I spent a couple of months ago reading a lot of children's books, just to reassure that the world still has its naiveté and integrity. Spending too much time on facebook and virtual world especially when there were intense political conflicts going on in Thai social media could make me that pessimistic. But that is in the past, at least in the past of my feeling now that I can put all my focus on work and my future. I come back to be interested in the topic of creativity again. I discover 3 books I think they will have major influence on my life from now on. One book is called 'how not to think', a translation from Japanese book written by a Buddhist monk. The second book I almost finish is Twyla Tharp's The Creative Habit. The last one is the famous Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way.
The two latter books focus mainly on how to live your life in creative track. I have just read the first chapter of The Artist's Way in which the author talks about her two tools, Morning Pages and the artist date. When I read about these tools, I immediately saw how these would help me improve my life. Morning Pages is simply writing 3 pages of whatever in your mind when you wake up in the morning (I have already started my pages and may talk about it later) and the artist date is to find a day in week to go out and nourish yourself.
The artist date (I really like how she names it, sounds romantic and cheerful) is the same thing with what Twyla Tharp talks about doing field trip in The Creative Habit. The idea of going out is not a new idea. Everyone knows when you get too stressed, taking a walk is the best way to get out of it. What I am quite excited is the idea of putting 'a date' with 'a goal' on my weekly calendar. The 2 words somehow change my perspective about living. I always felt guilty every time I went out and had no work progress for the day. I didn't try to combine work and life together. Now I learn that I can enjoy a day outside and working at the same time with a sketchbook in hand and work brief in my head. It will be my brainstorming-sketching day. Sketches I do on the day will be continued in the following day at my work desk. I won't waste my time at all, instead I gain both work progress and spiritual healthiness from a good cup of coffee or a nice fresh air outside :D
I have always thought that I'm quite creative. But that is just in term of my art making, I have just realized that I'm not that creative on how to spend my life happily at all. Living creatively will be what I practice from now :)
The photos posted here are my second 'artist date', a small lovely coffee shop in the corner of an art museum in Bangkok. The very first date is going to Bangkok Seashell Museum. You can browse beautiful seashell photos on my instagram :)
Hi Pavinee - I loved the Artist's Way and recently started reading it again. I also read Twyla Tharp's book too which I liked too. Like you I love the Artist's date (although i've got to say I sometimes find it quite hard to include in my weekly schedule), I think it's such a great and beneficial part of life now :)
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