In her series of articles on Riehlife, Khadijah shares how she stays sane by encouraging and nurturing creativity in herself and her children. Read about her life in Yemen at her blog Yemeni Journey.

Khadijah is a transplant from Wisconsin's Kickapoo Valley. She's lived in Yemen for almost nine years with her husband and eight children.

#1 "Creative Parenting: My Head Is Full of Poems."

#2 Creative Parenting: Poverty as Creative Catalyst

Now...here's number 3...

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Another Way of Seeing
by Khadijah Lacina

It seems a simple truth that for every lesson I teach my children, they teach me another, unique lesson. This was the case last week, as I sat typing at my computer as my six-year-old daughter. Maryam came into the room and started rummaging around for paper and pencil. I didn't ask her what she was doing, I simply ripped out a piece of notebook paper and gave it to her, along with something to draw with. As I continued typing, she put the paper on a hardcover book lay down on the floor on her stomach, knees bent, her feet waving in the air.

A few minutes later Mu'aadh, my eight-year-old son, knocked and entered my room. He tossed himself down on the couch and started humming to himself. Just as his tuneless humming was about to drive me batty, Maryam invited him to come and draw with her. He didn't commit himself, but sat down next to her and they began a whispered conversation that was much less annoying than his humming had been. I continued working as they talked, and soon I noticed Mu'aadh getting down the box of crayons and colored pencils from Grandma Gretchen.

“You have to draw the tree, it isn't right without the tree,” said Mu'aadh. More whispers, then, “You draw the tree if you want the tree.”

“Where's the red? I need the red.” The sound of fingers dragging through crayons. “Here, this is sort of red, or maybe sort of maroonish-peachish.” I paused, thinking, “Maroonish-peachish??” Not two colors I would have ever thought to associate with each other.

“You color that part, I'm coloring this part.”

“We can both color it, see?”

After a blessed half-an-hour or so, I was proudly presented with a drawing of our house. It was small, in the background, and indeed no tree had been placed where the tree in reality existed. The foreground of the picture was taken up with a riot of colors--reds, greens, blues. I searched for the “maroonish-peachish” but failed to find it. Not wanting to seem dense, I didn't ask what the colors represented.

Instead I looked at the picture from different angles. Then I had it. The beautiful jubilation of color in front of the house was the field of garbage where our neighbors all dumped their trash--brightly colored plastic bags, wrappers of all description, vegetable peelings, whatever they had to get rid of. This same field of trash had upset and annoyed me on and off for months. Yet Mu'aadh and Maryam had made it look pretty, almost like a field of flowers in full bloom.

Later, on the roof, I looked down on the garbage field. It still looked ugly to me. Then I thought of the children, and how they could see beauty in it, enough beauty that they felt they had to put it to paper. Always willing to learn a lesson and nurture my inner child, I scrunched up my eyes a bit, and looked again. Instead of looking at each individual piece of trash, I tried to let my mind see what Maryam and Mu'aadh had seen. In the end, I decided their picture was better than the field of garbage could ever look, but I was thankful for the reminder, gently given by my little ones, of the beauty that can be found in almost anything, if we take the time and make the effort to see it.

All art practice is based on repetition as we attain mastery. It's practice, right? Music, dance, theater, visual art, and writing. These are called "disciplines" of course, because they require discipline. Repetition is how we get there.

As musicians we practice scales. As artists and writers we show up in the studio each day. As performers in theater and dance we attend rehearsal after rehearsal until opening night.

Repetition also brings release into spirit.

The structure and composition of arts involve rhythm and recurrence: repetitive chants in poetry and prose, motifs that repeat in dance and music and so forth.

Repetition in art often is the goal itself, and makes a statement. Many modern artists (especially women) have incorporated this element into their work.

Quilting is an example of repetition of stitching and piecing that is highly labor intensive. My friend Lucy Arai who incorporates Sashiko (a traditional Japanese quilting form) into her art pieces has to guard against carpel tunnel syndrome. Lucy also has told me that she uses the repetition in the techniques she uses as spiritual practice.

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A writer who rides horses shares:

Yes, definitely riding. I remember the first time I rode my mare, the dear departed Cherie, who was schooled in dressage up to third level, I realize halfway round the ring, trotting, her pace was steady as a metronome. Very reassuring.

When I was teaching, I somehow got involved in a writing-across-the-curriculum project with architecture students. Their assignment was to design a building for a women’s studies center and to come up with trope to hang their design ideas on. The professor gave them a visual to begin from, the Greek statue of the Three Graces.

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A poet and dancer says:

I use dance as my primarily form of renewal--especially when life is too demanding to write. I carry myself with more grace and poise through whatever the daily demands are.

I think the sheer repetitiveness of a form like belly dance nurtures me in some way, rather like the rocking a baby needs. Also when I can’t unwind from my night teaching, if I put on a belly dance DVD and the repetitive movements and music will have me off to sleep in about 20 minutes. I feel a bit weird about this, as I feel I should be meditating instead, but whatever works: go for it.
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My work in art school was filled with labor intensive work. Building in clay is labor and time intensive by definition. The larger the scale of the work the more magnified this becomes. I made a 5-foot boat made of hand-pulled sheets of paper that took weeks. We all have our stories.

Meditation explicitly relies on repetition. You need to do nothing more than dance or ride horses as your spiritual discipline if that works for you. Release the idea of "meditation" as a separate activity.

Many daily tasks such as peeling potatoes, walking, rocking the baby, petting the cat involve rhythm and recurrence and can lead to comfort and even spiritual growth and transcendence. Our view of creativity as a society tends to be far too narrow.

In her series of articles, Khadijah shares how she stays sane by encouraging and nurturing creativity in herself and her children. Read about her life in Yemen at her blog Yemeni Journey. In this post she tells about so many things dear to my heart. In my life, it's been the handmade presents made from everyday materials that have meant the most to me. We don't need to commodify crafts or creativity.

Khadijah is a transplant from Wisconsin's Kickapoo Valley. She's lived in Yemen for almost nine years with her husband and eight children.

--Janet

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Poverty as Creative Catalyst
by Khadijah Lacina

Every time I go on the internet, I am bombarded with images of things I “need” to have to enhance my creativity, to find the artist within...exotic yarns, expensive fabrics, little doo-dads and widgets and what-not that are necessary in order to make every project perfect. Quilt patterns calling for specific fabric from specific companies. Crochet patterns that rely on $20.00 a skein yarn. Crafts for children that require all sorts of specific paints and materials.

I couldn't afford these things in the States, and I can't afford them here in Yemen- even if they were available.

So what do people who don't have stellar craft budgets do?

Here's an example. A few days ago the children decided to make some paper chains to decorate the house for the upcoming Eid celebration. You know, the ones you made in school out of construction paper and white glue. Thing is, I have yet to even see construction paper in Yemen, and if I did find it, I doubt if such a luxury item would fit into our budget. Sukhailah told me what they wanted to do, and why they couldn't do it.

“Why not make your own colored paper?” I asked. She immediately understood, and the children spent an hour or so on the floor with old waxy crayons, coloring both sides of white printer paper. They even mixed colors and made “variegated” as Mu'aadh said. Then they cut out their strips, and made their beautiful multi-colored paper chains to hang up in every room.

Another example. A friend left us a bunch of quilting magazines when she moved to Egypt. At first, paging through them, the girls became disheartened, as they saw the intricate patterns calling for very specific cloth and colors to make them work. All we have is a motley collection of fabrics given to us over the last few years- certainly nothing that was meant to go together like the patterns in these magazines called for.

I hauled the bag out, though, and told them to pick out a pattern that they liked. I picked one out as well. Then we sorted through the different sizes and colors of cloth, until we came up with our own color schemes. Then we altered the patterns to fit what we had on hand.

The results are very satisfying, thank you. As we did it, I told them that this was the heart of quilting before it became an “art” form- and in a way, it took a lot more work doing it our way than just getting a pattern and heading off to the fabric store.

And so it goes on. We make gifts for each other out of whatever we have on hand--dolls for the girls, a cardboard box dresser for doll clothes, brightly colored rayon fabric for draw string bags, an old drink jar decorated to make a pencil holder, coloring books drawn by hand and photocopied...the list goes on.

And, as with their multi-hued paper chains, the end results are incredibly, undeniably, totally without compromise, ours. And that's what makes it all worth it!

From blog comments to emails to guest post to telephone conversation, gradually our connection grew stronger. Today we’re sharing our views on how do we find our creative path through following spirit? I coined the term Blog Duet for companion posts on sister blogs. Tune in to our conversation about finding the creative source and nurturing it. Here’s the archive for Riehl Life Blog Duets to read more of these.
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Janet: Although you’re a new blogger, clearly you’ve been jamming! How have your new online relationships influenced you?

Selena: I have learned so much from these new friends. Technique, perspective, and new skills to be sure, but also how diversity and connections are so important to my own view of the world. By sharing with each other our thoughts and feelings on writing, I am able to take one step further toward finding the spirit of writing.

Janet: In our telephone conversation we spoke about our families. How do you feel your upbringing influenced your creativity as an adult? When we look at backgrounds of artists like Carol Burnett, we find that adversity often fosters humor and a creative life as an adult. How’s that been for you?

Selena: I feel that family/childhood adversities tend to force us into choosing what we do with how our lives are shaped. Being a rebel I came out swinging when I felt trapped in a place that didn’t nurture me. But it took years of questioning my own right to do that. Those years taught me that the creative drive is more than just the need to express joy. It is about connecting with my own beauty, which was buried by circumstances and fear.

Janet: Have you felt that the lack of formal studies has been a creative challenge—or, has it affected the way you look at yourself as a writer? I feel that I’m a “recovering English major.” My studies set a foundation for decades of my working life with the beginning of writing craft for instance. I found though that having learned all that, I then had to forget it. Tell us about your experience.

Selena: At one point I thought it was a challenge-not creative a creative challenge, but because I am such a hermit it was a challenge to learn on my own the ways of the writing world. I believe I have an innate skill, but it was untutored and wild. That’s not such a bad thing except when it comes time try to fit in somewhere. As I’ve grown I have come to realize that being untutored and wild has given me an advantage. I have a friend that just earned her MFA is creative writing and is struggling to find her way back to her true voice. That I don’t have to do. My muse is still untouched.

Janet: How do you nurture yourself and your creative spirit?

Selena: By doing what I love the most; being alone in nature, connecting with divinity, stopping to smell the roses. I spent a lot of years working at a job that sapped every bit of my focus and required a lot of my attention. After my children were grown, I came to realize that the art of living was so much more than money. So I began to do the things that allowed me to clear away the distractions. I gave up a well-paying job to work in a greenhouse, and learned to simplify all areas of my life. I began to say no to unnecessary demands on my time, and devoted that time to family, friends, and especially to my own writing.

Janet: Selena, your blog gives a precise statement of spirit and the creative life.

(From Solitary Words)

Webster defines Spirit as “the principle of conscious life; the vital principle in humans, animating the body or mediating between body and soul.” Any act of creation, whether it is painting, writing or giving birth, opens up a pathway to a deeper connection to spirit, to that active principle of conscious life that brings forth into the light the beauty that is inherently ours.

Although Solitary Words focuses on the process of writing as a gateway to spirit, the principles are the same, no matter what form creativity takes. It is my heartfelt hope that you take away from these words a spark that will inflame you with a passion for your own journey.

Janet: So, let me ask you, how do you “make that connection that allows the creativity to flow?” Is this your muse?

Selena: For me it is about learning to listen. There is a place that everyone has within them that is like a star shining in the velvety night sky. A pinpoint of light that is pure and clear. Most times it is covered by the clouds of mundane life; worries about money, fear of loss, working at a job that you hate. This little gem hums with life and creativity and spirit. It is hope and joy and creativity. If we stop the madness for just a moment and quiet the chattering mind, we can catch that humming that calls to us with the desire to be heard.

I have meditated for years, seeking that source. But even if meditation or prayer is not for you, spending quality alone time with yourself and learning to trust your own instincts goes a long way toward parting those clouds, if only for a short time. Learning to listen to that sweet hum opens the floodgates for me.

Janet: And, once you’ve made that connection, how to you channel the flow?

Selena: By first accepting it. When I said that the concept is universal, what I meant was that listening to the still, small voice within affects every area of my life. By creative and artful living I become the source, the source becomes me.

And then by focusing it. By becoming familiar with what the creative energy feels like, I can use it however I want. But I must stress here that the channel is a two way street. The act of creative endeavors requires an exchange to remain healthy. For me, that exchange is sharing what I know, teaching others to make that connection, and opening my heart to all of nature, and that includes humanity. That’s what Solitary Words is all about. A big lesson for me, the solitary woman in the woods.

Janet, it’s been wonderful dueting with you. Thank you so much for the opportunity!

Selena, thanks so much for our blog duet. Our readers get a two for one deal! Scoot on over to Solitary Words to read more of our conversation.

Selena stalks plots with her vivid imagination She says that she "sometimes have to work at narrowing down ideas to a single thread." She's the exact right person to share her village wisdom about how to find your voice.

Welcome, Selena!

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FINDING YOUR VOICE
by Selena Wolff

I used to write a lot of fiction, but I'm finding that journal/memoir writing is closer to my heart. That's where my true writing voice is. I'm currently working on a project using that venue.

Where do you hear the truth? In what part of your day do words resonate to that deep place within you and tell you that This is what I am?

With pen in hand, in front of the keyboard, or easel or sewing machine, or whatever your medium of expression is, finding that truth is finding your own voice. I call it the 'zone'. When I am in the zone, amazing things happen.

I am a writer, but I have many means of expression. I make quilts, I doodle with a pencil and the garden is my zen zone. In each of those places there is a sweet spot for me. My zone is a frame of mind that rises above the clock and takes me to another realm that releases the binds that constrict me to everyday life and takes me to the infinite well of inspiration.

I call it the Hedge, others call it Heaven. No matter what you name it, that is the place of truth. The expression of truth is true Art.

Finding the pathway to your true voice is a tricky road and the tricky part is making it accessible at will. I find that when the house is quiet in early morning, before the dog wants to go out, or the family is still sleeping, it is much easier to be able to listen with my heart.

Distractions, usually necessary ones, draw us into the everyday consciousness that is important to make our world a place we want to live. Everyone has many voices, or hats, that we wear to help create our lives. Secretary, factory worker, mother, father, construction, cook....all are layers of experience to draw on. They support my creativity.

Whatever the demands of my daily time, those demands do not control me. They support the zone. I use them to fuel the Hedge, because I am not my actions, my actions are part of me. I use every opportunity offered me by life as a tool to support my truth.

There were many times that my work, my job, drew me away from staying connected to the Hedge. The desire for money, prestige, or perceived security has taken my attention away from my own inner truth.

A good question was asked once. Have you ever given up any of those things to focus on your creative expression? It's a difficult thing in these times of economic hardship and our war torn planet to make that kind of decision. But it was one that I had to do. I found myself lost in the propaganda of how to succeed. Someone else's judgment of what I should be doing. I spent years making a good living, giving my whole life to the 'job'. And in the process, I found less and less time to listen to my zone.

My strongest desire throughout all of that was to be a writer; to make my living being a writer. But in the process of trying to find a way to do that, I got distracted. The dream became faded, like the sepia toned photos that rest in an old album, still important but tucked away, only to be viewed on rare occasions.

As my children grew, left home, and brought grandchildren back to me, I began to hear those dreams again. What was I doing to further my own dream? Money wasn't fulfilling them, and titles held no meaning in the light of who I really was. So I took the plunge, gave up 60k a year to work in a greenhouse. My zen zone, remember? A definite change of lifestyle, but the payoff was so worth it.

So. I've pulled out the old album, dusted off the dreams and found my true voice, again. To my surprise I found that the in-between years have deepened my understanding of who I am. I now draw on those experiences not because they drew me away from what I truly am, but because they are now a part of my own voice. When I am looking for inspiration, I pull out memories and rifle through them and meditate on them. And I slip into the zone.

11 Creative Catalyst Nudges for 2011

Have you ever wanted to go on a personal writing retreat that you organize yourself? This post for Story Circle Network gives you the complete map to do just that.

This post is part of the Creative Catalyst column I write monthly.

Here's the link:

Multi-talented? Ask the Creative Catalyst

Anne's story of creating her dream writing room out of ordinary materials proves that it's not the the money, it's the imagination which makes a difference in our lives. --Janet
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A ROOM OF HER OWN
by Anne Schroeder

As I write, a carpenter is putting the finishing touches on a writing room in my backyard, complete with a set of solid wood, double pane French doors that I found ten years ago at a garage sale for $30, and a vintage leaded glass window I found at the Edna antique store.

This little room, like The Artist’s Way advocates, is my way of reclaiming creativity after taking care of my mother-in-law and newly retired husband. Everything in my little room will resonate creative expression because I’m incapable of compromise.

My husband thinks the white bead board will make the room seem smaller, but I’ve carried a picture of wainscoting for so long that I’m intractable. It's painted that very light green that changes to peach when the setting sun infuses shadows in the room. The wicker furniture will be glossy white with airy cushions. A toll-painted makeup mirror from the forties will have a place of honor, with its relic light bulbs left unwired since the only lighting will be a battery powered, faux mariner’s lantern hanging from the open beam ceiling.

My husband’s childhood brass bed will provide a guest room in the garden. We began calling it my writing room when it wasn’t a room at all, but a storage shed, built by a college construction class and delivered on a flatbed trailer.

It was a disappointment from the first day, its lovely eaves chopped off for some indiscernible reason so that it set like a forlorn outhouse in the pasture, slowly rotting from moisture until I asserted my claim of a higher purpose.

My husband and I rolled the shed into the back yard on steel pipes, then jacked it onto concrete pyramid blocks. We built a free-standing deck and rebuilt the roof with real eaves. I hired a carpenter who shares my vision for small rooms and used lumber.
When Eric is finished, I will paint it. I will seal the deck and rails, used wood from a pole barn we tore down years ago. I will polish the vintage brass hinges and doorknobs I've been collecting with this project in mind. I will install antique glass pulls on the leaded glass window, and place a screen into the only thing in the room that is new--an Anderson crank window framing a view of the creek.

Every day is a delight, listening to the hum of the Skil saw, the splat, splat of a nail gun. The process makes my heart happy—not the bursting happy when something surprises you, but the savoring joy that occurs when life is good.

My writing room has become a metaphor for taking control of the things in my life I can’t change, even if I wanted to. It’s become a playhouse for me in middle-age, a replacement for the one my father built my three sisters and me so that, ironically, we could practice homemaking.

Unlike previous projects, there is no rush to completion. The process is a journey, not a destination. Paying for it out of my writing income is part of my agreement with myself. Staying true to my vision is giving me a room of my own.

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Anne Schroeder writes about life's small steps. Her first passion was short fiction, secular and mainstream. Two inspirational memoirs followed. Now she is hard at work on her fifth novel, set in Central Coast of California where she lives. Her current challenge is to write with the same passion and discipline that she used to have B.G. (before grandchildren.) She hopes that a new writing room will help. She plans to start her rewrite as soon as the paint dries.

Read more about Anne Schroeder and her work on her website, and on the San Luis Opispo, California "NightWriters" blog.

www.slonightwriters.org

Here's the fourth post in a cycle of five discussing multi-talents among creative people. My guest column Creative Catalyst appears on Telling Her Stories: The Broad View for Story Circle Network.

Multi-talented? Maybe artists and writers and musicians and actors--are like farmers!

Janet