PROJECT 108, 7 (you, my friend, are more than enough)

Speaking of roadblocks to creativity, a sense of unworthiness is another big one. Usually we can’t call it by name until the damage is done, but feeling less-than-enough is a sure fire way to halt all of your projects (in art, life, and love) before they ever have a chance to blossom.

 Are you feeling a little jittery? Fearful? Defensive?

Yup…I’d say that’s a feeling less-than-enough problem almost every time.

 One of the biggest challenges that we face in creative practice, and in life, is learning to have the courage to believe in ourselves. Rest assured that your worth is inherent. It is your birthright and there is nothing to be earned. Accolades are icing on the cake, but learning how to risk following your instincts and trust yourself with your innate creativity—that’s the whole darn cake. You can go ahead and eat it too.

 Since I feel so strongly about this ‘more than enough’ business, I decided to put it into action. I’ve been writing little worthiness notes on filed wood bits and leaving them all around town. They are tucked in corners, hidden along paths, and nestled in the snow. My hope is that the words find their way into the hearts that need them.

 

PROJECT 108, 6 (release, relent, remit)

On not-so-random acts of release:

One of the biggest roadblocks to creativity is rigid thinking. There are many ways that we can limit ourselves by holding onto our opinions, desire to be right, or past grievances. Unfortunately, hanging on makes it very hard to open up and let the creative juices flow. If you notice, like I did, that there are folks out there that you have some unresolved business with, or if you are wasting energy punishing yourself, do yourself and everyone else a favour: release, relent, remit! Do this any number of ways, but do it through your actions and do it soon!

‘How am I supposed to do that,’ you say?

My solution was not-so-random acts of release. Try a loving gesture for those who you don’t feel warm and fuzzy about (yet): send a token, write a loving letter (no strings attached, just the good stuff!), bring them lunch, or pay them a compliment to a mutual friend. The point isn’t necessarily that they know. The point is that you know you forgive them and that you move on.

 Love, after all, is all about action. When you open your heart, you open your mind. Good things are sure to follow.

The details of this gesture are in safe keeping, but I can tell you that it works!

PROJECT 108, 5 (art in every moment)

a call for miracles

Have you ever experienced a miracle (we’ll think about them as being acts of wonder) or what about a memorable coincidence? 

Send your story to artineverymoment@gmail.com

Your submission will become part of a larger collaborative project coming to you soon!

PROJECT 108, 4 (memory mobiles)

Some stories were imagined memories, but very special just the same!

paper plates, string, drawings and stories by the After School Program students

Friday November 18, 2011
Banff Elementary School

What a fun day with the After School Program! 18 enthusiastic and talented young storytellers/designers got to work on creating mobiles. First they thought about a memory or story they wanted to share. Next they drew pictures relating to their stories and cut out images and words to hang on the mobile. They wrote about their story on the base of the mobile and strung on the pictures. The results were outstanding! One student wrote about learning to sew with her Grandmother, and another about his father teaching him how to goal tend. 
I was most excited about sending kids home with these demonstrations of their thoughts, feelings, and appreciation for loved ones. 

PROJECT 108, 3 (community art committee)

This was a seemingly simpler approach, but when good initiatives are in place I think it is important to join in and support them. There was a call for the Banff Community Art Committee in October. I took it as an opportunity to commit to an important initiative already in place in town. I meet with the committee about once a month to discuss public art in Banff!

PROJECT 108, 2 (hopes and fears)

collections and collaboration

Wednesday July 27, 2011
11:00 am
Other Gallery, Glyde Hall The Banff Centre

www.banffcentre.ca/event/5475/lunch-truck.mvc?d=2011-07-27+11:00

 

Collecting with artist and friend Manuela Büchting who kindly helped and shared her photos

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Acknowledge some hopes and fears to yourself
2. With a pencil, mark one envelope with the word ‘hopes’ and the other ‘fears’
3. Place seeds and sticks in your envelopes

Your hopes will be planted and fears burned. You are welcome to take hopes for sending to others or planting on your own. Fears will make good fertilizer. 

Thanks to all 58 people who contributed hopes and 45 who contributed fears to project 108, 2.

A NOTE ON FEAR
Lake Minnewanka, September 2011
a chilly cloudy evening, a good friend, and a lot of fear

I lived with the hopes and fears in my new apartment for a couple of months while I settled into a new job and new surroundings. I wanted to find a sense of calm before I burned the fears. After a weekend of solitude and reflecting on my own heart-felt desires and worries, I went to Lake Minnewanka, or ‘Lake of the Spirits,’ as someone later pointed out.

A dear friend and I sat together under a cloudy late summer night sky. We watched as the envelopes marked ‘fears’ dissolved in flames. That night I dreamt that I was putting out fires.

The hopes are in safekeeping for spring planting.

PROJECT 108, 1 (open heart for art meetings)

THE FIRST MEETING: Tuesday July 19, 2011
7:00-10:15 pm
4th Floor Lounge, Lloyd Hall, The Banff Centre
9 practicing (or trying to practice) artists, lots of yummy snacks, good conversation, and ideas shared.

AN UPDATE: October 2011
Sometimes we struggle to keep our meetings happening regularly, but overall we have been meeting about once a month. There is still enthusiasm from the group. People come and go from our community and it has been very encouraging to see new faces turning up. If you find yourself in Banff, join us in the lounge!