PROJECT MUSE

Life is an Ocean

This city has tides. Storms come and worldly winds blow us around. If we are not careful, sometimes waves come and we can get swept into directions perhaps we never wanted to go. This can be just what we needed, and often makes us learn about new waters. I have decided to throw a message in a bottle out there. Staring here, with you.

Worldly Winds

In the coming months I will be blogging about a new project, PROJECT MUSE. I invite you to join in, in whatever way you like. PROJECT MUSE is all about inspiration. For me, I am sailing through a worldly wind which I never saw coming. I posted recently about the importance of Head, Heart and Hand energies. Vervology as a blog, is all about exploring artistic inspiration, whether that be of writers, painters, singers, scientists, poets, therapists, lovers, tattoo-artists, sculptors, bloggers or even secret Graffiti artists who double walk. You don’t have to already be doing any of these things now to join in. There is an artist in us all. Everyone has a novel in them. A poem. A doodle. I decided I would like to set up a scaffold, a framework, a grab-rail for supporting the Head, Heart & Hands energies. The wind beneath our sails. the one which can often get lost in to-do lists, in career dead-ends, in family dramas, in moves of house, in sickness, in cuts or financial depression.  After all, if the artists job is to give inspiration, we need to keep the artist inspired.

The Essential Nine Creativity Vitamins

Just like sailors used to suck limes, we need to make sure we are nourishing our creativity. Are you deficient in Melpomene (The Muse of Theatre)? Perhaps you could do with a little extra Erato in your cultural diet (The Muse of Cinema), just like you had when you was a kid. Maybe you are taking way too much Thalia (The Muse of Comics and Manga) and not enough Calliope (The Muse of Literature and Poetry)… or vice versa!

This project involves imagination and the openness in the first instance, in order to step outside your comfort zone, and try new things. It will be split into 9 domains, based on the 9 Greek Muses from Greek Mythology. The project will consist of picking a Muse and thinking of ways to BE INSPIRED by this Muse. This should involve some commitment, perhaps the setting of resolutions. However the main idea is that the Project will then go on inspiring you into the future with little effort needed.

1. Polymnia the Muse of painting (including drawing and photography)
2. Clio the Muse of sculpture (including installation)
3. Melpomene the Muse of theatre
4. Urania the Muse of architecture
5. Euterpe the Muse of music 
6. Terpsichore the Muse of dance
7. Calliope the Muse of literature (Poetry, Books, Haikus)
8. Erato the Muse of cinema (“moving images”, TV, video, YouTube!)
9. Thalia the Muse of comics (and manga)
   

21st Century Muses

I have this sense that, using social media such as blogging, wordpress, twitter, facebook, Pintrest, Youtube or Etsy… it would be great to inspire others with the Projects we come up with. To celebrate progress and to reflect on failure even! So to get the ball rolling here are some ideas I hope to turn into Projects in the next few weeks.

• PROJECT MUSE: Polymnia. To get a list of Art galleries in London and ‘plug’ them into my diary, one new gallery a month. To take nothing but my camera for a walk and photograph only purple objects.
• PROJECT MUSE: Melpomene. Set aside a jar with which to put some money in to save for theatre tickets, £10 every payday. Perhaps think about how infrequent I go to the theatre versus how many times I order take away food.
• PROJECT MUSE: Euterpe. To take the last week of every month to listen to only new music, making a playlist of what I enjoyed and burning them for friends to see what they think too. Or even setting up playlists of Friends names and when I hear a song that friend might like, dropping it into their playlist, so that when I have 12 I can send it to them.
  
• PROJECT MUSE: Terpsichore. Finding some venues in the city which do not get full of blind drunk losers who spill drinks all down themselves. Heres a suggestion, actually having one night out which even doesn’t involve alcohol for once, and going to an actual dance floor.

I am on a roll! I am officially excited. I better save some for actual detailed blog posts which have some photos, tips and reflection – and most importantly how they inspired me.

Be SMARTER

Be creative and adventurous. Think outside the box. In a way, there are no rules. However don’t let the projects be ways to put off your own creativity. Simple daily things work best, and as little or as easy as you wish. Rather, to get all of your 9 essential vitamins. I would like to recommend that they could be SMARTER:

S	Specific	Significant, stretching, simple
M	Measurable	Motivational, manageable, meaningful
A	Attainable	Appropriate, achievable, agreed, assignable, actionable, adjustable, ambitious, aligned, aspirational, acceptable, action-focused
R	Relevant	Result-based, results-oriented, resourced, resonant, realistic
T	Time-bound	Time-oriented, time framed, timed, time-based, timeboxed, time-specific, timetabled, time limited, trackable, tangible
E	Evaluate	Ethical, excitable, enjoyable, engaging, ecological
R	Reevaluate	Rewarded, reassess, revisit, recordable, rewarding, reaching

PROJECT MUSE

 

Head, Heart & Hands

I was once told that, after hard periods of work, there is a type of energy which returns to our bodies like sap returning to a tree after a long winter. I often wonder why University held some of the best times of my life, and I wonder if it was all the points of draining work, draining my sap, to make a vacuum of space. After which I would either party with friends, work out, or make Art-collages, do creative writing or learn French. Accomplishment in my opinion is a feeling which we should talk more about, because it is often that our own standards are higher than what we need them to be. Further, they are different to the standards set by us on a daily basis. The only standards that really matter are our own. So much of happiness discourse is focused on Gratitude, and in a way Accomplishment is Gratitude to ourselves and what we give to others.

I don’t seem to always have this ‘Heart’ energy readily available as a Mid twenty something Northern [England] Alien in London. For me to have Creative energy I almost need to express another form of energy: Intellectual energy. I found that before this even, I need to express Physical energy. At the moment this is how they fall into each other. I can go to the gym, then go to work, and then I will feel like sketching or listening to music. I’m sure if they were weighted differently that might change, for instance if I had a Photography job I might feel like reading philosophy after I have reached a point perhaps. Even when I paint and draw I find that there needs to be a part of me at rest, a logical brain perhaps.

For me personally these Head, Heart and Hands energies are really distinct and I take the time to let them divide. They are Saltwater, to Fresh water, to Glacier water. Looking for ways to balance them and let them energise each other without privileging either. However when they are compartmentalised it is also helpful then to think about how they can flow into each others riverbeds.

For instance at work I try to tie in my creative side, whilst also being mindful of my Body and if I need to go for a walk or nourish myself. In the art studio I try to tie in societies context or important values as if the “Purpose of Art  is to give life a shape” as Shakespeare said. I would also like to feel my physical state informs my work too and I guess much like Yoga is for Meditation, it is important that health and muscles are poised to free the images onto the paper or canvas. Even when thinking about my physical energy I often look for ways to seek beauty or lessons along the way, which is to me, a case of balancing nature and technology in clever and creative ways such as going for a Mindful walk, or using an electronic reward star-chart to reach goals.

The place in my life I find myself, is like an exciting new home which needs individual touches, drawing from these three resources like a tidy tool kit.

What about you?

Interview Mindfulness: Butterflies Flying In Formation

Right, so I have an interview coming up and something has got to give. I’m not normally a nervous person, or at least I don’t think I am. I tend to get a tiny bit nervous at the beginning of making a presentation. However this soon goes. I am quite comfortable speaking in public too, my first job was at a Safari Park giving Sea Lion and Parrot shows to thousands of people. But there’s something about this interview that makes me have extreme butterflies.

Naming it

I think the reason is that this one Interview comes up only once a year, and after some big application form hurdles already. These are not pleasant. They often mean hunting the post man and lots of people anxiously holding their breath for you. Also, if I name a Pink Elephant, there is something about being assessed by Psychologists. People who are trained to look at human behaviour, turns of phrases, non verbal communication, physical presentation and everything in-between. Further, because I feel so ready for this, I also feel a sense of deep desperation, like I have to go above and beyond myself. Which I don’t – I just have to be casual and talk with honesty.

The Journey

So this year, although I feel beyond ready for the course, I will be reminding myself for the interviews sake, that it is not the destination but the journey. I can say this without meaning it, but I need to really give it thought. If I don’t get it I am young and there is always next year. I live in a bustling exciting city. I could do so much in a year. I could do the things I’ve been imagining would be a squeeze if I was on the course, with ease. I’m already learning so much at the position I am in now, so although it would be a shame, it wouldn’t matter if it was for a year longer.

Mindfulness

Off the back of this, I have really learnt that it’s what you are doing in the moment that really counts. If I don’t get on, I will truly be doing very similar things: going to CPD presentations and seeing cases in particular. In a way I have already started the journey a long time ago. The rest is a Chekovs Gun.

There are, however some Mindful things I guess I could do to help my Butterflies.

Weeks Before the Interview

• Have a Mock Interview:learn what made me nervous
• Name it, however irrational, yet rationally tackle it. For me this is learning one or two things they probably wont ask me anyway just to remove that ounce of uncertainty. Fail to prepare and prepare to fail.
• Meditate on the lead up to the interview: In the morning and the evening.
• Create Mindful Cues to remember to be Mindful.
• Use some of my own passions in my revision prep: Let my personality shine through
• Less is more: Don’t cram, rather break down some key bits.
• Remember key areas of what not to say if I am tempted to waffle (Which I can do!)
• Practice saying things outloud: stretch your muscle memory

Just Before the Interview

• Remind yourself that Imperfection is fine!
• Staying with the Butterflies. I once heard a great phrase: Don’t push your Butterflies away, get them flying in formation.
• Drink lots of water
• Bring thoughts to the present: take an object to study like a pebble
• Contemplate the bigger picture: Nature and the Planet and Space! This always makes Human happenings seem the right manageable size.
• Staying in the moment in the interview

During the Interview

• If you start the most nervous: take a big moment to pause and relax.
• Say “I just would like to first of all say feel free to chip in throughout any of my answers”
• Relaxing my muscles – my stomach and shoulders in particular
• Sit in a comfortable position for me (Screw all this matching body language rubbish!)
• Be me – be honest
• Pause, pause and pause again. Silence is fine! 
• Smile, Nod and use fillers like Hmm and Ok, to punctuate my silence if it helps keep rapport
• Notice my breathing
• Take sips of water
• Notice my lower body weight
• ‘Show my working out’ – speak through my ideas and structure outloud. Take time.

Suggestions welcome!

Dear Verveologists

I will be back on this plantet Toute de suite. I am revising for a Doctorate Interview. I need to manage my time better I realise! Working on being kind to myself – and also have a new Blog website concept in the pipeline so watch this space

 

Love Mr Taurus

Mindfulness of the Body

Life With Full Attention

WEEK TWO: Mindfulness of the Body

Week 1: Reflection

During the second week of the Life with Full Attention Course, I was able to really notice some benefits of the weekly resolutions I had set. I have by no means been keeping them perfectly (meditating in a morning is an especially tricky one!). However I have been ‘failing better’ and taking each day as a new opportunity and taking the time to learn from when it hasn’t all gone according to plan. It was great to share these with our course buddies, and to share tips.

A collection of tips for Meditating daily:

1. Learn the 5 stages of the Metta Bhavana or the Mindfulness of Breathing, or how to do a Body Scan.
2. Download a great smartphone app. called Insight Timer, which alows you to set interval bells as well as giving you different types of encouragment for achievements.
3. Pick the same spot and the same time of day to Meditate. Routine really helps to remove justification and choices which can get in the way.
4. Try short meditations first such as 5 minutes – then build it up. Even try a few ‘Mindful’ breaths if you miss a practice.
5. Expreiment with evenings vrs. mornings. Mornings are a popular time to meditate. I find that a calm attitude stays with me for longer, and reduces my morning Cortisol (stress hormone) spikes. I also forget less things like Wallet / Keys / Oyster card!
6. Try geting up a little bit earlier and drink some water or strech before hand.

Week 2: Mindfulness Of The Body

Mindful Walk

Explaining Mindfulness of the Body for me was captured in this one sentence: ‘We are nature’. The Mindful walk has really helped with this concept. Returning to nature is so important. It’s so good to know that if I am feeling like I have Cabin Fever I don’t have to have somewhere to go in particular, but a walk will help.

I did try various walks: around the building I live, and the building where I work… taking a walk rather than the bus once. I even tried a Mindful Boris Bike ride through London. However I realised how important it is to chose a walk which you already take. One which is between 5 and 20 minutes. I was thinking about taking a little something from each walk (Like a twig or leaf or pine cone) and putting them in a Vase to ‘bring a little outdoors in’.

Body Scanning

As a writier, I am hoping to use a Mini Body Scan more frequently before writing because I tend to procrastonate and make drinks or get up and stretch alot after surfing the internet for music. I hope to set my timer for 5 minutes with an interval bell half way through and go through my lower body, relaxing the muscles, for the first half and my upper body for second.

I also tried a body scan on the tube in a morning. I found myself noticing the world outside: the samllest details in the world: a very distant flock of birds; the artistic double reflections of coulds on windows; the sun breaking through the clouds. This sounds so cliche but it cheered me up a lot and brought a sense of perspective much needed in a morning commute.

Stress First Aid Kit: A Tool

A great thing I learnt this week was a breathing technique for stress. My computer crashed several times this week and it made me so stressed so quickly.

1. Catch it early as stress can take over fast
2. Feel your body especially the lower part of the body
3. Blow out an extra long, smooth, slow breath like blowing through a straw, without taking a big in-breath. Do this several times.

I will leave this weeks post with a quote about something discribed as a ‘discrepancy monitor’: how we measure our ideal self against our actual self.

One of the challenges of spiritual life – of any life that involves the wish to move towards ideals, towards happier, calmer, wiser states of mind – is finding ways of activating change without becoming over-concerned with discrepancy. One of the antidotes of rumination is grounding our experience in the actual sensations of the present. The key is to bring the mind into the body. Maitreyabandhu

Day-to-Day Mindfulness

Life With Full Attention

WEEK ONE: Day-to-Day Mindfulness

I have been meaning to sign up to this Mindfulness course for the good part of a year. It is called ‘Life with Full Attention: A practical course in Mindfulness and it is by Maitreyabandhu who is an amazing teacher at the London Buddhist Centre. Mindfulness is about the way we live in the present moment, paying attention in a particularly purposeful, immersed and non-judgemental way. One which accepts reality for what it truly is. Whenever the course came up, I always missed it – realising it’s already the third week in. Not very Mindful really. I realised it was starting on the same day it was, but something in me decided to clear my diary for the next eight weeks and carpe diem. So I picked up the phone and put my name down. Thankfully there was one or two spaces left, the person taking my booking asked me for my phone number – “I don’t know it off by heart, but hopefully I will be able to after this course” we chuckled.

Week one, really was Day-to-Day Mindfulness.

“What is Mindfulness? What is questions have limited value. They’re fine for practical purposes – What is a Victoria sponge cake?  To find out what Mindfulness is, you will have to …put it into practice”  Maitreyabandhu

One thing that struck me about this was Planning. I thought planning was thinking about the future and thereby not very Mindful. I think this is still true, but to create a sense of mastery for Day-to-Day Mindfulness there is an idea that you can plan in a Mindful way. I am slowly learning that preparing for an event itself can be fun. Most importantly not forgetting to be in the moment when you ‘get there’ – which is the rub. I’m reminded of my Nan saying that my Uncle used to always ask “Mum, what’s for lunch tomorrow?” when eating lunch at the table.

I recently heard someone say “Over-plan, then go with the flow.” which I quite like, I think that’s the key. I have seen way too many times that ‘The best made plans often go awry’ and cause anxiety and headache.

The other great thing I was reminded about this week was on Motivation. The course highlights the myth of wanting to do something before you actually do it (which is very ‘third wave’ CBT). A good example in my own life of this is that I always prioritise my writing over my art work, perhaps because it was originally less enjoyable, so I felt quite guilty (crazy!) when doing my sketching or painting. Sooner or later I began to enjoy the writing more, and procrastinated on the sketching! Therefore I have applied this to my week: I sketched on Sunday. After which I was reminded just how much I enjoy it.

The third thing I will share, is about ‘Failing better’ and having a sense of humour around the journey of becoming more Mindful. This fits so well with the Buddhist stance of Imperfection. Just keep trying. I think I certainly laughed at myself when I put antiseptic cream on my toothbrush not so long ago.

So here is what I have applied to the course. Perhaps they will give somebody somewhere a flavour of what kind of practical steps we can put in place. I will review how it is going next week.

Aims for Full Attention

1. Integrate my main passions in life more (Languages, Psychology, Fitness, Writing and Art)
2. Increase the quality (over quantity) of my social input (including communication, non-verbal communication and my memory)
3. Feel less rushed

Weekly Resolutions

1. Meditate in a morning
2. Read without distractions

Three Ways to Reduce Input

1. Technology reduction: Delete social networking apps; Listen to new music on an mp3 player rather than my phone; Turn off my email in between tasks at work.
2. Exercise one main muscle group only at the gym, more thoroughly per session eg. shoulders / abdominals.
3. Fine tune my morning routine by doing less, moving some tasks and preparing more.

Collige, virgo, rosas.

I’ve added my own bit to the course which is based around days of the week and being Mettaful (kind to yourself) and being Mindful, imperfectly. So whereas in the past I may have tried to catch up with myself if I failed to do something (Like catching up with Nanowrimo, the November ’50 thousand’ words writing project and feeling like I was drowning – not conducive to creativity in general). I will instead try to dedicate a day of the week to something creative. These are tentative and will no doubt permutate. If something comes up, then that’s fine, although I will gradually try more and more to protect their time until establish a routine. If I have failed, then it has already happened! The trick is to try to keep going and seize the day instead of regretting having ‘not done’ one thing. To put that energy and learning into the next week. To increase my motivation and planning.

• Monday – Write a Haiku
• Tuesday – Get an early night (After an 11 hour shift!)
• Wednesday – Go to the Buddhist Centre: Course / Meditate
• Thursday – Read Psychology journals critically
• Friday – Hand write a ‘metta’ letter
• Saturday – Practice French
• Sunday – Sketch / Paint

Sunday Sketches

Tate Tanks

Rasheed Araeen & Lis Rhodes

“Light Music is projected into a hazy room – the beams that traverse one another in the space between the two projections become ethereal sculptural forms comprised of light, shadow and theatrical smoke. This format is designed to encourage viewers to move between the screens, directly engaging with the projection beams, forming a set of social relations in which cinema is transformed into a collective event without a single point of focus. Light Music occupies an important threshold in film history, drawing on early experiments in ‘visual music’ from the 1920s by pioneers including Oskar Fischinger, Hans Richter and Walther Ruttmann, and subsequently opening cinematic practice up to a host of concerns from gender politics to phenomenological experience.”