Art Nurture

It's Friday! Have you been working for the weekend?Art Nurture presents: The Poetics of Work Project

2/28/2014

So, today is Friday.

Friday has many meanings for each of us, depending on our lifestyles.

Friday could be the day you cut loose and go out, collapse on the couch, head to your weekend job, spend time watching your kids play sports, or whatever suits your fancy!

Traditionally, we think of Monday as the beginning of the work week. Sometimes we even get stressed out on Sunday night just thinking about Monday and all that it means for us. We work for the "weekend". Then Friday rolls around, the end of our "work week", and we are expected to really soak up life for a couple of days until Monday rolls around again.

Have you been working for the weekend?

Do you just grit your teeth and make it through?

Or do you have a sneaking suspicion that you are being pulled to a deeper calling, but aren't sure what that is?

Maybe you know your calling, but are uncertain of how you'd like to live that out in the world?

Maybe you are totally in the groove! Maybe you have it all figured out! Perhaps you are living in your "sweet spot" with a lovely poetic balance and rhythm with work, life, and your highest creative ideals. Beauty.

It turns out, I have found it impossible to talk about Cultivating Creativity and Nurturing your Art without talking with people about their work, their time, their money, their talents, their desires. We really cannot separate the creative conversation from the work conversation. In fact, I began having these conversations with everyone!

That is why I am so excited about The Poetics of Work Project online workshop this upcoming Monday evening!

The Poetics of Work Project focuses on
four guiding principles.

Narrative- telling & living out your authentic story

Authentic Authority- growing your confidence

Voice- cultivating your work & your craft

Expansion- sharing your work in the world

What if life & work weren't so separate?

What if it worked in beautiful harmony in rhythm?

What if our lives were a balanced & beautiful piece of poetry?

I would love for you to be part of the conversation. Please join us on Monday evening.

The Poetics of Work Project will illuminate the relationship between the work you do every day and your highest creative ideals.

Live your authentic story.

Love your commute.

Details:
Date: 3/3/14
The Poetics of Work Project
Location: Livestream video
Time: 7:00-9:00 pm EST
Ticket: $29 BUY NOW!

Included in your registration will be a complimentary recording of the workshop for you to listen to at any time. I also have some special Art Nurture bonuses for you when you attend our Monday workshop!

What are your thoughts on work, life, creativity?
How do you find that Poetic balance in your life?
Please join the conversation by sharing your thoughts in the comments below!

If you are digging this Art Nurture goodness, join the newsletter to receive it directly in your inbox or share this post with someone you think will love it too!

As always, keep nurturing and cultivating,
Court

10 Comments

Court McCracken,
Creativity Cultivator

Elise link

2/28/2014 10:42:12 pm

Court, I am looking forward to learning more about finding that sweet spot with work, life and creativity. While I LOVE what I do, I sometimes feel like the lines are blurred and I can't separate it at all... so I can step away and get a fresh perspective. I can't wait to hear your perspective on how to create that harmony.

Court link

3/3/2014 03:42:38 am

Elise,
I really love your comment. It has had me thinking quite a lot. I do believe that it can be challenging when you work to create boundaries, especially when your work is also your passion or you are an entrepreneur. Your work can spill into all areas. I see this happening too with some of my friends answering e-mails "off the clock" at their jobs. As I have been pondering your articulation of "blurred lines", which I thought was brilliantly described, I am reminded of an art lesson I taught last week. I was talking with a student about composition, design, balance, and the principles of harmony within visual art. We talked about using "negative space" or the "empty space" within our composition to really work for us. Even though we weren't putting "anything" in that a space, it was an integral part of making the piece of art more strong, from a design sense, to truly keep the viewers eye moving throughout the piece. The empty or negative space actually gives room for your eye to breath and to keep the movement and visual engagement going. When used well, this can be your most powerful tool as a visual artist. In thinking back on all of the slam poetry competitions I have been to, the principles of design transfer over. The timing of the words and the timing of the pause are the most powerful tools at the poets disposal. The pause is where the weight of the words, the joy, the laughter, all of it, takes place.

I too am in the same position as you...where the lines seem blurred. We have to be intentional artists, and save space for the pause, for the empty space.

When I was in art school, I threw everything into the composition in the name of activating the format! I wanted my surfaces to be active and interesting and exciting! I had no idea back then the power of the pause. Now, a decade later, the pause in my art is an equal player with the "stuff I draw & paint". I have to intentionally save that "blank space" on my canvas or on my paper to allow the figure that I am drawing or painting to have the power that it can. It doesn't have to fill every corner and square inch.

So, I suppose, for you and I and the many others like us that struggle with the blurred lines. We have to seek to be intentional with the pauses we build into our lives. We have to put a fence around it and say, "No, I'm off for a bit. This is how I compose the piece of art known as my life...I take time for a pause."

Thanks, Elise, for prompting me to think through these very real questions. It really meant a lot to me. Have a beautiful day!

Lily link

3/3/2014 03:56:40 am

I sometimes struggle with keeping my work-life separate, but my work is my passion and I do it from home. You got me thinking. Maybe the goal shouldn't be to separate the two but to focus on their connection.

3/28/2014 12:29:18 pm

Absolutely, Lily, the connection between them and that also involves the honoring of your authentic self and care of self within that, because we are people first and our most beautiful work comes from our humanity. How lovely that you are able to work both from your passion and from your home and that you have found a work model that works best for you! Thanks for sharing : )

Krystal Bernier link

3/3/2014 07:54:44 am

I'm one of those lucky few who loves what I do, I'm actually waiting all weekend to get back at it on Monday :-)

3/28/2014 12:31:13 pm

Nice, Krystal! That is lovely : ) I'm glad to hear the Monday's aren't getting the best of you, but that you are excited to give your best on Monday!

Silvia link

3/4/2014 10:03:21 am

Court, I used to be one of those who didn't like Sunday because it meant Monday was next. Two days to decompress and have fun just wasn't enough and really it was one day because Sunday I was already stressing. I also hated that Sunday which used to be my favorite day of the week because it meant I could be really present with my family seemed to be taken away.

But that was many years ago. Sunday is back to being my favorite day. How I felt on Sunday played a big part in letting me know that I wanted to be able to set my own hours. I didn't want to feel like a caged bird. Life is too short to feel that way. Now I can't wait until Monday because that means I'll have more action in my business. But I still like to reserve Sunday for connecting with friends and family. But ultimately I've learned that everything is a question of balance and that being in harmony with the rhythm of my life is my sweet spot. Thank you for this lovely post. Sorry I missed your event. I'm sure it was a big success.

3/28/2014 12:35:13 pm

Silvia,
Thanks so much for sharing your past and present experiences!

It's funny, I remember the stress I felt on Sunday evenings before Monday morning of school....really in my professional life I have tried to move away from those stressful feelings. Any time I have found myself in that way, I have stepped outside and taken a look in to see what the cause was...most often it was that the position I held wasn't a good fit for me. That is really no ones fault, but it is my own responsibility to take in making choices for myself.

I love that you put aside Sundays for friends, family, and connection. You are truly right in that harmony with a beautiful rhythm...life is a lot like music and poetry in the way we move through it...the time will pass anyways, may as well enjoy the tune!

Sarah McKenna link

3/4/2014 10:24:29 am

I am a lucky one. I do love my work but sometimes I need reminding and then other days I need to be reminded I have other things to do :)

3/28/2014 12:39:01 pm

I'm so glad to hear you consider yourself lucky...you are...But I'll bet you had a lot to do with it ; )

p.s. I need tons of reminders too!

It's Friday! Have you been working for the weekend?Art Nurture presents: The Poetics of Work Project

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Court McCracken,
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