Blog - Melissa Dinwiddie | Create the Impossible™ | Innovation Keynote Speaker & Consultant

February 13, 2011

Weekly Review #45: Patience (a virtue I have little of)

So how’m I doing in my quest to re-invent my life, follow my evolving Blisses and create the life I really, really want?

Patience.

Everything in my life seems to require it right now:

My recovering knee

Which I’m realizing, at 3 months post-op, is going to take significantly longer to get “back to full activity” than the 4 months the surgeon had assured would do it. A year, 2 years, 3 years is probably more like it. (Hell, it took 3 years for my foot to function normally, and that surgery was nothing compared to the reconstruction they did inside my knee.)

In fact, if I compare where I am now with where I was 6 or 8 weeks ago, it’s a tremendous improvement.

But is this what I focus on? No – I compare where I am not with where I want to be. Which feels far away and out of reach.

And I’m afraid the calcified lump on the medial side of my knee will never go away, leaving me permanently deformed.

Patience.

My Internet Empire

Which wasn’t even a glimmer in my eye a year ago, and now I’m impatient that it isn’t grown to adulthood and running on its own.

In fact, if I compare where I am now with where I was a year ago, even 6 months ago, even 3 months ago, I’ve made amazing strides.

But is this what I focus on? No – I compare where I am now with where I want to be. Or worse, with where my heroes are, or seem to be from the outside.

So-and-so launched a blog and less than 12 months later had 20,000 followers and was making a living.

Never a useful train of thought.

Patience.

My art

Not the ketubah business, which continues apace (and thank GOD for wedding season heating up!), but my Creative Sandbox art. Which I only started creating last summer, then put down and picked up again on Feb 1st, but I’m impatient to have a mature body of work to show and (hopefully) sell.

In fact, if I look at my underlying goal for my painting commitment – to be in touch with my creativity, to feel happy and alive – I’m doing great.

But is this what I focus on? No – I compare where I am now with where I want to be. Which feels far away and out of reach.

Not only do I have art to create, but I need to put the time and energy into getting it up online and out in the world where people can see it and possibly buy it.

Patience.

But then…

There are other parts of my life where patience – mine or someone else’s – has paid off big-time. (Read my Valentine’s Day post for some specifics.)

Proof that patience is, indeed a virtue worth cultivating.

Baby steps.

One.

At.

Time.

February 9, 2011

Acrylic Experiments and A Skeptical Angel

I’ve kept to my commitment to paint every day for at least 15 minutes, though sometimes – like last night – the painting didn’t actually happen until it was technically the next day.

Whatever. I’m not letting details like that get in the way. The point is, I’m getting in the Creative Sandbox every day, and let me tell you, it feels great!

Mostly I’ve been conducting acrylic experiments, working on several tiny canvases at once, adding new layers, just seeing what will happen.

I’m rather liking this set of three 3″ squares, topped by three 2″ squares. I’m contemplating doing a larger piece assembled of these tiny canvases.

Here’s another set of 4″ square canvases that I’m debating about whether to display individually or as a single piece.

And a 10″ square canvas that got this whole canvas experimented started, back over the summer sometime.

It was a fun initial “let’s try painting on canvas!” session, but I never liked what resulted, so as per rule # 5 (“Destroying” stuff made earlier by adding to or altering it is encouraged), I decided to paint over it. (Multiple layers later, I’m wishing I’d photographed the transformation. Next time…)

I have no idea where I’m going with this one (or any of them, actually), but I must say I’m rather enjoying watching the canvas evolve. The more layers I add, the richer it becomes.

So here I’ve been merrily riding along on a wave of abstract experimentation. Then Tuesday night something else happened entirely. I’m not exactly sure where the painting below came from, but I must admit I feel a certain kinship with this skeptical angel, not too sure about those wings she’s sporting.

What do you think she’s thinking?

Not sure about those wings by Melissa Dinwiddie — Not sure about those wings 4"x5" acrylic & crystal bead on canvas

February 7, 2011

Weekly Review #44: Making people happy, starting with myself

So how’m I doing in my quest to re-invent my life, follow my evolving Blisses and create the life I really, really want?

On the plus side, this was the week when I got back to my daily art-making practice. (I challenge you to do the same, just for this month, with my 15 minute-a-day creative challenge.) Life is just so much better when I’m making art daily.

Do I like the art I’m making?

Not always. Honestly, it feels a lot like I’m in kindergarten, flailing around with finger paints and sand, never knowing what’s going to emerge – prettiness or dreck.

But ultimately, that’s precisely the point. It’s only through flailing in the Creative Sandbox that I’ll find what I really want to be making.

And besides, do I like the feeling I’m making?

You betcha!

As I told my life coach some months back, when I spend even a little time making art, it makes me happy, and my whole day just goes better.

Watch for pics either Wednesday or Thursday (I haven’t decided yet. Pipe in if you have an opinion.)

Meanwhile, also on the plus side:

At 12 weeks post-op, although my knee still looks like a transplant from a baby giraffe (okay, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration), I’ve made noticeable progress this week, increasing my range of motion over 10 degrees.
I managed to get the Thriving Artists Project presale open, and have just a few more things to do tomorrow to be ready for Tuesday’s 1pm PST launch. (Yes, there’s still time to get on the Advance Notice list to get the pre-sale discount pricing, but you’d better hurry.)
I actually managed to get out to the coast for a walk with my sweetie today. Miracles, apparently, do sometimes happen.

Contest Winners

I also got to make some other people really happy this week, which felt great.

Thanks to everyone who commented, tweeted, blog-posted and emailed about the Thriving Artists Project! You guys are awesome.

And two of you won a year membership in tTAP!

The winner of the commenting contest is Vas Littlecrow, who won in large part because I was so won over by her wanting to win for someone else. (Whew – that was a little complicated. Are you still with me?)

In other words, Vas (who recently claimed that I’m made of cotton-candy and lollipops) won the contest, but her friend Emily Rose got the year membership in the Thriving Artists Project as a gift.

Cool, huh?

In the Twitter/blogging/emailing contest, Dana Barbieri also won a year membership in tTAP.

Congrats to Emily and Dana, I’m so excited to have you in the TAP community! And huge thanks to Vas!

And with that, I’m going to do the unheard of and actually end a post in under 500 words, ’cause I’m tired and it’s time for bed.

Don’t worry, more verbiage will be coming soon. (You know I can’t help myself. ;))

Have a great week!

February 4, 2011

Creative Challenge: 15 Minutes for February

I realize it’s already February 4th, so a bit late to announce a full month-long challenge, but inspired by one of my wonderful Thriving Artists Project members, Milo of the Clear Minded Creative, I’m putting one out there anyway.

Because if we wait until everything’s perfect it never gets done, right?

So, here’s the deal:

In my interview with artist Michele Théberge for the Thriving Artists Project the other day, the importance of keeping a regular practice came up.

I had let my painting practice go for a few months while revving up to launch (and now re-launch) tTAP. But as Michele reminded me (apparently I needed reminding, as we all seem to do), it really doesn’t take much to stay connected to your creative practice.

Seriously, just 15 minutes a day will actually keep your toe in that creative stream.

And who can’t find 15 minutes a day?

I mean, if you’re saying “oh, I just don’t have time,” no matter how true it feels, it’s really just an excuse.

If you really can’t make 15 minutes a day you’re either a convicted felon or in a body cast, in which case you actually do have a lot of time on your hands, though I’ll grant that you might not have access to the tools you normally use… So perhaps time to learn a new creative skill!

But I digress.

To cut to the chase, here’s the challenge:

Commit to spending 15 minutes a day for one month on something creative.

And adapted from my post of the other day, here are the rules:

Free of expectations.
Free of preconceived notions.
Totally open to the experience and the flow.
“Preciousness” is not allowed.
“Destroying” stuff made earlier by adding to or altering it is encouraged.

and, for bonus points:

Once a week, something gets posted online, regardless of how you feel about it. (Though you are allowed to share those feelings.)

Are you in?

Remember, it’s just 15 minutes a day, and just for one month (and I’ll even say just to the end of February, so really, just over 3 weeks). Yes, you’re allowed to work for more than 15 minutes, and for longer than til the end of Feb, but that is not what you’re committing to.

Keeping commitments achievable is what we’re all about here.

If you’re up for the 15 for Feb challenge, let me know in the comments below what you plan to work on. I’d love to see what you create, so feel free to email me pics, writing samples, whatever. Or just post them on the Living A Creative Life Facebook page (did you know there was a LACL Facebook page? Yep. There’s not much going on there so far, but who knows, maybe this will change that…)

Any questions?

Good. Because it’s time for me to get my 15 minutes of painting in!

February 4, 2011

Technology Gremlins, Migraines + Secret Prezzies

I just sent this out as an email to my TAP advance notice list, so if you’ve seen it already, my apologies for the repeat.

Remind me next time I even *think* of launching something that everything takes at least TWICE as long as you think it will.

That, and technology ALWAYS conspires to make your life miserable and give you migraines.

It’s a law of nature, I think, kind of like gravity.

Anyway, as you might have gathered, the Thriving Artists Project relaunch is, er, experiencing some delays.

Which means that I won’t be starting the pre-sale until SUNDAY (assuming the technology gods are smiling — cross your fingers).

I know Sunday is a sucky day to hold a sale on the computer, but you’ll have until I open the doors to the public on Tuesday to get in on it, so no excuses.

Though I’ll give you a little heads up: the first few buyers will get a special bonus that will NOT be available to anyone else, so you might want to be near your computer on Sunday. Just sayin’…

All of this also means that the contests are still going on, so you still have time to win.

Yep, my launch pain means you just got yourself another couple of days to tweet, email, blog post and comment your way to WINNING.

See this post for all the details.

Now I’m going to bed so I can get up and tackle the technology gremlins again tomorrow.

xo,
Melissa

PS – Thank you to everyone who commented on the post so far! You’re all going to get a special prezzie just for commenting, even if you don’t win (but shhhhhhh… don’t tell anyone!)

My recovering knee

My Internet Empire

My art

But then…

Contest Winners

Commit to spending 15 minutes a day for one month on something creative.

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