Where Women Create - Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks - Week 18

During 2015, I'm doing two challenges: Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks and Spiritual Practices from A to Z. The latter challenge is what is guiding my reading choices for the year.

The spiritual practice I am currently focusing on is "Imagination." I found a book at the library called Where Women Create - Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary Women by Jo Packham.

This was more of a browsing book versus reading book, although there is plenty of text throughout it. I just found that was looking at the pictures and concentrating on the more visual elements of the book than the written words.

The overall feeling, though, as I completed the book was "clutter" and "chaos." I'm sure there's an organizational system in each of the artist's work space. However, for me, the majority of the spaces had so much stuff. It was just too much. I would find it difficult to concentrate and be inspired with so many distractions around me.

Everywhere in the work spaces was something. There was often no open space on walls, in closets, in drawers - anywhere. That would drive me crazy.

One artist did have a floor that I liked. It was hand-painted and had big square blocks on it. The outlines (maybe 1" wide borders) were a sage green. In one corner, a diagonal line was drawn and then divided in half so there were two small triangles. One of the blocks was painted purple, and then the two small triangles were red and turquoise separated by a gold line/border. The other square was painted red and the two small triangles were gold and purple separated by a turquoise line/border.

What I did take away from the book were some helpful tips:

- To launch your imaginary voyage, carve out a private space and time, even if it's only an hour sketching.
- Give yourself time to straighten up at the end of a session so you can start the next time without being too overwhelmed.

There were some good quotes too:

- Live simply so that others may simply life. (Anonymous)
- The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. (Eleanor Roosevelt)
- What things are true, what things are honest, what things are just, what things are pure, what things are lovely, what things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8)
- Not merely an absence of noise, real silence begins when a reasonable being withdraws from the noise in order to find peace and order in his inner sanctuary. (Peter Manard)
- Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. (Old New England Proverb)