Reflections on: Writing Away by Lavonia Spaulding

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Writing Away by Lavonia Spaulding

From the introduction:

Writing Away, [A Creative Guide to Awakening the Journal-Writing Traveler] is a book about forging that relationship [between life experiences and life examination] through keeping an awakened, intentional, creative travelogue, but above all, it’s a place where journey meet journal. The two words, which share an obvious root, jour, or “day” in French, both refer to how far one has gone in a day. The poet T. S. Elliott once said, “Only those willing to risk going too far can find out how far they can go.” How far are you willing to take your journey and journal?

Quotes from Writing Away by Lavonia Spaulding:

On the power of setting an intention:
“Making the journal equal to the journey is simply a matter of shifting your intention: you’re no longer traveling and keeping a log on the side, but embarking with a dual purpose.”
On the power of ritual:
“Turning something into a ritual eliminates the question, Why am I doing this?”
On the power of the written word:

“A journal is personal travel insurance, protecting your memories from strolling off un-chaperoned, vanishing without a goodbye or backwards glance. This is the driving force behind most people’s road journals, and although basic, its importance cannot be overstated. The human memory is feeble and needs all the help it can get.”

On the bigger picture:

The author and nature writer Barry Lopez talks about becoming intimate with the location in a “storied” way. It starts with silence, concentrated sensory attention, and familiarity with geographical and anthropological history, and it continues towards the cultivation of an ethical, reciprocal relationship with the land. It’s like having a conversation with someone we’re attracted to, says Lopez–someone with whom we’d like to form a lasting relationship. As a human being, the basic desire is not to impose too much of ourselves or own that person; we only want to be in love. Likewise, the desire isn’t to control a location or terrain; we want to be its companion.”The key, I think,” writes Lopez, “is to become vulnerable to a place. If you open yourself up, you can build intimacy. Out of such intimacy may come a sense of belonging, a sense of not being isolated in the universe.”

On the connection between travel and art:

Pablo Picasso said, “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” That problem, I think, can be solved with travel. Travel renews our youth, giving us a dispensation to reclaim the original zest for art so often rooted out of us as adults. Surrounded by the unfamiliar, we regain the eyes of the six-year-old,  and suddenly we’re handed all the conditions necessary to become an artist again: inspiration, free time, a portable canvas, and a cornucopia of exotic materials at our disposal. Can you think of a better environment for revamping your creativity?

On the power of travel:

… travel stirs us up. It’s a stimuli smorgasbord with a menu of Curiosity, frustration, self-consciousness, bliss, courage, vulnerability, stress, alienation, titillation, fear, loss, boredom, lust, loneliness, all—you name it. And in addition to emotions, with perpetually observing information and sensory phenomena.

And on the power of journaling:

A notebook is a traveler’s salve, soothing the commotion of our relentless thoughts by providing a safe container for them. The act of writing anchors us, slowing and deepening our reflections so that we articulate with more honesty and precision then when we think and talk.

My thoughts:

I wasn’t impressed with this book at first. Spaulding began at the beginning, which is a reasonable thing to do, but the specifics on the whys of journaling, and the hows of choosing journals and marking implements was basic, and I presumed I knew it all. Not so. I grew to enjoy her writing style, if not all of her anecdotes, and with an open mind, I continued reading. And then I struck gold.

The gold?

She provided much food for thought regarding some basic journal prompts. I’m not one for the fill-in-the-blank journaling style, but it seems a few helpful guides may make the leap into daily writing easier.

I do not presume I will devote a lot of time to the journlaing process, and yet it is the perfect go-to ritual to fill the in-between times – the waits for transportaton or delays in scheduled activities. So I’ll be ready when that happens.

Some journal prompts I’m considering using:
  • Five details from the day using each of the five senses– sight sound taste touch smell
  • A snippet of overheard conversation
  • A piece of sidewalk “trash” to glue in the journal
  • Maps and brochures
  • A map drawn by a local for getting unlost or their written directions
  • One thing that is ordinary and mundane
  • Snapshot word pictures, which include both macro and micro details
  • Write a daily haiku
Include found items:
  • In-flight magazines
  • Menus
  • Stamps
  • Paper money
  • Price tags and receipts
  • Candy wrappers
  • Postcards
  • Beer and wine labels
  • Comics
  • Advertisements
Consider keeping running lists in the back of the Journal:
  • Funny moments
  • Beers for Bob
  • Culinaria  (I hear reindeer is on one of the special menus.)
  • Cheesy souvenirs I did not buy
  • Transportation
  • Epiphany du jour
  • Glossary of the new terms/foreign words or phrases to remember

A final reminder:

Journaling or creating art or taking photographs are all important travel-companion activities, but the primary focus should always be on the experience.

That acknowleged, these sorts of activities will enhance my travel experience and will provide me with a sense of familiarlity in a unfamiliar setting.

We are here to do,
And through doing to learn;
And through learning to know;
And through knowing to experience wonder;
And through wonder to attain wisdom;
And through wisdom to find simplicity;
And through
simplicity to give attention;
And through attention,
To see what needs to be done…
~ Ben Hei Hei, Wisdom of the Jewish Sages by Rabbi Rami M. Shapiro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reflections on: The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton

The Art of Travel

by Alain de Botton. Copyright 2002 by Alain de Botton.

The author’s website.

A book excerpt from the New York Times.

Traveler. Ohare International Airport, © 2018

The following are quotes from The Art of Travel.

On “Human Flourishing”:

“We are inundated with advice on where to travel to, but we hear little of why and how we should go, even though the art of travel seems naturally to sustain a number of questions neither so simple nor so trivial, and whose study might in modest ways contribute to an understanding of what the Greek philosophers beautifully termed eudaimonia, or ‘human flourishing’.”

On Cultivating The Proper Mindset for Traveling:

“The pleasure we derive from journeys is perhaps dependent more on the mindset with which we travel than on the destination we travel to.”

On The Flight’s Take-Off:

“There is psychological pleasure in this takeoff, too, for the swiftness of the plane’s ascent is an exemplary symbol of transformation. The display of power can inspire us to imagine analogous, decisive shifts in our own lives, to imagine that we, too, might one day surge above much that now looms over us.”

en route to New York City ©2018

On Enhanced Thinking while Traveling:

“Journeys are the midwives of thought. Few places are more conducive to internal conversations than a moving plane, ship or train. There is an almost quaint correlation between what is in front of our eyes and the thoughts we are able to have in our heads: large thoughts at times requiring large views, new thoughts new places. Introspective reflections which are liable to stall are helped along by the flow of the landscape. The mind may be reluctant to think properly when thinking is all it is supposed to do.”

On Traveling by Train:

“At the end of hours of train-dreaming, we may feel we have been returned to ourselves – that is, brought back into contact with emotions and ideas of importance to us. It is not necessarily at home that we best encounter our true selves. The furniture insists that we cannot change because it does not; the domestic setting keeps us tethered to the person we are in ordinary life, but who may not be who we essentially are.”

orange seats. airport. ©2018

On Finding Poetry in Common Places:

“If we find poetry in the service station and motel, if we are drawn to the airport or train carriage, it is perhaps because, in spite of their architectural compromises and discomforts, in spite of their garish colours and harsh lighting, we implicitly feel that these isolated places offer us a material setting for an alternative to the selfish ease, the habits and confinement of the ordinary, rooted world.”

On Visiting New Places:

“It is not necessarily at home that we best encounter our true selves. The furniture insists that we cannot change because it does not; the domestic setting keeps us tethered to the person we are in ordinary life, who may not be who we essentially are.”

On Perspective:

“He [Wordsworth] invited his readers to abandon their usual perspective and to consider for a time how the world might look through other eyes, to shuttle between the human and the natural perspective. Why might this be interesting, or even inspiring? Perhaps because unhappiness can stem from only having one perspective to play with.”

On Curiosity:

“Curiosity takes ignorance seriously, and is confident enough to admit when it does not know. It is aware of not knowing, and it sets out to do something about it”

On The Search:

“What we find exotic abroad may be what we hunger for in vain at home.”

On The Pith of Travel:

“I was here, I saw this and it mattered to me.”

Night Flight. Chicago and Lake Michigan. ©2018

My Reflections while Reading The Art of Travel

Botton allows that his physical and mental state proved to be “temperamental accomplices in the mission of appreciating my destination.” Heat, flies, financial expenditures, strange foods, anxiety, melancholy – all were a part of his experience. But there were also candlelit dinners, an exuberance of sunlight, and walks along a pristine beach under an azure sky. It’s always a delicate balance between delight and discontent.

How important, that first “sighting”, that which affirms to oneself the arrival of “elsewhere.” (It’s rather like the Flash of Perception in Miksang Philosophy.) How many “first sightings” will I “see”? Five new countries, eight destinations, three airports, one hotel, one ship. So many opportunities for that first flash, the knowledge that I am “elsewhere.”

Botton writes of allowing one’s “compass of curiosity to settle according to its own logic”. When I consider travel abroad in terms of my interests, I’m suddenly eager to check out art museums, walk along the seacoast, and have coffee in neighborhood cafés. If I could visit a gallery and a café at every destination, my trip would be a success.

Combine a seven-year-olds sense of inquiry: ”Why?” with an adult’s wisdom and experience. That equals the ability to ask sophisticated questions and feed the curious mind. Recipe for a fulfulling trip.

What if instead of souvenirs and regrets, we “return from our journeys with a collection of small unfêted but life-enhancing thoughts?”

What if, indeed?

CONTEMPLATIVE CREATIVES JOURNEY – SPRING 2018: an online workshop

ANNOUNCING THE SPRING SEASON OF THE WOMEN’S WORKSHOP THAT EXPLORES – AND CELEBRATES – THE EXTRAORDINARY IN THE ORDINARY

This gently guided journey with Bo has infused my existing practices with renewed energy. Her exquisite leadership is informed by experience, training and soulful instinct. I consider her a modern mystic. ~Mary Anne Radmacher, author and artist

CONTEMPLATIVE CREATIVES JOURNEY came into being on December 1, 2016 when I officially launched the first WINTER season. Since the initial offer, I have been leading amazing groups of women in creative and contemplative seasonal explorations.

Spring is right around the corner and it’s time to plan for CONTEMPLATIVE CREATIVES JOURNEY – SPRING 2018.

If the words contemplative and creative have a sweet juiciness and you’re interested in a different sort of online workshop, read on.

  • Instead of schedules, I offer serendipity.
  • Instead of a planned curriculum, I offer surprises.
  • Instead of expectations, I offer possibilities.
  • Instead of learned objectives, I offer an always-available way to engage and interact with the world through art, nature and the written word.

I share my practices as they show up in real time. There is a flow – we write, we create art, we observe nature. But there is no plan beyond the present. I choose a theme, often only a day or two before I dive in. Then we explore the theme in depth with writing prompts, contemplative photography, collaborative poetry, and in-your-yard nature observations.

MY SPRING OFFER:

YOU WILL RECEIVE REGULAR AND RANDOM PROMPTS, QUESTIONS, AND EXPLORATIONS.

TOGETHER WE WILL:

  • CREATE ART.
  • WRITE POETRY.
  • LEARN MIKSANG (CONTEMPLATIVE) PHOTOGRAPHY PRACTICES.
  • OBSERVE AND SHARE IN-YOUR-OWN-BACKYARD NATURE.

Together we will explore themes and creative practices that inspire and encourage, elicit wonder and awe, uplift your spirit and feed your soul.

This is not a practice that requires you set aside a certain amount of time each day (unless that is your desire) or complete a lot of projects. You choose whatever amount of engagement feels right for you.

THIS PRACTICE:

  • gently weaves itself throughout your day
  • illuminates the extraordinary in the ordinary, celebrates the uncommon in the common
  • offers ways of interacting with place, highlighting connection with nature, no matter where you live, work and play.
  • is deeply infused with kindness and respect.

A LOOK AT PRIOR SEASONAL OFFERINGS:

Over the course of a season, we typically explore 5 to 8 themes. Each theme may last a week or two and includes reflections, writing prompts, collaborative and shared poetry, mandala and other experential art, and Miksang Contemplative Photography instruction.

We have explored themes such as Silence and Solitude, Ritual and Routine, The Journey, Bounty, Pause – Living the Hours, The Ordinary Everyday, Simplicity, and Wonderment. We have studied and enjoyed artists and poets such as Frida Kahlo, Emily Carr, Marge Piercy, Nikki Giovanni, and Naomi Shihab Nye. We have written collaborative poetry on subjects such as the sacred in the ordinary, our ancestors, and iconic moments from our childhoods.

Here is a sampling from one of the themes offered last Winter:

SIMPLICITY

  • Favorite Quotes
  • The Zen Aesthetic, A Miksang Level Two Practice
  • Sharing Other Women’s Poetry – Contemporary And Traditional Haiku
  • Invitation To Write Haiku
  • Let’s Create Contemporary Haiga
  • Writing The Simplest Poems – Two Word Poetry Prompt
  • Sharing Our Collaborative Poetry – A Day In Our Lives (In Haiku)
  • Sharing Our Photography – Zen Aesthetic Mosaic
  • Creating Mandala Art with Heart

As each theme is completed, it is made available in a PDF for your personal use. A beautifully designed ebook of the complete season’s material is offered to you at the end of the program in a single downloadable file. A copy for you to enjoy and use.

We begin MARCH 15th, 2018.

There is a strong community and collaborative aspect in the group, but it is always invitation and opportunity, never a requirement.

 In community and individually, we explore these themes:

word * vision * place

WORD:

This practice focuses on how to connect — to the world, community, and self — using words. We’ll play with words, explore words, and connect with nature and place using words. We’ll write and share poetry – though you need not consider yourself a poet or a writer to enjoy this practice, as they are all collaborative invitations. We will play with words – tile poetry, chain poetry, and poetry art using found words and pictures.

VISION:

We will explore creating all kinds of mandalas – on paper, in collage, in nature. The photography component of the workshop will focus on Miksang contemplative photography practices. (All types of cameras and skill levels are fine.)

PLACE:

We’ll continue the practice of backyard phenology – the study of nature’s calendar, an ever-present, in-the-present survey of the cycles of plants and animals in your natural world.

Bo Mackison is an insightful, talented and inspirational art, photography and writing creativity coach/teacher. Bo’s wide range of artistic knowledge along with her life experiences makes her the artist and writer’s trusted advisor. I highly recommend Bo as a mentor, teacher, trainer and speaker. ~Jeanette Richardson Herring, Author, Artist, TV and Radio host and producer

QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU CLARIFY:

Are you searching for a place of sanctuary, a place to recharge your inner battery so you can show up bright and energized for the demands of living and thriving in today’s world?

Would you benefit from a creative practice that can be done in free moments? Would you benefit from a contemplative practice that focuses on stronger connections with yourself in the present moment?

WHAT YOU NEED:

You create with the simplest of supplies, things you likely already own/have available.

  • Paper of any sort, i.e. sketchbooks, a journal, ephemera.
  • Any sort of mark-making media you enjoy, i.e. pens, pencils, markers, pastels, paints.
  • Any kind of camera. (Cell phone camera is fine.)
  • Mixed media supplies such as old magazines, household ephemera, a glue stick.
  • A view from a convenient window.
  • Access to Facebook, all content is delivered via a private group.

Whether you have a fully equipped art room or a box of simple supplies you store in a closet, you’ll find new ways to create. Surprises and nudges will get your creative juices flowing. Hints on how to see or create in new ways will offer you unlimited possibilities for exploration and are easily incorporated into your everyday routine. Creativity coaching is a gentle and integral part of the process. “Kindness and respect” is our language of preference.

WHEN:

The SPRING journey is 13 weeks long.  MARCH 15th, 2018 through JUNE 14th, 2018.

HOW:

Private community on Facebook. Everything is delivered to a private Facebook group page and may show up anytime. Surprise and serendipity! You are encouraged to share your discoveries and experiences in the private group however and whenever you choose.

Creative Practices – A Calligraphy Mandala © Bo Mackison

Bo has created a safe and sacred space for creativity to flourish, respite to abide, and healing to occur – no matter what is happening in our internal or external worlds. The vulnerable and honest sharing of her own creative practices has invited me more deeply into my own. I cannot recommend this offering or her heart on others’ behalf highly enough. ~Ronna Detrick, M.Div., speaker and sacred conversationalist

THE COST:

I offer you my knowledge, my skills, my presence and my enthusiasm. The cost for the 13-week journey and an active sharing community is $99.00.

TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE:

Registration is now open.

Link to PayPal Invoice. 

If you would prefer to pay via check, please email me at bo@bomackison.com for details.

I do hope you will join me.

BO MACKISON is an artist, a poet, a photographer, a certified Kaisen Muse creativity coach, a Miksang Photography Instructor, hands-on workshop presenter, and a woman who has spent her entire adult life surviving and thriving using the creative practices she shares. She is the founder of Contemplative Creatives Journey, an Online Workshop. Bo has been offering creative and contemplative programs for women since 2014. She has been told her offerings have changed many people’s lives for the better. She believes this to be true.

Walking the Earth – A Miksang (Contemplative) Photography Collaboration

walk the earth – a collaborative practice © 2017 Bo Mackison

A Miksang Photography collaborative practice. We create together in the Contemplative Creatives Journey workshops. We begin again December 15th, 2017. Here’s the offer.

Contemplative Creative Practices – A Mandala

Contemplative Creative Practices – A Mandala ©2017 Bo Mackison

 

This is a mandala of contemplative and creative practices. Almost all of these practices show up in one way or another in Contemplative Creatives Journey.

If these are practices that call out to you, please check out Contemplative Creatives Journey Winter 2017-18. We begin December 15th and registration is now open.