Category: Creativity

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Day 3 – One Key to Greatness

The House on the Hill, watercolor & pencil by Mary Gow
The House on the Hill, watercolor & pencil on paper, by Mary Gow
Have you been feeling like you’re receiving many messages coming through like an avalanche?

Today’s painting depicts this feeling of a special time, as though we are a house on the edge of the horizon, making a ceremonious passage.

While painting today I saw parts of Timothy Ferriss on Creative Live.

It was day two of a two day workshop that highlighted Ferriss’ new book, The Four Hour Chef, and included quite an assortment of lifestyle insights from cooking, basketball, archery, to entrepreneurship and how to get to your first dollar on your new idea.

I found the section with Rick Torbett about eye dominance and progression of sequence of movements in basketball fascinating!

“All that’s between you and a great shot is repetition,” said Torbett.

That applies with most anything doesn’t it?

What’s between us and anything great is to keep going after the first rejections, first mistakes, first drafts.

Keep going. “You’re better than you think,” said Ferriss.

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Day 2 of 30 Days of Painting

Move Move, by Mary Gow
“Move Move,” watercolor and color pencil, by Mary Gow
First Drawing Using Aeolian Harp App by Mary Gow
First Drawing Using Aeolian Harp App by Mary Gow

Imagine you’re on a boat that’s near the shore, gliding through tall blades of grass… here’s my second day’s painting.

Checking on Abbey Ryan’s blog I read about the Painting-a-Day “PAD” phenomenon. Apparently if began back in 2007 or earlier and Duane Keiser had a lot to do with the movement.

It impresses me as the visual artist’s equal to writer’s morning pages (a la The Artist’s Way).

So I still write every day but added to it producing at least one painting a day.

For several months I was doing one to three iPhone drawings a day using the apps “Harmonious” and “Aeolian Harp.”

As an aside, for ideas for running your own business, tune into http://www.creativelive.com/live and watch Timothy Ferris, author of the Four Hour Body and Four Hour Work Week, live today and tomorrow!

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Day 1 of a Painting a Day for 30 Days

"Bloom, Bloom!" watercolor by Mary Gow
Bloom, Bloom! – watercolor by Mary Gow
My trip to New York (see my previous post) inspired me to experiment with a new routine.

Not only that but coming back to watch a team.

Though I’m not normally watching baseball, I couldn’t help but watch the San Francisco Giants clutch the 2012 World Series!

The inspiration from the Giants reminded me of the power of every day implementation. They were on a streak and had a game almost every day within a 20 day time frame. They got better and better, seemingly spurred by such an intense schedule from the playoffs. (I can’t believe I’m writing about baseball).

Something clicked for me. The ‘ah ha’ reminder that creativity is a habit like anything else.

So back to the spirit of The Artist’s Way and Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, I’m posting a painting every day for the next 30 days.

The one above is from using color pencils and watercolors and it’s 5″ x 6″.

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And the Way Forward is…


Ron Fricke did it again.

For a long time his visual poem, “Baraka,” filmed in in 26 countries, was my favorite flick.

Now, he has released “Samsara.” And it feels similar but slightly different. For more info see http://www.spiritofbaraka.com/samsara

Lately I’ve been taking in a LOT of information.

That’s probably true for you, isn’t it?

Do you feel like something takes too much of your time and attention or you’re stuck? Mary Jaksch of the A-List Blogging Bootcamp shared a tip for moving on, whether it be if you’re stuck on someone, something, or somewhere.

Practice saying “And the way forward is . . .”

And surely enough, as you keep saying it, the way shows up.