Try an Art Marathon

National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo, is not for the faint of heart. If you dare, check it out at www.nanowrimo.org. The object of the game is to write a 50,000-word novel between November 1 and November 30.

Why would anyone do this to himself?? The folks at NaNoWriMo say, "By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create."

You may think there's a madness to their "method," but take a closer look, and you'll see the method to their "madness."

"NaNoWriMo is all about the magical power of deadlines," say the NaNoWriMo folks. "...the glow from creating big, messy art...lasts for a long, long time. The act of sustained creation does bizarre and wonderful things to you....And changes, a little bit, your sense of self."

Here's what I'd like to propose. Scale this idea down to what's manageable for you and apply it to any art form you choose. It's a great way to get rid of that nagging editor or art critic, etc., that chatters in your head. You simply outrun him.

Then dig through the rubble to find the chunks of gold hidden within!

To your success,

Susan

P.S. Do you have a deep thinker on your holiday list? Email me at scleaver@dejazzd.com to order my guided journal, The Whispering Heart. ($10 US; plus tax and shipping depending on where you live.) See the sample exercise below:

Treasures

"Life is a spiritual treasure hunt--when we are paying attention, we see that there are clues everywhere we look." --Sandra C. Brossman

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What treasures are you finding in your daily life?

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P.P.S. A big thanks to my son, Dave, for telling me about NaNoWriMo!