day thirteen | action

prompt: action
When it comes to aspirations, it's not about ideas. It's about making things happen. What's your next step?
(Author: Scott Belsky)

Now this prompt, in contrast to yesterday, is right up my alley - practical, positive and inclusive. Yay.

I read the prompt and I immediately took the following actions:

1. Signed up to follow Scott Belsky on Twitter
2. From there I went to www.behance.com and with giddy delight looked at words like "empower" and "creative" and "insights" and "task management" and clicked on to read their blog, did and then added it to my Google reader
3. Of course, I signed up to follow Behance on Twitter as well

It looks like I'm going to have to figure out how to fit some Twitter in my day.

I spent most of 2010 trying to "focus" on what I wanted to do. I read many books and articles, I've amassed a monstrous collection of ideas and projects, I have piles and piles of paper holding snippets of brilliance, all over my studio. After a full year of curating, I am now in a position where I'm itching to get started. I no longer feel like I'm in a creative drought, but more a condition more akin to creative overwhelm.

It is now time to DO something about it.

Some time in early November, my thoughts went from "focus", my guiding word for 2010, to what's next? What will my word be for 2011? Many words, including "action" came to mind, but I finally settled on "do". Over the last couple of years I've participated in the idea of choosing a guiding word for the year, my first attempt was "balance" and I'd consider it a fail; "focus" on the other hand was a resounding success. I have signed up over at Big Picture Classes to follow Ali Edwards class: One Little Word in order to add a bit of community to the experience.

The idea is "do" is more than "make" or "create" or "invent" or "action". The word "do" is action based and my actions are to create things; but, since this is a guiding word for my life, my whole life, and that life includes four children and the laundry, cooking and cleaning that comes with it, "do" seems to set the right tone to have a year with results without focusing on the results.

My actions right now include (I'm a mum, it is impossible to pick only one or two):

• Collect all of my projects and deadlines to update my 2011 calendar - on line and on paper
• Find a new home for my calendar and lists and be consistent
• Create enough product in order to start up and maintain my space on ETSY
• Update my household control journal with newly discovered and successful recipes
• Purging the laundry room which is currently reproducing at an alarming rate
• Finding snow clothes for Claire's trip to Tamogami
• Review The Creative Habit again and create interactive outline

That should keep me busy for the next little while!