When You Want to *Do* Something

(and know that something is being done)

“It’s amazing what a difference it makes to be able to take an action.
It’s the difference between optimism and despair.”

—Emma Lively, in Julia Cameron’s Finding Water

When big forces are at work, and you feel small, you might be asking, Is somebody doing something? Yes, they are. At great cost of time, money, and personal vision and change.

It shouldn’t have to be this way.

But… Sometimes when we have to rethink our lives and the environment in which we live them, we do gain something important.

I am trying to remember that.

I am trying to remember that cultures throughout the ages have trickster tales for a reason. The Trickster sharpens us. Makes us consider where the weak points are in how we’ve been doing things. Maybe even keeps us humble or sets us on a new path for how to proceed with our creative lives.

To this end, I’ve finally been reading some Julia Cameron beyond The Artist’s Way. Thanks to a fabulous local library, I’m enjoying Finding Water: The Art of Perseverance and Walking in this World: The Practical Art of Creativity.

Last night, Julia reminded me about the problem with drama. How it keeps us from exercising our creativity. Also, though, we ourselves often forget to exercise our creativity in the face of it. The drama is just so… dramatic! How can we find half a minute to be creative?

Personally, I’ve been depending on The Creativity Café to keep me working on a project I hope will become the basis for a series at

🍵 The Write to Poetry

.

But I’m also here today as a way to create despite the drama. And I wanted to share with you a unique way that a friend has created, too. She realized that if she made a sticker chart—something fun and lovely—it could keep her on track with her attentions and intentions for life. (If you decide to create your own similar sticker chart, I’d love to see!)

My friend had been developing her own ideas for *doing something,* but in the midst of our conversing we also added three more resources, which I can’t wait to fold into my own ways of being and doing…

Random Acts

Random Acts of Kindness

Bingo!

Each of these resources has many ideas for small things that virtually anyone can do. Are they all for me? Or for you? I have come to believe that we don’t need to agree with every idea offered up by those who want to *do something.* What is more important is that we lean into our collective efforts in ways that suit our hearts, and skills, and personalities. We really can’t go wrong by coming together in efforts that cherish life!

So if you find anything in the above resources that lights you up, I’d love to hear. Stay connected, loved-ones. And stay creative…

(a friend’s kindness & “do something” sticker chart, used by permission)

As always,

L.L.

Featured illustration by Maurice Pillard Verneuil, Creative Commons, via Flickr.