AEDM Day 2, work in progress, 12"x16" on canvas

I was contemplating a kick-in-the-butt 5-Day Challenge to get me painting again, but then I stumbled upon Leah Piken Kolidas' Art Every Day Month (AEDM) and the angels trumpeteth. It's a 5-Day Challenge times 6 - just what this girl needs!

Inspired by NaNoWriMo, Leah started AEDM nine years ago. From the AEDM Website:

"I keep the rules for AEDM really simple and very loose. I encourage people to make something every day, but my goal is to foster more creativity, so if you make just one piece of art per week or just one for the whole month, that's fine with me. The idea is to bring more creativity into your life, not to make you feel overwhelmed, pressured or guilt-stricken."

How could I say no to that? And why paint for five days when I can paint for 30?

After resisting and doubting myself an appropriate amount of time I signed up.

AEDM Day 3, black background waiting for a foreground

12"x4" on mat board

What this means for YOU is that you might see the odd report on my results here on the blog. Accountability is key! I may not post daily - or maybe I will, or maybe I'll go the weekly summary route. I'll see what feels right.

Accountability aside, what it means for you, me, and everyone is more art-making. That's the whole point.

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Now, what about you? Is there anything artful you'd like to practice this month? Remember the rules are simple and loose; no perfection necessary. It's not too late to join in the fun!

You know you wanna...

the ultimate productivity touchstone: laundry

If I may indulge (spoiler: I will), I thought I'd share a few random thoughts and observations on leaving work and my first few days at home. From the profound to the mundane, a Work Transition Checkpoint...

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Friday was my last day at the office. I spent most of it sifting through, purging and packing up what remained of my cubicle wares, and spent the rest of it saying goodbye to my colleagues. When came time to shut down the computer and leave the office I got emotional. Before leaving I glanced around the empty floor, bawled my way to the parking lot and halfway home. It felt like I was closing a door on major chapter of my life.

Melodramatic? Maybe. Real? Yes.

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Saturday night I spent a few hours working on an introductory PowerPoint slide show/movie for this space, Creative Living Experiment. Ironically that's exactly what I'd been doing during the last two weeks at the office except the subject matter was Business Intelligence.

Funny how I immediately gravitated to what I know. Yes, PowerPoint is my security blanket. And yes, I need to find better things to do on a Saturday night.

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Yesterday was my first "official" day on leave (I had Mondays off so Monday was just another regular day in my book). All of a sudden I became extremely aware that there would be no paychecks coming in anymore, feeling fear and insecurity quickly making their way into my thoughts. I knew that would come, but geez, on Day 1?

I sat with the feelings, journaled about them and worked my way through, realizing that they stem from a lack of trust in my own abilities and a fundamental belief that I am unable to bring in money other than working for the government. KABLAMO!

Must explore that one further.

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I'm working on a few creative projects that bring me joy. I've taken action and small risks (to me). Maybe it's training for bigger ones to come?

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I am also doing a LOT of laundry. Load after load, it makes me feel productive. Dirty clothes in --> clean clothes out = immediate satisfaction. I'm running out of stuff to wash though, soon I'll have to find another way to deal with my productivity-related issues. Too bad vacuuming doesn't have the same effect.

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Till the next checkpoint...