighting change on camera?
20. Note the scavengers.  What animals do you see?  Grackles?  Pigeons?  Dogs?  Cats?  Horses?  Cattle?  Beavers?  Bears?  Etc?  Are they free or on leashes?  Well-fed or scavenging for food in trash bins?  How do people react to them?  How do you react to them?  Are there any new animals you’ve never seen?
21. Listen to your…nose.  Pay attention to the smells around you.  How does the food smell?  The streets?  The classroom?  The bathrooms?  The museums?  The fountains?  Do they smell fresh?  Rotten?  Fruity?  Stale?  Like cleaning solutions?  Savory?  Like perfume?  Like a freshly mowed lawn?  Dusty?  Old?  How so?  Is the smell good or unappealing?  Does it make you want to revisit the place/person/entrée?

I’ve applied these thoughts to everything from foreign travel to my clinical rotations, so feel free to experiment!  Sometimes the places where you think they will relate least is exactly where you’ll get the most inspiration.  So use them to soak in the details of a vacation, a walk through the neighborhood, or even your own living room, and let the fashioning of the Creator around you jumpstart your own form of creativity.

Katy is a second-year medical student in Lubbock, Texas, where she spends her spare time doing graphic design and remodeling recipes.  She loves the feel of French on the tongue, the smell of cinnamon in the kitchen, and the sound of a cello in the afternoon.  One of her favorite creative experiments is trying to change perspectives of the mundane through poetry.

{31 Days of Creativity Babysteps}

Seeing with new eyes. It’s a concept I think about often (and care enough about to put in my blog header), but last night I realized that it works for both creativity and gratitude.

Having the attitude of an open and available heart, and opening our eyes to tiny gifts tucked away in everyday life helps us be more grateful for all the good things in life.

And, this attitude shift also helps our minds be open to new ideas and little inspirations that we would have missed if we were busy being discontent. 

“Isn’t it here? The wonder? Why do I spend so much of my living hours struggling to see it? Do we truly stumble so blind that we must be affronted with blinding magnificence for our blurry soul-sight to recognize grandeur? The very same surging magnificence that cascades over our every day here. Who has time or eyes to notice?
All my eyes can seem to fixate on are the splatters of disappointment across here and me.”
- Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts p. 31

“Life hands us opportunities at every turn to get over ourselves, to get outside ourselves, to wake up from our own bad dreams and realize that really lovely things are happening all the time.”
- Shauna Niequist, Bittersweet p. 138

Be sure to come by tomorrow, because Katy’s guest post is will give you tons of fantastic, specific ideas for keeping your eyes open as an artist, even during your daily routine.

P.S. Tomorrow is the last day to enter the giveaway! 

{31 Days of Creativity Babysteps}

It was a brisk fall afternoon. (Because every good story starts with the weather.)

I had been sitting in a booth at East Garden Chinese Buffet for hours, my sweet friend Jenny looking at me over her second or third bowl of soup. Somewhere in between taking a bite of her cream puff and hugging me tightly to send me on my way into the grown-up, adult world, she told me to “just do it.”  Just let go of my fears. Just trust God. Just use the eyes and the hands I had been given to bring beauty to this world.

And if you and I were sitting over two cups of steaming hot coffee, and you were telling me that there was something that brought you life, and if I saw the way that something blessed other people, then I would tell you the exact same thing.

You see, starting a creative business is scary. Terrifying, really. And you have a lot to learn (a lot!). But you will get there. Some dark, cold, terrible evenings will come upon you, and you will question every decision you have made up to that point. Some nights you will be so giddy that you stay up dreaming; your stomach whirling with butterflies.  Some mornings the sun will shine so bright, and Pandora will pick out the most perfect music, and you will realize it’s 9 pm and you haven’t moved all day because you love. what. you. do. Some days you will stomp around, whining like a baby, because you hate all your stupid responsibilities, and your stupid ideas, and the stupid expectations your clients pose on you.

And Tuesdays, oh man, Tuesdays you will be productive. So productive, in fact, that you get to go to the gym, make a good dinner, and see your best friend- because you accomplished everything on your to-do list!  But many other days will leave you breathless, occasionally in tears.

The truth is, starting a creative business is never what you think it will be. It is the highest highs and the lowest lows. It is failure, it is success. It is day after day, moving forward, falling behind, and balancing the rest of your life in the in between.  And it’s okay when you fall behind and when you fail. Because it won’t be forever.

Starting a creative business is also a lot of non-creative work. And the real trick is not in how you can get people to pay you for what you love, but in balancing all the duties you didn’t know you signed up for. There is no such thing as instant success in all these areas. You do have to learn, and you are obligated to put in the time. And you should know that it’s okay.

If you need permission to take awhile to get yourself and your business together, this is your permission.  And if you need encouragement to dream, or to rule out all things that don’t shape your business into what you want it to be, this is that encouragement.

And lastly, if you need a friendly face or a creative, business-minded veteran, please don’t hesitate to ask. Perhaps there are far more experienced people to tell you how to do your taxes, but rest-assured I have been where you are and where you will be.  And I would love nothing more than to be part of your brisk fall afternoon.

Tahni lives in Charlottesville, Virginia with her worship-leading husband, Joseph, and tail-less Siamese kitty, Soleil. She takes photographs and does graphic design for a living. She loves to tell stories, speak French, and dance to hip hop music. She also marvels at the world, surf’s peoples’ couches, and pushes the boundaries.

You can follow her work at joyeusephotography.com and contact her at joyeusephotography@gmail.com.

{31 Days of Creativity Babysteps}

Tonight, I’m weary of writing.

Weary of introspection and pushing and practicing.

This 31 Days adventure has been a very fruitful exercise in disciplined writing, but now I am itching to back away from the computer and take time to make things. Take time for working with my camera, sitting in the fall sunshine, designing our Christmas card, planning a party, taking on more design projects, and making homemade Christmas gifts.

I’m going to set aside some intentional time for evaluating, and taking more concrete steps towards the creative risks that I’ve been writing about this month. I’m ready for some action after this month of writing that has been good and hard and taught me much.

What I’ve learned from writing 31 Days of Creativity Babysteps:

• Planning ahead well gives you the freedom and cushion to be flexible and change things up when you need to.
• Some posts will be better than others, and that’s okay. (Sounds easy, but on those late nights when I felt so dissatisfied with a piece, sometimes I had to remember to be okay with the time constraints of this project and just hit publish.)
• Practicing being disciplined in your craft is always a good thing.
• Sometimes you never know which posts will resonate the most with readers, and that’s okay, too.
• Your husband is always more important than your writing. Duh, I know. Also, having an understanding husband is awesome.