I believe that having regular session to do creative work is essential, but it may not be practical to have this occur every day, especially with a full time job, family, etc. I used to feel I was "failing" because I couldn´t write daily. I find it´s important to also honor the fallow periods because something usually is waiting like a seed in the ground during winter. Do the hard work of sitting down with your muse, but don´t despair if you can´t. Know that you´ll find her again when time is right.

Janet Riehl responded to Alethea, saying:

I also agree with your point of view. Sometimes we just need to cut ourselves some slack. What I've learned is this:

--When I was working on my poetry book "Sightlines: A Poet's Diary" I was taking care of my mother, who was quite frail. I took notes during the day and then in the morning wrote from the time I woke up until the time my father and mother woke and needed my help. Amazingly, a book grew out of these short spurts of effort.

I also know:

--For a long while after that I had no on-going longterm project. I stopped even journaling. Yet--I did write everyday in the form of regular posting on Riehlife.com and copious email correspondence. Now that I am back to work on a book-length memoir project "Finding My African Heart: A Village of Stories" (working title) that all that informal writing then benefits my writing now.

In whatever form it takes, writing practice counts. That was certainly a fallow period, and as we know, the incubation period is an important part of the creative cycle.

I also know from writing with you and reading your book "Hungry" that when you need it, you have discipline and the skills of your craft to draw upon.

This post is meant as a counter weight to those who have bought the position that creativity is all about play, fun, and inspiration. I'm wanting to present the view that practice, work on a regular basis, is serious fun...and one that we can put in the bank of building our craft.

For instance, I'm taking my computer with me to Ghana and I expect I'll write a bit or somedays a lot on my memoir while I'm there.

But, as you suggest, I also know that on days when I have a full schedule of visiting and exploration planned, and cannot write in the morning, my best time, that I'll give myself a pass until the next day comes, and I'll try again.

I truly believe that if we are pregnant with a project and serious about carrying it to term that this will happen if we allow it continual development in small increments...and realize that inspiration and native talent will get us part of the way, but is in no way the whole story.

In part this view is shaped by my time as a musician throughout my childhood, with regular practice times and chores built in to our life in the country...and my parents' example of integrating their creative lives, quite naturally, into practical lives filled with work of survival for their own and the extended family.

What I most want to promote is the feeling that although our creative gifts and lives are to be cherished and thankful for, they are not be be set apart as "precious" in the sense of the third meaning in the Mirriam-Webster dictionary:

"excessively refined :affected, precious manners"

set aside as something only a few have and the rest of the folks (out there, of course) are just out of luck, and that we, creatively gifted are special, set apart, and have to suffer for our art.

We have to work for our art, but as the saying goes, "suffering is optional." Which in turn fits with your comment that it's good to be kind to ourselves as we walk our path of the business of being alive, being a good human being, AND bringing our work out into the world bit by bit.

Having all these parts of our lives in approximate balance, enriches our lives, the lives of those around us, and ultimately, our work.

Let's take the attitude of the Medevial crafts people who labored in workshops anonymously and belonged to Crafts Guilds. Let us take the attitude of modern day craftsmen who are building furniture and throwing pots. Let us revive the code of practical creativity.

Aleathea Eason

One shouldn´t "despair" either. As a teacher, getting many kids to take creative risks is one of the hardest things to do. There is definitely the myth that creativity belongs only to the lucky, gift and possibly mad few. I believe if we could learn to tap into this, with the understanding that you have to do the work, imagine the healing that would occur on both an individual and social level.

Janet Riehl responds:

Agreed that despair needed be in the mix, at least not on a permanent basis.Otherwise, we'd be in a real fix.

Yes, children are especially effected...and damaged, by both cultural views that are conficting and at the same time both flawed:

1) everyone is creative (without effort)and every stroke they make and word they write is instantly precious;

and,

2) only special people are creative, and you are born that way, and there's nothing you can do about it.

When they encounter teachers such as yourself who are patient and skilled in their approach...and have their own creative practice and products, then, yes, I do believe this is healing for both the individual and society.

Europe has long held a more balanced view of artistry and the life that supports it. When I travel in Europe and say I'm an writer, artist, musician, performer...I am asked interesting and curious questions that allow us to have an intelligent conversation about my work.

In the U.S., the tendency in social conversation after this announcement is one of three stock responses:

1) Would I have read anything you wrote? (Are you known? Have you been on Oprah? Are you famous?)

2) Can you support yourself doing that? (How much money do you make? is the implied subtext here...and, if you aren't making money, then you are merely a dilettant).

3) What are you working on now? (whatever you've done in the past doesn't matter.)

...and similar items designed to probe into the results and rewards of my work. Europeans want to know about the purpose and thought behind my work and honor me for the work and effort I make, regardless of the commercial response.

The American emphasis throughout our society on what you can see and what you can get results in a coarsening of our culture and there is a great loss.

"Getting to know you,
Getting to feel free and easy
When I am with you,
Getting to know what to say"

That's the essence of the "Getting to Know You" blogging meme which Isabella Mori of Change Therapy has just tagged me to participate in.

Poinsetta, December-child's flower

DECEMBER

12 characteristics...one for each month of the year.

1. Loyal and generous. Honest and trustworthy. These would comprise a primary character cluster. On-lookers think me daft at times to the extent I go in holding to these values which my father has modeled strongly throughout my life.

2. Sexy. Some have thought me a sailor's dream in bed...but who knows? What kind of vessels were the beds: barques? Ships? Canoes? And, what kind of waters did they sail upon?

3. Patriotic. "I'm always true to you, darling in my fashion. I'm always true to you, darling in my way."

4. Active interactions I'm interactive. Connective.

5. Impatient and hasty. When I'm overly-filled, I dart, like a hummingbird.

6. Ambitious. I'm a visionary who champions her visions and brings them forth into the world..."As I expand my own offerings in the world..." I pray for balance and dedicate whatever merit may arise.

7. Influential in organizations. Yup. In my 20s founded Tswaragano Craft Center in Gabane, Botswana. Started community projects in Decatur, Illinois. In my 30s developed curicula for All Indianan Pueblo Council in New Mexico, edited a regional alternative energy newsletter for Solar America, Inc., served as vice president of programming for Training and Development, edited an in-house newsletter for a major computer company. I learned a heap about organizational development, especially in nonprofit organizations. I made good contributions.

8. Loves to socialize and fun to be with. Yes, but usually do better one to one or in small groups and with folks who already know me a little bit. My father and I both have strong loner tendencies, and at the same time, strong connective tendencies. I call it "autonomy with connection."

9. Loves praises, attention, and loves to be loved. Well, heck yes! My mother trained us to pass on compliments and that was one of her favorite hobbies. She's say, "Janet, I've got a compliment to pass on to you." And then her face would just glow!

10. Unpretentious. Sure. It's the country breeding, natch!

11. Hates restrictions Whoo girl! Don't you know it.

DON'T FENCE ME IN!
Words and music by Cole Porter© & Robert Fletcher,
©1942, from the film Hollywood Canteen:

[C]Oh [G7]give me [C]land, lots of [Am]land
Under [C]starry skies a[Am]bove.
[C]Don't [F]Fence Me [G]In.
Let me [G]ride through the [G7]wide open
[G]Country that I [G7]love.
[G]Don't [G7]Fence Me [C]In.
Let me [C]be by myself in the evening [C7]breeze,
[F]Listen to the murmur of the cottonwood [Dm7]trees.
[C]Send me off for[C7]ever,
but I ask [F]you, [C7]please[F],
[C]Don't [G7]Fence Me [C]In.

12. Loves to joke and has a good sense of humor. You just have to be tuned to my brand of humor, but, like my father, I'm very playful and mischiveous.

______________________

LYRICS "GETTING TO KNOW YOU" from THE KING AND I

[ANNA]

[Spoken] It's a very ancient saying,
But a true and honest thought,
That if you become a teacher,
By your pupils you'll be taught.

[Singing] As a teacher I've been learning---
You'll forgive me if I boast---
And I've now become an expert,
On the subject I like most.

[Spoken] Getting to know you.

[Singing] Getting to know you,
Getting to know all about you.
Getting to like you,
Getting to hope you like me.

Getting to know you,
Putting it my way,
But nicely,
You are precisely,
My cup of tea.

[ANNA AND THE MOTHERS]

Getting to know you,
Getting to know all about you.
Getting to like you,
Getting to hope you like me.

Getting to know you,
Putting it my way,
But nicely,
You are precisely,

[ANNA]

My cup of tea.

[ALL]

Getting to know you,
Getting to feel free and easy
When I am with you,
Getting to know what to say

Haven't you noticed
Suddenly I'm bright and breezy?
Because of all the beautiful and new
Things I'm learning about you
Day by day.

Getting to know you,
Getting to feel free and easy
When I am with you,
Getting to know what to say

Haven't you noticed
Suddenly I'm bright and breezy?
Because of all the beautiful and new
Things I'm learning about you
Day .. by ... day.

3. You can either copy the 12-month traits or link to Phil Gerbyshak's post on his blog "Make It Great" that shows the traits for all 12 months

4. Look at the birth-month traits and copy the ones that apply to you or otherwise write about the list of traits and how they apply to you.

5. Tag 12 people and let them know by visiting their blogs and leaving a comment for them. (Im pretty busy right now so that might take some time; I hope that the people I'm mentioning will notice it by looking at their trackbacks or other wonderful techie doodahs)

6. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve done it!

_________________

I'm tagging these 12 bloggers, one for each month:

1.Billy the Blogging Poet

2. Brenda Johima at Creative Nudge

3. Damaria Senne, South African tech-goddess and heart-friend

4. Alethea Eason, author of the children's book HUNGRY.

5. Gwyn Ramsey, author, and Women Writing the West pal

6. Hal Manogue, Living an Ordinay Life in a Non-Ordinary Way, and author of "Short Sleeves: A Book for Friends."

7. Jane Kirkpatrick, best-selling author,woman of substance and merit.

8. Janet Muirhead Hill, author-publisher

9. Kathryn Petro-Harper, artist

10. Ken Traska, poet and educator

11. Susan Gallacher-Turner, artist-writer

12. Yvonne Perry of Writers in the Sky, winking brightly away to complete our internet birthday constellation.

HUNGRY by Alethea Eason

1) Click here to read a review of HUNGRY by Alethea Eason on Reader Views by 13-year-old Emily Robbins.

This review was just picked up by Reuters. Way to go, Alethea! How does the world look from Chile where she has recently re-located? Find out on Alethea's new blog

2) Also, read the Riehlife post on Alethea's book in 2007.