Staying resolute

Happy 2013!

I read an interesting article today in the Entrepreneurs' Circle monthly magazine. Guest writer Vic Johnson talked resolutions.

He made an interesting point, one I've heard before from my good friend Leanne Flower but it's always useful to be reminded.

It's about maintaining a positive attitude toward our goals and hopes for the year ahead. Vic uses the classic January example of weight loss. He points out that setting a goal to lose weight is negative in itself, plus it speaks volumes of future angst and torture. It's hardly a good starting point. How much better instead to picture yourself in the mirror in February clear-skinned, toned, glossy-haired and sparkly-eyed - a vision of health and fitness? I don't know about you, but I feel pretty good about working towards becoming this February girl.

To help, I'm writing myself a long list of positive verbs - build, grow, commit, make, test, create, learn and above all, I'm believing in the beauty of my dreams rather than thinking too much about the slog I need to do to get there. With the shining touchstone of success guiding me through the tough times it all feels so much easier.

2013 begins for me with a clear(ish) plan with some SMART goals and a rough idea on how I'm going to achieve them. However, I never like to set anything too much in stone (it takes far too long to chip away all that concrete). I believe a spot of by-the-seat-of-your-pants flying is often the magic dusting required to take a project to an elevated level. Being able to shift the plan at a moment's notice to embrace that exciting vision that just popped in your head can lead to the remarkable over the mundane. It's a method of working I highly recommend - never stop asking questions. I know I'm not the only one who thinks like this...

"Don't think! Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It's self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can't try to do things. You simply must do things."

Ray Bradbury

(Artwork above is something I made the other evening after a fun planning session.)

Wishing for Summer

When Jamie Ridler asked "What do you wish for Summer?"... I yelled at the screen "Some Summer would be nice!" It's cold and raining again this morning and the nights drawing in now too...

However, I am a glass half full kind of girl and so, regaining the proper positive spirit (and hoping that temperatures that require skimpy short-wearing arrive soon), I shall cast my wishes to the universe.

This summer, in true Lisa-fashion, I am once more taking on every single opportunity that comes my way wearing an interesting hat. This keeps me out of mischief, but also requires some distinct time-juggling and smarter working. All achievable with a little self-discipline.

I've set myself some easy goals to get me started. First one is to get  up in the morning with the first alarm and avoid the snooze button. It's a small goal, but already working - I think we're on Day 5. Not only am I up 20 minutes earlier every morning, but I leave sleep stupor snoozing on the pillow. It appears that nodding off for an extra 10 minutes, then another 10... just makes me more tired. Well, what do you know? These last few mornings have seen me positively bouncing and throwing myself into tasks with renewed enthusiasm.

Another goal is to exercise at least 10 minutes per day with a proper workout 3 times a week. Mix this with eating less chocolate, cakes and biscuits and we might see a few pounds dissolve from the waist and hips.

So, now we've got the energy levels up, we'll be ready to tackle the big projects. It's going to be a busy few months with plenty of writing work coming in, opportunities to use my creativity in employee engagement exercises and big ambitions with my art. I could tell you all now, but lunch break is over and I have to get back to work (plus, I'm sure you've read enough already!).

PS: What's up with blogger today? Can't load images. Methinks he hit the snooze button one too many times!

Soft animals

Before you read this post, you should take a look at what inspired it. Jamie Ridler has been writing of the vulnerabilities of our desires and invites us to share those things that we might be most afraid of sharing - what poet Mary Oliver portrays in the lines:

"You have only to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves..."

Jamie suggests we should "clear away our cobwebs of limiting beliefs". This ties in beautifully with what I have been reading in the classic book on writing 'If you want to write' by Brenda Ueland. Brenda talks about being true to oneself. I was so struck by this quote that I was moved to write it down so I could keep reminding myself of it:

"Everyone is original, if he tells the truth, if he speaks from himself. But it muts be from his true self and not from the self he thinks he should be."

Last night I wore my goals on my sleeve and posted a journal entry sharing what I hope to be achieving in the coming months - you can read it here. It wasn't an easy thing to share and I contemplated keeping it private but I'm also a firm believer in sharing your desires with the universe or, at the very least, writing them down. I know that if I don't make effort to achieve these goals now then I'll feel guilty because I told you I would. It's well-needed motivation and a tried and tested way of putting pressure on myself.

In terms of perhaps sharing some of the 'softer' desires, the embarrassing tracks on the ipod type thing. I am not afraid of admitting my geekiness and sharing what is me with the world. Naturally some things should and do remain private but I don't mind letting people see what makes me tick and in fact like to think of myself as a little bit eccentric. I'm not exactly what people would call a shrinking violet. When I was a child I was always worrying about what people would think. Then one day - when I was in my teens I think - I just stopped with the realisation that if friends accepted me for who I was and respected you for your unique opinions, points of view and dodgy musical taste!

However, perhaps I should confess one little secret about me. As we were talking about 'soft animals' it reminded me that I still like to cuddle a soft animal in bed every now and again! One of my favourite things to look at is a child clutching their favourite toy in slumber - I guess I am rather a softie at heart and need my comfort.

Dreams taking flight

Like around 900 other creatives, I am joining Tam on her Heart, Art & Healing. First up was banishing fears and insecurities. I took things a step further and decided that setting a few goals out into the atmosphere might be a good thing (plus it fitted rather nicely with the Three Muses' Wings on Things theme this week!). I don't often art journal so this was rather a pleasant change for me.

So here are a few goals (with wings from Iktupulli). The girl represents me - though I look nothing like that. I think I might have been influenced by watching Star Wars at the weekend (I don't think I will ever get tired of watching that film! My son loved it by the way and wanted to watch The Empire Strikes Back straight after!).

1. Start that book. Yes, yes, I know. I keep writing this goal. However, I have some thoughts... a few seeds germinating in the corner of my subconscious... It could be time... It really could...

2. Be published by Stampington. Oh how I adore Artful Blogging and her sister publications. Now all I have to do is get myself organised, check out their submission guidelines and topics and SEND SOMETHING OFF!!

3. Revamp, rebrand and relaunch my Etsy shop. I have completely neglected my shop. It's partly because I have so many ideas for it - involving a new name for a start - that I feel a touch overwhelmed and have ended up barely starting anything. I've decided that The Wright Stuff doesn't really match my artistic output and could get confused with my blog. So, time for a change. I'm also looking into getting prints made up of my work and bogged down with what printers to choose, what papers, what service...

4. Lose 5kg and fit in that dress. The diet is working. I have lost a little weight, but and that's a big BUT I have toned up considerably and the dress now does up (if a little tightly). It's rather linked into point 5 - you see I'm going to an awards ceremony in November at a posh London hotel. The 5kg is to get me back to my comfortable weight so other clothes fit too!

5. Win something. Team efforts count here too. At the posh awards ceremony we're finalists for two business awards. I wrote the entries so certain amount of pride here! I was also doing well with the Dorset Blog Awards but some baking lady is beating me by about 10 votes... Hmm, muffins obviously proving popular. Perhaps I should paint cakes for the rest of the month...

What a goal!

It's OK, come back, come back, it's not a football post! Now that England have slunk back home from the World Cup with their tails between their legs we can all get on with life as normal again (and enjoy all those funny jokes that are doing the rounds).

So, GOALS. Yes, I intend to score this week. I am fired up and ready to achieve. Here's my list which I am sharing with the cyber world. Do feel free to check back and see how I am getting on and shame me by comparisons with a certain football team if I fail to make progress.

1. Complete VAT return well ahead of schedule. (I have to tell you that the mere thought of this actually makes me shiver with distaste...). This should not take long, but feels like a mountain. I think it's even easy and straightforward, yet anything to do with tax brings me out in a dose of the eebie jeebies. By committing to it here, I do hope I stand a chance of completing this one.

To achieve this goal, I need to: get all my finances up to date (no mean feat) - and to achieve that requires some serious tidying up of all paperwork. Ugghrrrr......

2. Create a drawing for the Diary Project. A fellow blogger (Hybrid J) pointed me in this direction. 365 (ish) artists are creating their own individual pages for 2011. It's an 'ish' number because I think there's extras on the cover and back... Entries must be in by Thursday. There are still pages available if you want to sign up. It's free and there's no obligation to actually buy the diary - but come on... how could you resist seeing your work in print?

To achieve this goal, I need to: Decide on a theme that closely matches my current work, practice a few times, sketch and then send off!

3. Prepare the house for ... drum roll ... my boyfriend moving in this weekend! Eek, how exciting! I have already cleared a 'little' space in the wardrobes sweetheart and a couple of drawers... You already have my heart! (what a slushy romantic!!).

To achieve this goal, I need to: give away all those clothes I haven't worn for years, try and consolidate my art 'studio' into just one room in the house, make him his favourite dinner...

4. Add to my current series of greetings cards I am designing - with a special one for my friend's 40th. You can see some samples in my previous post. Then see about how best to get them made into prints. This is an important step in the formation of my creative biz!

To achieve this goal, I need to: DO THE OTHER ONES FIRST!

This goal sharing was a wonderful idea that sprang from the Kelly Rae creative business flying lessons ecourse. Cathy has created us a page where we can share our links, so do pop along and add yours too.