Pieces of Mind

Last month I started a new practice. What began as a result of rediscovering my treasure trove of “someday” collage components (words and images I’d spent peaceful hours cutting from old magazines and books) after a bout of quieting has been almost miraculously transformational. And it couldn’t be simpler.

Having also found a small Moleskine notebook during my reorganizing binge, I felt suddenly compelled to use it, and decided that I would start each session in my Creatorium (where I’d recently returned to free writing after a hiatus) by making a mini collage. It felt a bit frivolous at first but soon became my favorite part of the day. And it rarely takes more than five or ten minutes.

There’s no planning and there are no rules. There’s only free association, and it’s very meditative. Some days a word or phrase strikes me, and I find an image that reflects it. Some days I find images that generate a feeling and I find the words that match.

The benefits have been many and unexpected. First and foremost, I’ve discovered a small anchor for my days, one that grounds me and leads to more self-awareness. It’s also, for better or worse, providing a record of my moods, and evidence that they are transitory.

Not one of my "up" days

Two days later

Committing to create something every day, however minor, is also providing a bit of exposure therapy that is helping me to finally overcome my lifelong belief that I suck at “art” (still hope the grade school teacher who held up my work and encouraged the class to ridicule it is burning in hell). And, as always, keeping a promise to myself provides a boost.

As my supply dwindles, I’ll need to haunt secondhand shops and resource centers to replenish my materials. Yet another way I get to forage for joy.

Ways I Found Joy This Week

Making a trip to the dollar store

Hosting ladies’ movie night

Melting into an hour of foot reflexology

Celebrating National Book Lovers Day by setting aside extra time to read

Arranging a bouquet of brilliant gerbera daisies

Things I Learned This Week

About Home | Explore.org where you can watch various live cams of wild animals

About Watch Free Documentaries Online | Documentary Heaven where hundreds of documentaries, sorted by category, are free to watch

Quotes That Resonated This Week

Ignorance allied with power is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.

James Baldwin

There is a kind of sadness that comes from knowing too much, from seeing the world as it truly is.

Virginia Woolf

What I Watched This Week

The Commitments (Prime). An ambitious young man puts together a soul band in working class Dublin. Great musical performances, Irish wit, and a bit of chaos made this movie a pleasure.

The Rip (Netflix). Fast-moving and twisty, this tale of a Miami narcotics team that discovers millions of dollars in cartel cash had me on the edge of my seat and guessing until the satisfying end. All star cast led by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.

Best Medicine (Netflix). A cranky surgeon from the city takes up his post as the doc for a small coastal town in Maine. My current favorite mental massage. Ridiculous but endearing characters and gorgeous scenery make this an easy, relaxing watch.

The Drama (HBO). A week before their perfectly planned wedding, a young couple’s world is rocked by a revelation made by one of them. Entertaining look at current society which also presents themes of morality and forgiveness.

What I Read This Week

Villa Coco, by Andrew Sean Greer. A young man travels to Tuscany to catalog the contents of an eccentric baronessa’s villa. Nothing is exactly as it seems, and he is changed. Nostalgia-inducing descriptions of Italy, hijinks, and imaginative description made this a fun read.

Lost Lambs, by Madeline Cash. In a small coastal town, the Flynn family is spiraling while it seems the town’s founder may be up to no good. Over-the-top satire and imagination made this a brilliant debut.

The Talking Bone, by Rene Denfield. Ruby is an investigator who locates missing women and also works as a death row exonerator. Her current client is scheduled to be executed in two weeks, and as she races against the clock she discovers connections to her own past. Loved the unusual combination of analytical investigation and intuitive mysticism.

The Things We Never Say, by Elizabeth Strout. A middle-aged man is quietly dealing with existential questions when a shocking revelation is added to the mix. Strout’s trademark capture of both the zeitgeist and individual emotions is as strong as ever.

Every Tom, Dick & Harry, by Elinor Lipman. This author is another one I’ve been reading seemingly forever. She is a comedic genius with a knack for the zany. Here a young woman who has taken over her parents’ estate sale business finds that the lovely bed and breakfast she’s gained as a client is actually a brothel.

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Thanks for reading!