The Creative Path: making a real life in a world of so-called realities

Disclaimer: some may find the following post and opinions controversial, so let me say it's all based heavily on my own experiences, opinions and conjecture. Feel free to disagree. There is no comment section, so there’s no need to trouble yourself composing a carefully worded response. Haha.

“Hansel & Gretel” acrylic on canvas board from 24-piece illustration series by NG Swett. Image includes a wooded pathway on the left hand side, two teens/young adults, a dog, a sun hat with tray and cupcakes, a driveway, a farm house and barn. Classic fairy tale archetypes are alive and well today in real life. Here, a neighborly old woman in a colorful sun hat offers two children a cool drink and some cupcakes. The children may have just come from the dark path pictured in the far left side of the canvas. Their parents are unavailable, and the children may be hungry indeed. Out in the real world, away from home, what might the neighbor’s intentions be? In the classic fairy tale, the old witch lures Hansel & Gretel with her candy-covered cottage, jails them, tries to fatten them up to eat them! Luckily, the children escape and find their way home. They find their father never wanted to go along with the wicked and selfish mother, but he was a feckless and weak man. In my novel, I use this fairytale and two other classics as the very backbone of the story. ~ Nan

I’m Nan, a fellow traveler on a modern journey of discovery, a seeker among our living cohort of world citizens. I’m not a guru, expert or even especially successful (yet) according to certain metrics. So feel free to disregard!

I don’t know why today I wanted to talk about creative paths, metrics and pearls of wisdom for fellow travelers, but let’s just go with it.

U-Pick anything you find useful and leave the rest.

To begin, in my opinion, and I stress that it’s only my own opinion, we’re all mixed up about reality.

On top the usual human realities, we now have realities galore:

• virtual realities dictated by algorithms and games

• alternate realities fueled by news silos

• the warped delusional realities pedaled by so-called influencers

• new science that tells us that people can’t truly grasp reality

Okay.

Yet, even with all that’s going on “out there,” the individual must choose a path.

Confusion, Depression, Anxiety

No wonder we’re in a state! Data show “unprecedented” levels of mental health problems lately, and it’s hard to pinpoint when and how it started because there’s so much to point to.

Also, let me ask you. What are all of these realities like?

It’s hard to relax. Because when you relax, you feel you must be forgetting something. Or there’s something else you should be doing (and maybe there is).

Plus, why do we really want to relax so much? Too much relaxing gets old fast, am I right?

Hey you

How ya doin?

All the realities are trying to get our attention at the same time that’s for sure. Flashing things, easy click-y things, moody moving things, passing news chyrons, limited time offers, new products, looming things, scary people, delicious things, heavenly things, horrific things.

Hello. I’m low key trying to get your attention (thank you very much by the way).

Born This Way

As Lady Gaga says, I was born this way, with the weird creative bug.

I perceive things, I roll them through the Nan-Gen Bobber over my shoulders, and I send things out with my bare hands. Poor dear, I can’t help it!

And you? Do you have a -Gen Bobber, too?

The Path?

So now. Our path. A few notes…

The right path can be hard to find. It’s not always easy. And there’s prickers and bloodsucking ticks and fallen twigs ‘n shit. And I mean that literally and metaphorically.

Recently on social media, someone who disagreed with me told me to take a hike.

Ouchie! — Wait. I love hiking!

Sometimes there’s already a path to take, but other times you have to make one yourself.

It’s easy to take the wrong path, so don’t beat yourself up. You may not realize it for a while — or God forbid — ever. Better late than never!

Maybe someone else is telling you what you have to do, or else.

Sometimes you take the wrong path and have to backtrack to the place where you were standing on solid ground. Maybe you tried something, and at one point you realize you’ve made a mistake. Go back.

Sometimes it’s just you all alone! Maybe there are other unicorns like you out in the world, but damned if you know a single one of them from where you’re sitting.

What is the right path? Ah, that truly is the question.

The Right Metrics

Use the right metrics. What we measure and how we measure brings clarity.

Sometimes, I will tell you, for myself, sometimes there are things that are not being measured anywhere by anyone, but since I feel they are important, I put them through my “Triple M” Marbles Motivation Method. A full bowl of marbles means progress toward things that really matter to me. (Read my blog post about my marbles method here.)

The world is full of metrics and data. Choose carefully! Things are not always as they seem.

• What metrics are real to you?

• What matters to you?

• Who matters most to you?

• What do you want? What do you need?

This is not a one-and-done question. It can change constantly. Be aware of what you want and need. It’s easy to let everyone’s else’s needs take over, after all, we’re social creatures, and let’s face it: the needs are vast.

Writing things down by hand not only helps us think but helps bring things into being. Well it helps me. It’s kind of magical and mysterious. As hip hop star Erykah Badu says, “Write it down on real paper with a real pencil. And watch shit get real.”

It also helps to talk with a trustworthy, wise and smart friend or family member, if you’re lucky enough to have people like that in your life. If you don’t, you can get some.

Connect with people doing sort of what you have in mind. I’ve met many, many wonderful people that way. There are good people willing to help, willing to sign onto your project, willing to support others. And then you can turn around and help others once you’ve made a pathway.

“One” here is part of a 24-piece series of mini acrylic paintings illustrating The Clerk and the Ink Drinker In the Outer Lands (working title), my first novel. Here, a man in a white leisure suit and black ankle boots sits casually on a golden chair. Behind him are picture windows through which we can see a bridge at night. Under One’s foot is a rug in the shape of the Outer Lands Archipelago.

String of 24 Pearls of Wisdom for Path Seekers

Many people are on the lookout for a path in life, whether it’s a new path, a do-over, a remake, an exploration, an adventure, or a wild experiment.

Why now? The pandemic, tech, climate, politics, new generations, and maybe the stars are throwing everything into the air and shifting the ground underneath.

Something is has shifted. Something feels different. Things are changing very fast. Everything feels like it’s in motion. Right?

It’s a like a wave of history that hits every half century or so. Grab your surfboard, dudes and dudettes!

Old public domain image of a line of beach bums on a sunny beach in the Outer Lands.

When surfing, it’s best to get in front of the wave a bit.

IMHO, the trending key words that describe elements of a successful path into the near future include this long beaded string of 24 pearls:

Mobility, adaptability, agility, authenticity, simplicity, friendship, ownership, alertness, wisdom, courage, information, decision making, capability, action, long-term, short-term, persistence, endurance, patience, hope, joy, love, self care, peace

But what do I know. What do you think?

Add your own signature pendant(s) to the string!

U-Pick! Timeless Advice from the Outer Lands

Don’t like that string of pearls?

Someone may find the Friendship pearl controversial. Maybe it sounds “socialist.” For some people, the real world is dog-eat-dog, eat-or-be-eaten, the golden rule, etc.

Someone else may object to the Ownership pearl as “capitalist.” Maybe the American dream is a trap, a scam, a first class ruse.

The following three adages were said by someone once, and now they’re Universal. U-Pick what you like:

1. “Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.”

2. “Do something, blame no one, expect nothing.”

3. “KISS: keep it simple stupid.”

Nan’s “Triple M” Marbles Motivation Method

If you’re ever feeling lost or ungrounded, unproductive or stuck, burnt out or unmotivated, here’s what you can do:

Find your marbles*

*It doesn’t have to be marbles, it can be any collection of small things

How I found my marbles

I found the old marbles collection in a storage closet.

They’re just as pretty as ever!

Let’s use them to take action.

Put the marbles near your workspace.

Find a nice receptacle; I had this nice glass bowl that makes a nice clinking sound when I drop a marble into it.

Put the marbles and the receptacle in a central but personal location.

Here’s the formula: one thing equals one marble. Big thing equals big marble?

For example, in doing my morning routine, I pick out a marble and put it in the glass bowl for each small task.

Why???

To work on my bad morning habit. Over the years, I’ve tended to dive head first into my projects without taking care of life and limb first. Water, coffee, healthy food, washing, brushing, dressing, admin, and prepping for the day.

Yes, it can take this level of self help at times to make progress!

Having a solid morning routine moves me from getting out of bed to getting things done even on the days when I friggin don’t want to, on the days when I only have 40%, on the sunny days, on the rainy days. By the time I get through the routine, in my mind I’m ready to work.

The idea is to build small good habits and discontinue bad ones.

Sometimes I reward myself with a marble if I do NOT do something, e.g., if I’m trying to END a bad habit. This one can be a little tricky. It requires you to notice what isn’t there…

Tackling the to-do list.

Throughout the day, each task done gets a marble. Positive reinforcement works. You may be surprised to find what a little thing like a marble can do for you.

Before you know it, the bowl fills up!

What progress looks like?

What?? No marbles? What else might work

Use what you’ve got. Coins? Blocks? Hardware? Buttons? Friggin pasta? Things that build something? Things that clink when they drop? It doesn’t have to be a gazillion of them, either, just a few of something works. You can use a small bowl.

Here’s a 20-second mobile (vertical) video I posted on social media about my simple marbles formula. (Swanky jazz music added on each platform.)

Using this method has helped me work through countless projects, be on my game around the house, and take care of things generally.

It has also helped quiet my inner critic and be nicer to my inner child, who does well when she’s doing well. If that makes sense.

Heck, sometimes I walk by and pick out a marble and drop it in the bowl just because I need a little pick me up, dammit. I’ll think of something I did (or didn’t do) that deserves a marble.

“plein air” painting 101

How to prepare and what to expect

Here’s a carousel of images from a recent plein air painting session to give you a quick idea of how it goes (SWIPE)…

Plein Air Painting Tips:

• Look for plein air painting events near you.

• A great group leader orients the whole group, helps get each painter set up, monitors progress, does his/her own painting, and conducts a “crit session” in which artists give and get comments on the work created.

• Take the opportunity to meet other artists, introduce yourself, and enjoy interactions. You might even want to set up close enough to shoot the breeze with some people.

• Pack and test materials in advance being thoughtful about what you’ll need. Maybe make a list. Place everything in one place by the door.

• What you’ll need: at the very least a pad of paper, a writing instrument, a snack and an open mind. A step up from basic is a small portable set of colors be it markers, pencils, crayons, pastels or paints — with heavier paper. From there, you can get into the bigger paint sets, easels, canvas boards or canvases, etc.

• When you get to the location, find a view that speaks to you most. Begin to notice its features, contours, colors and proportions.

• Take some time to set up, look around, enjoy the moment, the anticipation, the mild but pleasing pressure to produce something.

• Do a sketch or two on paper.

• Follow your normal drawing or painting process.

• Remember, plein air painting is all about spontaneity, imperfection and discovery.

• Keep in mind time constraints.

• You can work on it more later.

• Listen for and consider comments of other artists, you may pick up some great tips for how to get better as a painter.

• Always be kind and constructive in your own comments.

• Bring a snack and beverage(s).

• Think about rest room vicinity.

  That is all, really. Have fun!

Library Haul

I got a ride to the library today.

A handsome guy, door-to-door!

You can order library materials online and go pick them up or download them. Also Goodreads is a great place to find books and authors you want to read, and it's fun to leave book reviews. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Also go in and see your local librarian, make sure they're doing okay these days. They're a national treasure!

Today's Library Haul

• Happening by Annie Ernaux

• The Climate Book by Greta Thunberg