Welcome to MissouriBendStudio!

This is an online journal of my artistic investigations and a way to communicate about my work, ideas, quandries and queries! I welcome comments and conversation and do hope you enjoy these musings. My artwork is available in my shop MissouriBendStudio on Etsy.com or on my website.

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Thursday, September 15, 2011

The Dailies

Hi everyone....sorry, for my long absence from the blog...well, a week or so seems a very long time.  Also, big apologies for the trouble any of you had in trying to leave comments here on my last post.  I heard from a number of folks directly and the only explanation I can think of is that I had written that post in a little moment of whimsy when I thought I'd try out that new blogger interface.  After I finished the post, I decided I didn't like it and switched back to the current version....perhaps the two interfaces don't speak to each other yet.  Hope to hear from you with no difficulties this time!

I thought I'd share with you one of the daily practices I've taken up since my time at Brush Creek in Wyoming.  Actually, I started these "morning pages" the morning of the first day at Brush Creek and have been doing it every day since.  I had taken a ream of inexpensive printer paper with me for this purpose and decided to start my studio day with making 10 "non-thinking" meditation drawings....very simple marks on the page, turning the page when the urge spoke.  This practice was taken from an assignment I had decades ago actually, in an art education class with an amazing professor, Richard Loveless, at the University of South Florida.  His assignment called for us to find a quiet place and a simple mark-making tool and do this exercise with a stack of 50 sheets of paper.  Simple marks, made without thinking, without analyzing, without seeing the activity as "drawing" per se.  Letting the hand move as it wanted to.  The class members brought their  pages in and we spread them out on the floor.....it was a very powerful moment to realize that each person had their own "inner language" of mark making....their very own pattern of speech that made itself known through their hands.  I've never forgotten that assignment....even while I was doing my initial fifty pages, I realized that I was certainly tapping into my inner psyche and bypassing the "editor" and the thinking mind.  I've recommended this exercise to any number of people and, almost always, people find it very insightful.....unless they are thinking and working through the pages and making "drawings"....then it's much less powerful.  There are clear threads that will run through 50 pages, some of which may only contain a simple mark on the page, depending on when you felt the urge to turn the page over.  For instance, it will be evident that there is a way that you organize the space, the kind of shapes or lines that come through pretty consistently, as well as an individual sensitivity to touch with the tool in hand.  I recognize myself when I see the ten morning pages I've been making daily for over a month and it is clear that it is the same person as the one who made the marks on those 50 sheets of paper over 20 years ago. This is a very powerful tool to help you find yourself when you are lost and give you back the confidence in your own voice that may have been left behind somewhere in the wilderness.

Since coming home, I've added an additional practice, which I do right after my "drawn" morning pages and this is a shortened version of the actual "morning pages", the practice found in The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron.  I'm sure many of you know this book and have had it change your lives, as I have. I have taken up the writing practice of just two pages (front and back of one full page) also as a way to connect with my own thoughts and free up the space for the intuitive mind to play.  For a number of years I got up quite early and did three pages of writing my morning pages and found the practice very enlightening.  I wrote things that I had no idea were on my mind and the process of writing also allowed new ideas to develop because I was thinking through my hands.  It's possible that this was the period when I first began to voice the idea that I think through my hands....many of you have "heard" me say that even now.

All this is to say that these practices are part of a daily routine that also includes yoga and reading and art making and any number of other activities, like eating and sleeping.  I'm a creature of routine....I like rituals and rhythms, which keep me grounded and provide a framework for the unfolding day.  This is not to say that there are no more difficult days in the studio, but I'm finding it much easier to get back on track because I have a map and I'm not too far from the path back to the moment.


These aren't too easy to see, but below is a sampling from my daily pages.....10 pages each day for over a month.....this is quite a growing stack!  I keep them in order as I do them and add the date and the sequential number at the bottom of each page.  Pages below are taken at random.

The added benefit of doing this is that many of the pages will give you ideas for new work or compositions and any number of other unfolding possibilities.  And each day may be slightly different, as your mood, your surroundings, etc. may reveal themselves in ways you didn't realize.  The key is to get out of the way and let your hand move across the page where it wants to. And now for a sampling...

August 3

August 9

August 11

August 12
August 23
September 4

September 9

September 15

Book for the written morning pages and a portrait of my
new fountain pen!

If you love to write and draw with a fountain pen, as I do, you might want to go out and gather up whatever supplies of them you can, because we have found that the mighty fountain pen is very quickly becoming a relic of the past.  John and I were in Sioux Falls last week and began looking for fountain pens....I wanted a nice one for my daily practices and he wanted an inexpensive one to experiment with using it for drawing with sugar-lift solution, a printmaking process.  Not long ago, they were easy to find in office supply stores, but not these days.....not when people don't write on paper with a tool such as a nice pen. By the time we got to the third store, I joked that the person we queried would look at us in wonder and ask what a fountain pen was....it wasn't quite that bad, but close.  Fortunately, there is a wonderfully, charming store in downtown Sioux Falls, called Zanbrosz, that sells all kinds of delights...great household items , bath salts, upscale games, jewelry, metal wind-up toys, interesting books and you guessed it, a fabulous selection of new and used fountain pens....it's a good thing we remembered to go there.  I found my beloved blue pen there and now we start our days together.


22 comments:

  1. You sound so happy and grounded! Lovely to hear. This post may be just what I was needing to ground me again. I have so many ideas and projects on the go that I can't focus on any single one at a time. I'm going to re-read this, grab a pen, and find some roots. Thank you!

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  2. Carole, so glad to hear it! I hope doing the pages will bring some insights, in addition to being very relaxing and enjoyable. I know how too much going on at once tends to short-circuit everything! Thanks for your comment, as well as last week's!

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  3. You should be able to find loads of fountain pens online as they're becoming a specialist thing now so there are people out there who are determined they won't die out. Of course, the only problem is that you can't try them out. I have several Lamy Safari fountain pens with different size nibs and I get the converter which means I can fill it from any colour ink I want rather than just use cartridges. But beware - it can become an obsession :-) I love the idea of your morning drawing pages and was fascinated to see the marks you've made. I'm going to give this a try as soon as I decide which colour fountain pen to use - pink, red, blue, white -hmmm...

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  4. I really like this idea, I reckon I'll put aside a sketchbook for this once I've sorted out my space in my new house. Fountain pens are still widely used in schools here so most stationers have them. I agree, they are lovely to use and they seem to make my handwriting so much tidier.

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  5. Ahh, the mighty fountain pen; I love them but mine always leaked.
    I'm getting the message about the meditation drawings Patti. How the mind (ego) resists being subdued, but I see the results of your efforts to resist "striving" with this humble practice. Would it be counter-productive to put these meditations on 'good' paper? I love your whimsical and personal results.

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  6. Hi Angie....yes, the fountain pen can become an obsession....we've both had a number of them over the years...some of which I still have and some have disappeared. I bought a converter for my new Lamy so it's great to be able to switch colors....hadn't gone so far as to think of having a different pen for different ink...all available at once. Oh, well, the obsession is now taking over! You might just choose one pen if you're going to do the whole 50 pages exercise, but for a daily practice of a smaller number....it could be whatever suits your mood that day...lucky you!

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  7. Carrie...congratulations on settling in to a new space. I'm so happy to hear that fountain pens are still used in schools...that's quite a shock actually, as here it seems only computers and keyboards are used...I exaggerate, I'm sure. I think to think a nice pen makes my handwriting tidier, but I'm not sure it's really true....alas. Have fun...great to hear from you!

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  8. Lorraine...In some ways I have done these meditation drawings on good paper and do have some listed in my shop under that section title. I made them sort of in the same vein, entirely intuitive, but they have some added color or sewing. For the daily practice, I think its important that they aren't "precious" and you don't think of them as making drawings or art or an end result....or you won't really let your hand move in an uncensored way. I haven't had any leaky fountain pens in a long time...maybe you'll have to treat yourself to a nice new one!!! Good luck....I'm sure you'll have some new insights if you try the drawing practice! Cheers!

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  9. I have a recent purchase of "throwaway" fountain pens - ie when the ink has gone they cannot be refilled.... but I've got them in 7 colours!!! Made by Pilot, proper metal nib. They do make you write differently. These exercises... its as much about remembering you KNOW about such things (I suspect many have experienced lots of ideas for stimulating your art, finding direction) and thenactually getting on and DOING it. Enjoy reading your posts, keep up the good work

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  10. Dear Patti thank you so much for sharing some images - they really give me abetter idea about the daily drawings. I love the idea and would like to find a way to incorporate it in my life. We both love fountain pens as well - B actually collects Lamys and is aiming for one in every colour I think! I like the idea of an adapter too - must follow up on it! Go well, stay happy.

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  11. I have the same blue pen, I'll think of your 'routines' when I use it. I keep it for special cards etc. I should use it more often.

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  12. What a great idea for starting the day -- drawing meditations. Sounds like the perfect way to set my intention for the day. Sometimes I'm all over the place when I enter my studio - this would really help. Thanks for sharing.

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  13. If you are ever in NYC - but I believe they also have an online store - check out the Fountain Pen Hospital, 65 years in the business and going strong. Amazing selection of pens and related supplies.

    I've kept a journal for at least 35 years, and always thought of it more as an exercise book than a memoir to be preserved for posterity. Getting my thoughts flowing through my hand first thing every morning, or before bed at night is not only a great way to channel and organize my thoughts, but as with your drawings it's been a great way to loosen up the beginnings of what may later become a "real" piece of writing or artistic theme to be explored visually. And yes, as you say, the practice, especially when not consciously directed, brings out natural consistencies, a signature voice you come to recognize as uniquely your own. Thanks for sharing your routines! Have a great week.

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  14. Beverley....I have seen those Pilot pens, but not in so many colors....at least they're not available in my little corner of the world. I do love the idea of having different colors...I'll keep my eye out. Thanks for reading this blog and many thanks for your comment! Cheers!

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  15. Fiona....I would love to have a different LAMY for each color....what a heavenly world that would be! I'm using the fountain pen for my artwork too now (not just morning pages) and it would be very helpful to have a number in different colored inks...too bad they are so expensive! Hope you can find a way to make this little practice your own...look forward to hearing about it!

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  16. Jackie...it's a lovely pen, isn't it. I love the weight of it....I'm sure it is serving you well! Great to hear from you....thanks for writing!

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  17. Judy....glad this was a helpful post. These morning practices do sort of set the tone for the day and put me in a more centered frame of mind. I look forward to hearing about how it works for you! Great to hear from you...enjoy!

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  18. Gabriella/TT: I'm sure your journal keeping all these yours has been a very important practice....it is interesting what little seed for future works find their way onto the page....a vast fountain of possibility! Thanks for the fountain pen source tip.....I'm such a hands on person, it never occurs to me to look online for such things....imagine that?!?! Hope you have a great week as well!

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  19. this is a lovely idea and you do it so well. I have only just started using a smallsketch book that i keep on my coffee table so that even though i may not get into my studio to work on my art every day, i am still spending time drawing and expressing. i love the idea of beginning your day with this practise. seems like the perfect start :)

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  20. Krystal....thanks so much for your comment. This practice doesn't take a long time at all....I suppose it might be ten minutes total. I think it's good to have them be on single sheets, so you are more free to just let your pen (or whatever you are using) dance across the page. I try not to think, which is probably what I'd do if I was using a sketchbook....give it a try and see what you think. They do become sketches, but it's really a by-product!

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  21. What a wonderful idea to spend the first ten minutes of your day letting your un-describable moods, ideas and thoughts be translated into mark makings. And I simply love the results on your morning pages!

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  22. Erin....thank you for the lovely comment! It is a great practice and a lovely ritual to start the day. Glad you like the results too....they are fun to review!

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I'm happy to hear from you...comments and questions are welcome!