Creativity and a Short Update

This is a general status update so you will know why there has been a long pause in recent postings. Though I try to post on Cornerhouse twice a week, sometimes my schedule makes that difficult.  I want my readers, who I treasure for your faithfulness and loyalty, to know that our Creative Journaling class here has been invigorated and excited by an extended class dialogue about the process of creativity and how the creative process occurs.  Members have been experimenting with some new and exciting approaches to stimulate more creative journaling.  I will be sharing our progress in a series of postings here at Cornerhouse, just as soon as I can.

In the meantime, thank your for your patient and diligent readership.
Cornerhouse

Journaling with “Homeomorphic” Ideas

The following comes from a posting by artist Robert Genn, April 19, 2005, and his perceptions about the creative process in art.  His ideas apply to an equally creative process in writing, including journaling.  It’s a way to release fresh creative thoughts and approaches.  After all, composition in the visual arts is equally important in the language arts.  So when Robert Genn talks about painting, the journalist can think writing, and start to follow an interesting new side paths in our daily entries. 

“Not everyone knows what I'm talking about when I drag the word "homeomorphic" out in mixed company.  Specifically to do with equality of shapes in differing chemicals, it's not in the art books [nor the writer’s books].  But it's a valuable creative concept.  Without always knowing its name, homeomorphism is generally pointed out as a type of compositional problem.

Typically it's a lineup of equidistant trees, or a mountain that rises up conveniently in order to avoid colliding with a foreground element [or a grocery list of what you did today].  It's a natural tendency of the human mind to automatically organize things neatly and in a regular manner. You can probably see an example of architectural homeomorphism from where you sit--window panes are generally divided from one another by equidistant mullions….  

Many artists [or writers] instinctively fight it.  Too much homeomorphism, unimaginatively used, gives a "ruler-regularity" that tends to make work boring.  Nature's not like that.  Nature tends to be uneven,  random, even chaotic.  This means big against small, recession against protrusion, foreground against background, dark against light, warm against cool. 

There's a parallel in music [or poetry].  Music often depends on a regular and reliable rhythmic beat.  But in a lot of jazz, reggae and stride piano [free verse] for example, the beat is given on the off-note.  Rather than conformation, there's counterpoint.  While providing a safe haven, homeomorphism tends to snuff natural dynamism and neutralize creative surprise.

But homeomorphism is also a valuable design device.  It can add interest, mystery, magic and strength.  Lineups, repetition, transfers, rhythm and spottification [bits & pieces?] are some of the tools of abstraction.  Free from nature's reality, the creative eye can decide to "hold" a shape with another, or "confuse" by allowing a shape or a line to be drawn to another.

Homeomorphism is one way to beguile the eye.  [Mystery stories do this very deliberately.]  The next time you're dragging a brush [pen] and wondering where your stroke [idea] might end, remember that you have choices.  Your stroke can go to something, veer away from something, fall short, overtake, or bump nicely into the middle of something.  It's an esoteric little business, but it's good to be aware that it exists.”

And thank you, Robert Genn, for bringing this useful creative technique out in the open.

Some Words of Encouragement:

v     Stop every little while and notice what’s all around. [CR]

v     Be sensitive to the sounds and rhythms of words, as well as their meanings. [CR]

v     “Chance is a fine thing.”  [CR]

v     “There’s gold in them thar hills!” [CR]

Birthdays Past & Present

In the course of a year, there are some days in our lives which deserve special attention.  They merit the use of ink of a different color.  They are annual milestones.  Birthdays are such days.  Most of us remember a small handful of birthdays, but what if we could go back and revisit all of them over the years.  Like links in a chain, the diamonds and rubies and sapphires of our birthdays sparkle fresh when we revisit them in our journals.  That is what I’m doing.  Today, July 15, is my birthday, and I’m taking a birthday journey through my journals, and you are invited to come along, too.

·        2002 – “I had a dream … I was on a trip in the dark to some remote place: cold, rough log road, raining, rude, crude, muddy.  I arrive, thinking it’s going to have a great outcome (gold, diamonds, treasure, whatever), but things just get worse, and the sun never shines.  Finally, after a time, I decide to “throw in the towel” and get out.  Then the real trouble starts.  The trip back is one rip-off after the next, little food, nothing left.  I find I can’t go forward; I can’t go back; I should never have come; I should never have left   Then my dream speaks to me, ‘Sometimes we don’t know when we’re already ahead.’  Smart dream!  Later I celebrated with butter-pecan ice cream for dessert.  It’s my birthday!”

·        2003 – “There were cherries for breakfast this morning and birthday cards from my sister and brother.  A friend sends a dish of paneer and spinach for lunch, and a small scarf with a fringe.  Another friend stops by with zucchini and tomatoes from her garden for dinner.  How lovely it is to have family and friends!  I’m reading “The Feast of Roses” by Indu Sundassan, who also wrote “The Twentieth Wife.””

·        2004 – “I woke and put safflower seeds in the feeder for the cardinals.  The family arrives for a visit and we have dinner together followed by cold ice cream in the hot summer air.  The children doze off to sleep while the adults chat, their voices quiet in the night. On the porch, watching the stars and the fireflies.”

·        2005 – “I was given a gift of a “memory mattress” for my back, tied with red ribbons.  A friend comes by with a miniature rose plant for the garden.  The bougainvillea is in bloom.  And there are phone calls during the evening from the family about late arrivals for their visit this year.  It’s the last full weekend before the rush back to school begins.”

·        2006 – “My sister called me.  She had just returned from the hospital there they tried to get her ready for a procedure, except her blood vessels collapsed and they could not get a blood sample.  She’s now home and resting on oxygen and feeling very low. . Her body is shutting down.  Is she going to beat this?  (Two days later, I call, and much to my surprise, she was in really good spirits and said, “Happy Birthday!” in a clear voice.  Good things can happen.)”

·        2007 – (I’ve retired.  We’re selling our house, packing, and moving.)  “General cleanup.  Vacuum carpets.  Clean grout, plumbing, and re-hang light fixtures in the bathroom.  Loading the truck tomorrow.  Family calls to say, “Happy Birthday!”  I’m so tired; I just crawl onto an air mattress for the night.”

·        2008 – (In new house)  “Letter from the State Historical Society to say that our home is to be listed on the state and national public register list of historical properties!  What a wonderful birthday present!  We are really very pleased.  About mid-afternoon I receive a phone call from the city confirming this status.”

·        2009 – “My birthday today.  Hot! Hot! Hot! 100 degrees (F) due today.  Went to the Farmer’s market early while it is cooler.  Got a lot of fruits and vegetables  Lovely sweet corn-on-the-cob for dinner.  Then we went over to the local sidewalk sale.  I found a small wooden shelf for $ .50 – it just fits on top of the baking cabinet.  In the evening I practice some songs on the piano.”

·        2010 – “(104 degrees today) Up early to get tasks done while it is cool.  Water the garden.  Make a batch of spaghetti sauce.  Make a batch of rice for the freezer.  A bunch of birthday phone calls in the evening from family and friends, which makes a nice end to the day.”

·        2011 – “For the first time since retiring I’m sometimes feel like a ‘senior.’  Actually, I never thought I would live so long.  My husband is also showing signs of aging: arthritis, indigestion, back pain, irregular sleeping.  Phone calls come in the evening, but it’s just us, and it’s rather quiet this year.” 

·        2012 – “Lots of time making hospital visits.  My husband is due home tomorrow.  He’s not at all well, but he prefers to be home.  I’ll be glad to have more home time, too.  (Note:: he died the next month, in the kindest way possible, quickly, with no lingering pain.)

·        2013 – “My computer is down.  Arrange for service with a local expert, who does a very good job.  Unit should be back tomorrow.  Birthday calls from family, friends, and cards and calls from lots of people who want me to know they care.  I got through the day, and am grateful for the people around me.

·        2014 – “It’s 12 years of birthday journal entries above, and so much has changed.  I now teach classes in journaling and bookbinding.  I design sets and costumes for the local theater group, exhibit my design work locally, and am active with my garden and my blog, with family and friends.  The biggest difference is that before, when I was working, I had to spend a lot of time and energy doing things I hated.   Now I still spend a lot of time and energy, but it’s doing things I love.”

Some Words of Encouragement:

·        “There should be more to life than working … At the end of the day, you know what that is: to love and be loved.  Simply that.”  [Ref: At the End of The Day, B. Neels.]

·        “You only get one life.  You don’t get second chances.” [Ref: September, Rosamunde Pilcher, p. 486]

·        “Life is what happens to you when you are making other plans.” [Ref: Song, John Lennon]

·        “The only differences that are of lasting importance are the little differences that you make in the life of another person.” [Ref: Richard Pimentel, the power behind the Americans with Disabilities Act.]

·        “Yesterday’s history; tomorrow’s a mystery; today is the present; every day is a gift.” [Ref: “Little Pink Slips,” Sally Koslow, p. 27]

Journaling Can Help Convert Words into Deeds

This is about the using the journal to create relationships between knowing and doing, coming to the understanding that the actions we perform, our deeds, are the outward expression of our inner thoughts and desires.  The body does what the mind says.  And we can work some of our thoughts into deeds in the pages of our journals.

In her book The Year of Pleasures, Elizabeth Berg wrote, “I’m not talking about things that happen to you.  I’m talking about things you make happen.  I’m talking about purposefully doing one thing that brings you happiness every single day, in a very conscious way.” [p. 158] 

It takes awareness of oneself, consciously seeking to find a daily outward expression in the way of positive actions, i.e. deeds.  And by recording them in a device such as a journal, to keep one self moving ever closer to aligning inner thoughts to outward volition as deeds of action.  Most particularly, these deeds only need be recorded in the journal, not announced to the world.  (We are not talking about ego-nourishment here.)  It is using the journaling process on a daily or regular basis to learn about oneself.  It creates a personal opportunity for beneficial changes in life.

“What is the process by which a talker becomes a doer…?  They get [focused] by an issue.”  [Ronald Kuby.  Note concerning the context of this quote:  Mr. Kuby, a noted defense lawyer in New York City, is discussing terrorism, and his insight brings light to the moment in the thinking process when abstract words become the motivational decision toward concrete actions, deeds.  CR]

Some qualities which may help trigger actions, changes, and deeds could be, but are not restricted to: Curiosity, Bravery, Hope, Ambition, Love, Habit, Imagination, Fear, Memories, Poverty, Self-Examination, Hardship, Dreams, Caring, Nourishing, Helping, Opportunity, Death.

And in the process of moving from Thinking to Saying to Doing, here are some ideas:

·        Aim to bring balance and consistency between words and deeds

·        Aim for improved communication in relationships

·        Honor one’s promises

·        Practice positive ethical standards

·        Exhibit moral behavior

·        Be prudent in judgment

·        Practice kindness and compassion

·        Refrain from idle gossip

·        Treat people fairly

Some Words of Encouragement:

~  “Let deeds, not words, be your adorning.”  [The Hidden Words, Bana’u’llah]

~  “What I hear I forget; What I see, I remember; What I do I know.”  [Chinese Proverb]

~  “Mitzvah; an act of human kindness.”

~  “Watch what we do, not what we say.” [John Mitchell]

~  “Watch your thoughts for they become words; watch your words for they become actions.”  [Proverb]

~   “You  don’t let horses run away with you.  You rein they in.  The same with the wild horses of your mind.”  [The Treasure of Montsigue, Sophy Burnham]

Know Thyself (Gnothi Seariton)

Why does the human being ask this question?  Not “Be Thyself,” but know thyself.  Not live instinctively, but know that one is living, with inner consistency, from moment to moment through every day.  Not “acting out” some assumed role, but living it, with alive awareness, with consciousness of oneself in that unfolding stream of time, sometimes so completely that any sense of time is lost.

How does one come to such an awareness of our true self?  What if one finds qualities about the true self which are ugly or abhorrent?  Presumably one confronts them – accepts them – perhaps changes them, or not.  We do have choices.

And what is the true self?  Is it immutable, non-changing?  Or do we grow by change?

Is contentment a sign of finding the true self?  Perhaps it’s just comfortable – like an old shoe which fits the foot, but is worn out at the sole and run down at the heel, no longer offering real comfort, but rather the easy or lazy down-trodden habitual way.

One can be and not know.  But knowing-ness means putting it into words, bringing whatever is felt into awareness by giving it life and recognition in words, from the abstract to the verbal concrete.  It’s language which communicates, both to others and to ourselves – it’s words which reveal the inner self to that outward state of awareness.

One exercise is to cut away the clutter and find one word for understanding.  If you are asked to describe yourself ten years ago, in one word, what would that word have been (not a role – like “wife” or “father” – but a word which describes you). 

Twenty years ago?

Before that?

Now?

In future?

What word do you want to become?

Some Words of Encouragement:

·        Who you will be in the next five years depends on three things:

~  The books you read

~  The people you meet

~  The choices you make

·        There is a story about a Navajo grandfather who once told his grandson, “Two wolves live inside me.  One is the bad wolf, full of greed and laziness, full of anger and jealousy and regret.  The other is the good wolf, full of joy and compassion and willingness and a great love for the world.  All the time these wolves are fighting inside me.”

“But grandfather,” the boy said, “which wolf will win?”

The grandfather replied, “The one I feed.” [The Year of Pleasures, Elizabeth Berg, p. 165.]

Help Save Endangered Skills

How quickly things come, change, transform, morph, and disappear.  In the course of one lifetime, we can, and do, celebrate new ideas and methods, new efficiencies, processes, materials, and capabilities, which better our lives, bring interesting inventions or labor-saving devices, fun entertainments, voyages to the moon, and a wealth of information data we never thought possible.  I remember as a child, a family member told me about some new invention which “could send pictures invisibly right through the air into our homes,” a concept which was both intriguing and incomprehensible to me, and now there is the ubiquitous television in every family.

     However, in the excitement of the new, there is also a sense of loss of what came before.  It is more than sentimental nostalgia.  It is the gradual loss of context, the quality which can enrich our awareness of the “now” in our daily life.

     And, along with source materials such as photographs, stories, newspaper archives, etc., that journals can help to preserve that context to the passage of our world.  I can go to a neighborhood garage sale and see a tool, and I ask myself, “What is this?”  What is it used for?  How is it used?  When could it have been made?  And it starts me on a journey of discovery which usually ends by a journal entry, with a drawing or picture of my discovery, and any information about it.  Perhaps, if all goes well, that journal entry may be a wonderful source of information for someone 200 years into the future.  Those entries which we make today become the treasures for future generations.

     In a recent discussion in the journaling class, we took a look at our lives today and brainstormed some things which are not quite yet gone, but which we feel are swiftly passing, in the hope that readers will join us in recording in our journals things which we want to help preserve. 

     To my surprise, everyone came up with Cursive Hand-Writing as their first response.  And I remember that not long ago, as a teacher, I was helping in a classroom, and the children were fascinated by watching me take my notes in swift cursive words.  I explained that cursive writing was taught a required skill when I was a child.  In school classes from about 1890s to 1950s, students in the U.S. were taught cursive writing using the “Palmer Method.” This in itself replaced the former, beautiful-but-intricate Spenserian system, as it was deemed a more efficient method for future use in the business world.  Now, with the successive use of typewriters, computers, and keyboards, even the cursive Palmer Method is no longer taught.  Even hand-written “Thank You” notes are unusual these days.  Such a loss of sensibility and courtesy to the world.  And with this in mind, it is my personal choice to maintain my cursive writing in my journals as a personal gift to some reader in the future (assuming they will still be able to read such archaic writing then).

Some other ideas which came out of the discussion are:

·        Cooking skills: cooking “from scratch,” canning, baking, preserving, etc.

·        Textile skills: Ironing, sewing, crocheting, quilting, darning, etc.

·        Trading and “haggling”

·        Tools from many trades and skills

We would be interested in hearing more suggestions from any readers of this blog.  What would it be a good idea to preserve for the future?  What can we record, explain, document to others which would help to provide future readers with the context in which they will dwell?

Some Words of Encouragement:

v     “I have drunk from wells I did not dig; I have been warmed from fires I did not build; I have been shaded by trees I did not plant.”  [Anonymous]

v     “Although I have been collecting for over thirty years, I still find it hard to define exactly what it is I collect.  The most fundamental definition is that the items in the collection were produced by solve everyday problems; to make a task simpler or easier.” [Ingenious Gadgets by Maurice Collins, p. 6.]

v     “Everything old is new again.” [Folk saying]

v     “Look closely.  The beautiful may be small.”  [Emmanuel Kant]

v     “Lost, yesterday, somewhere between sunrise and sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes.  No reward is offered, for they are gone forever.”  [Horace Mann]

Journal – A Place of Safe Deposit

[Note:  I have held back on this blog entry in order to obtain the permission of the person it concerns before publishing it.  Cornerhouse.]

     A member of our journaling group recently brought in a story to share. She explained that this was not an “ordinary” sort of entry, and that perhaps it did not belong in her journal, but that it might be better to keep it in a “special” journal, separate from the daily one.  In order to better understand, we asked her to read it, and I share this account on Cornerhouse with her permission. 

     About two years ago, this person was badly hurt in an automobile accident, resulting in a broken back, and her recovery has been slow and painful.  The day she brought her story to us, it was the two-year anniversary of the accident.  It is simply titled “The Blue Car.”  It is her memory of the accident, but told from the point of view of her concerned and loving little car.  It was a sensitive and moving account of an awful event in her life.  We all agreed that it was more than interesting, well written, and unusual, and that perhaps she might like to start a creative writing journal for this and other stories she might want to write.

     When the next week came around, she said that she had, indeed, started her creative writing journal.  In addition, she said that when she wrote the story, she had felt confused, emotional, and reluctant to revisit this experience in her life, but that using the Blue Car to talk about the event had helped her in ways she did not anticipate.

     First, it was a way of thinking about a deeply disturbing experience, and at the same time distancing herself from the pain. Second, it allowed her to record her memories of the event, while “putting it away” in a “safe place” where she could revisit it if she ever would want to.  And third, after two years, it was a way to re-interpret what had happened in a new context.  Now, she could set it aside, safe in her journal, and could take a more balanced and positive outlook.

     This is not unusual.  It often happens that journals can serve to bring new insights, perspectives, understanding, even wisdom, as we sort out our life experiences in the safety of our personal journals. 

     This was written in the first person (i.e., the car), but there are other styles which could also be used.  A scene in a play, for example, in which there are characters and dialogue, discussing an event.  There might be a comment section at the end, or suggestions to the self about what to do in similar situations encountered in the future.

     In effect, using journals as a tool, we can teach or heal ourselves from the strains and pressures of daily life. 

Some Words of Encouragement:

·        “[We] begin the way most diaries begin: all at once, with a rolling up of sleeves, an intake of breath – and a here goes.” [A Book of One’s Own by Thomas Mallon, p. xviii.]

·        “A breed apart from the diarists who write simply to collect the days or preserve impressions of foreign places are those who set out in their books to discover who they really are… Some of them are after the sight of God; others are out to realize their full ‘potential.’ Spiritual or otherwise; and some of them are carrying burdens of suffering they are unsure they can shoulder – they want to use their diaries to test, and to add to, their strength.” [Ibid., p. 75.]