The Lead Pencil Society

Musing… 

Creativity takes time….and then again… it doesn’t!  An inspiration happens in a nanosecond; following up on that in creative expression takes time and focus, and a willingness to see where it takes you.  Cultivating your creativity requires a conscious commitment to slowing down, staying aware of opportunistic moments, and allowing space and time for the creative process to take hold.   

How does your life reflect a commitment to your creative nature?

Kate’s Turn:

I have a friend who, for years, refused to have a computer in his home, when he was raising his children.  He thought email was ridiculous when his kids could just call their friend rather than emailing them.  He claimed to be a member of the Lead Pencil Society, whose motto is “Not so fast.”  He explicitly values taking time to stay in touch with life’s processes rather than getting swept into the fast track as so many of us are.  His values certainly became instilled into his children, for they all participate in the “slow food” movement; his daughter writes me hand-written letters, full of creative graphics; and they are members of the Cloud Appreciation Society. (The founder of this Society runs a magazine called The Idler: The intention of the magazine is to return dignity to the art of loafing, to make idling into something to aspire towards rather than reject.) He and his family are an inspiration to me, and a shining example of how cultivating the value of taking time results in thriving, abundant manifestations of creativity.

Get Fired Up: 

How could you devote some “time” to what you really value in your heart?  Engaging with loved ones more…committing to quiet time to offer balance for yourself…spending some idle time watching clouds pass?  Need a lead pencil?