With Gratitude

close-up sunset on the St Lawrence, Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec

Life has been full. I am tired. It's time for a list of things for which I am grateful, just 'cause.

Today I am grateful for...

~ books, books and books

~ being able to connect with creative kindreds across the miles via Facebook

~ Squam Art Workshops is coming up in less than two weeks

~ an evening full of good conversation and good food shared with a very special group of friends

~ laughter that's so good it hurts

~ my colleagues, realizing how close a group we've become and how that makes going to work every day so much more pleasant

~ options

~ having successfully completed my experiment of posting weekly Productivity Prompts

~ savings in the bank

~ a certain sense of naïveté that allows me to dream and believe in possibility

~ a knack for planning and crunching numbers

~ did I say books?

~ a comfortable home

~ family

~ September, it brings homemade soup, sweaters and crisp, clean air

~ sunshine and blue skies

~ a local farmers market that's bursting with harvest goodies

~ D. and Cassie, goodness yes, D. and Cassie

~ you.

Productivity Prompt: Choose Pretty, Quality Tools

This is the sixth and last of this series of weekly Productivity Prompts - quick, simple tips or practices gleaned from productivity-related books or blogs that have helped me better manage my work, my time, or move things forward.

~~~

Choose tools that make you happy when you work. The more they make you happy, the more you'll want to work with them.

Are your paintbrushes constantly shedding?

Would you prefer extra fine coloured pens to the blue BIC ball points you've been working with since kindergarten? (Not dissin' BIC here, blue ball points have a purpose I'm sure.)

How about your daily planner? Are you using the plain black one they give you for free at the office or would you prefer to have something that reflects your creative style amidst your fellow cube-mates?

Supplies are available for me at the office, but in some cases I choose to splurge on my own to have pens, notebooks and paper clips that bring me pleasure. Though it's subtle, they DO make a difference.

"The aesthetics of the tools you use to make ideas happen matter."

~ Scott Belsky, Making Ideas Happen

Try it. With just one small thing. You'll see.

~~~

Credits, references & inspiration:

• Scott Belsky, Making Ideas Happen, Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision & Reality.
• Cirque du Soleil - In 2007 I attended a presentation by the Corporate Sales Manager at Cirque du Soleil and one of the things that stuck with me is their commitment to giving performers quality materials to work with. I remember him saying that we may not know that a jacket is made from good quality leather, but the performer who's wearing it does, and that will be reflected in his or her performance. This summer I saw their show Totem in Montreal and the main character's costume contained over 4,000 pieces of Swarovski crystal and mirrors. Now that's aesthetics!