IlanaSimons wrote:
Diary Entry #1: On Sat March 8, 1941, Woolf was about to try a writing exercise in her usual writing voice, but she suddenly felt like she was being way too much the usual “Virginia”—and she punched herself, to get out of the familiar head: “No: I intend no introspection,” she wrote. She didn’t want to live in her all-too-familiar head; instead, “I mark Henry James’s sentence: Observe perpetually. Observe the oncoming of age. Observe greed. Observe my own despondency…. Suppose I bought a ticket at the Museum; biked in daily and read history. Suppose I selected one dominant figure in every age and wrote round and about. Occupation is essential. And now with some patience I find that it’s seven; and must cook dinner.
Diary Entry #2: Wed September 8, 1920: “Oh vanity, vanity! how it grows on me – how I swear to crush it out – Learn French is the only think I can think of.”
Maybe, Woolf says, you should take a class at the local college. Virginia would do this—pick up a new language, like Russian, just to give herself a new track to think on. The English Romantic poet Lord Byron actually did the same: Midway through his too-short life, he started to learn Albanian, just to give his brain something new and “craggy,” as he said, to attach to. Do you pick up hobbies to rewire your ordinary self?
What activity ever cures the doldrums for you?
Do you need to “cure” your habits, or do you love them more consistently than this?Message Edited by IlanaSimons on 06-01-200710:47 AM
Unfortunately, I do this too much. I decide too often to do or learn something new to relieve the sameness of wife, mother and work. Unfortunately my brain craves too many things - hence the unlearned guitar (and clarinet) in the guestroom, the unused easel and oil paints in the sunroom, the unlistened to Spanish CD's in the living room, the unread history books on the bookshelves, etc. etc.etc. Each time I have to have an item that I am craving to learn and master and each time life continues on and no time is carved out for these desires. Does anyone know how to squeeze 48 hours into a day?
You make a really good point. I guess some people tend to obsess with one routine (like Virginia with her daily writing), and some don't get as invested in just one activity. So my post this week is probably more relevant to some than others. I'm really interested in this--and would like to hear more from you about it, Wildflower--or what others think.
Wildflower wrote:
Unfortunately, I do this too much. I decide too often to do or learn something new to relieve the sameness of wife, mother and work. Unfortunately my brain craves too many things - hence the unlearned guitar (and clarinet) in the guestroom, the unused easel and oil paints in the sunroom, the unlistened to Spanish CD's in the living room, the unread history books on the bookshelves, etc. etc.etc. Each time I have to have an item that I am craving to learn and master and each time life continues on and no time is carved out for these desires. Does anyone know how to squeeze 48 hours into a day?
Wildflower, hold on to all those unused things! Once the kids have grown up (they will!) and you retire (while still retaining the husband) you will pick up some or all of them again with a new gusto.
IlanaSimons wrote:
You make a really good point. I guess some people tend to obsess with one routine (like Virginia with her daily writing), and some don't get as invested in just one activity. So my post this week is probably more relevant to some than others. I'm really interested in this--and would like to hear more from you about it, Wildflower--or what others think.
Wildflower wrote:
Unfortunately, I do this too much. I decide too often to do or learn something new to relieve the sameness of wife, mother and work. Unfortunately my brain craves too many things - hence the unlearned guitar (and clarinet) in the guestroom, the unused easel and oil paints in the sunroom, the unlistened to Spanish CD's in the living room, the unread history books on the bookshelves, etc. etc.etc. Each time I have to have an item that I am craving to learn and master and each time life continues on and no time is carved out for these desires. Does anyone know how to squeeze 48 hours into a day?
"I like this headspace. When Woolf writes “observe perpetually,” she’s talking about looking at the world with an open, rather than the habit-bound, mind. Just look, she screams at herself. She knows that too often, she takes comfort in her normal themes—in the political issues or topics or writing voice that are her own. Look, she says, “observe perpetually,” and try to shut down the familiar “Virginia.”
________________________________________________
This is an incredible insight in which I had to learn as an artist. Yes, 'had to learn'! It wasn't something that just came naturally to me, and I don't think it comes naturally to most people.
A few years ago, I was fortunate to be able to teach art to elementary school age children. K-6. What a struggle these poor kids had when I tried to get this concept of "seeing", across to them. One of the things I did, was, I took them outside, and had them lay down on the playground...getting down to their level of understanding. I had them look up into the clouds. I wanted them to imagine, to see what they could see in those clouds. This was not the difficult part, it was when I had them stand next to a tree, and place their hands on the bark. I told them to close their eyes and tell me what they felt. I had them trace the bark with pencil and paper. To see what they felt. All of these things to stretch their imagination, before they could see to put it down on paper. I wanted them to interpret it with their mind first.
When taking a class in Drawing on The Right Side of The Brain, one of the projects is to look at a picture, upside down, and draw it. Our brain still wants to translate it right side up. To actually draw it upside down was a challenge for most of these students. I had my kids do this, and all they could tell me was, they couldn't see to do it....another challenge to overcome what you think you see, and what you actually see.
It's a wonderful experience, once you've broken through that barrier, and learn to see things outside of what "normal" people see. And as a teacher, it was the most rewarding feeling, when you see the light go on inside of their heads!
If children can learn this concerpt at a early age, just think what they will see as they grow up! When people tell me they can't draw a straight line, I just tell them neither can I, that's what we have rulers for.
I live in my head half of the time, and yes it does get boring unless that space gets fed...giving these thoughts and ideas a perspective, then trying to see and translate what it is I'm supposed to see inside this space, is definately a continual challenge. But writing, besides my art and music, is the only way I can put it into a visual concept I can fully understand.
Kathy S.
________________________________________________
This is an incredible insight in which I had to learn as an artist. Yes, 'had to learn'! It wasn't something that just came naturally to me, and I don't think it comes naturally to most people.
A few years ago, I was fortunate to be able to teach art to elementary school age children. K-6. What a struggle these poor kids had when I tried to get this concept of "seeing", across to them. One of the things I did, was, I took them outside, and had them lay down on the playground...getting down to their level of understanding. I had them look up into the clouds. I wanted them to imagine, to see what they could see in those clouds. This was not the difficult part, it was when I had them stand next to a tree, and place their hands on the bark. I told them to close their eyes and tell me what they felt. I had them trace the bark with pencil and paper. To see what they felt. All of these things to stretch their imagination, before they could see to put it down on paper. I wanted them to interpret it with their mind first.
When taking a class in Drawing on The Right Side of The Brain, one of the projects is to look at a picture, upside down, and draw it. Our brain still wants to translate it right side up. To actually draw it upside down was a challenge for most of these students. I had my kids do this, and all they could tell me was, they couldn't see to do it....another challenge to overcome what you think you see, and what you actually see.
It's a wonderful experience, once you've broken through that barrier, and learn to see things outside of what "normal" people see. And as a teacher, it was the most rewarding feeling, when you see the light go on inside of their heads!
If children can learn this concerpt at a early age, just think what they will see as they grow up! When people tell me they can't draw a straight line, I just tell them neither can I, that's what we have rulers for.
I live in my head half of the time, and yes it does get boring unless that space gets fed...giving these thoughts and ideas a perspective, then trying to see and translate what it is I'm supposed to see inside this space, is definately a continual challenge. But writing, besides my art and music, is the only way I can put it into a visual concept I can fully understand.
Kathy S.
Kathy,
That's a great post--I think you're a teacher who must change lives. Your students probably remember those days in the grass until they're adults. If they don't "get it" when they're with you, I bet they get it ten years down the line.
One thing I like about your post is that we normally tend to idealize kids--thinking they see with truly open minds, "say the most amazing things," etc.. You're telling us not to idealize: In many ways, kids are even more stuck in the circle of cliches than adults are. They see "bark," not the strange bark their fingers are experiencing.
That's a great post--I think you're a teacher who must change lives. Your students probably remember those days in the grass until they're adults. If they don't "get it" when they're with you, I bet they get it ten years down the line.
One thing I like about your post is that we normally tend to idealize kids--thinking they see with truly open minds, "say the most amazing things," etc.. You're telling us not to idealize: In many ways, kids are even more stuck in the circle of cliches than adults are. They see "bark," not the strange bark their fingers are experiencing.
KathyS wrote:This is an incredible insight in which I had to learn as an artist. Yes, 'had to learn'! It wasn't something that just came naturally to me, and I don't think it comes naturally to most people.
A few years ago, I was fortunate to be able to teach art to elementary school age children. K-6. What a struggle these poor kids had when I tried to get this concept of "seeing", across to them. One of the things I did, was, I took them outside, and had them lay down on the playground...getting down to their level of understanding. I had them look up into the clouds. I wanted them to imagine, to see what they could see in those clouds. This was not the difficult part, it was when I had them stand next to a tree, and place their hands on the bark. I told them to close their eyes and tell me what they felt. I had them trace the bark with pencil and paper. To see what they felt. All of these things to stretch their imagination, before they could see to put it down on paper. I wanted them to interpret it with their mind first.
When taking a class in Drawing on The Right Side of The Brain, one of the projects is to look at a picture, upside down, and draw it. Our brain still wants to translate it right side up. To actually draw it upside down was a challenge for most of these students. I had my kids do this, and all they could tell me was, they couldn't see to do it....another challenge to overcome what you think you see, and what you actually see.
It's a wonderful experience, once you've broken through that barrier, and learn to see things outside of what "normal" people see. And as a teacher, it was the most rewarding feeling, when you see the light go on inside of their heads!
If children can learn this concerpt at a early age, just think what they will see as they grow up! When people tell me they can't draw a straight line, I just tell them neither can I, that's what we have rulers for.
I live in my head half of the time, and yes it does get boring unless that space gets fed...giving these thoughts and ideas a perspective, then trying to see and translate what it is I'm supposed to see inside this space, is definately a continual challenge. But writing, besides my art and music, is the only way I can put it into a visual concept I can fully understand.
Kathy S.
Message Edited by IlanaSimons on 06-02-200702:56 PM
That was a great story.
IlanaSimons wrote:
Kathy,
You're a teacher who must change lives, I think. Your students probably remember those days in the grass until they're adults. If they don't "get it" when they're with you, I bet they get it ten years down the line.
You've given us a great post.
One thing I like about your post is that we normally tend to idealize kids--thinking they see with truly open minds, "say the most amazing things," etc.. You're telling us not to idealize: In many ways, kids are even more stuck in the circle of cliches than adults are. They see "bark," not the strange bark their fingers are experiencing...
KathyS wrote:This is an incredible insight in which I had to learn as an artist. Yes, 'had to learn'! It wasn't something that just came naturally to me, and I don't think it comes naturally to most people.
A few years ago, I was fortunate to be able to teach art to elementary school age children. K-6. What a struggle these poor kids had when I tried to get this concept of "seeing", across to them. One of the things I did, was, I took them outside, and had them lay down on the playground...getting down to their level of understanding. I had them look up into the clouds. I wanted them to imagine, to see what they could see in those clouds. This was not the difficult part, it was when I had them stand next to a tree, and place their hands on the bark. I told them to close their eyes and tell me what they felt. I had them trace the bark with pencil and paper. To see what they felt. All of these things to stretch their imagination, before they could see to put it down on paper. I wanted them to interpret it with their mind first.
When taking a class in Drawing on The Right Side of The Brain, one of the projects is to look at a picture, upside down, and draw it. Our brain still wants to translate it right side up. To actually draw it upside down was a challenge for most of these students. I had my kids do this, and all they could tell me was, they couldn't see to do it....another challenge to overcome what you think you see, and what you actually see.
It's a wonderful experience, once you've broken through that barrier, and learn to see things outside of what "normal" people see. And as a teacher, it was the most rewarding feeling, when you see the light go on inside of their heads!
If children can learn this concerpt at a early age, just think what they will see as they grow up! When people tell me they can't draw a straight line, I just tell them neither can I, that's what we have rulers for.
I live in my head half of the time, and yes it does get boring unless that space gets fed...giving these thoughts and ideas a perspective, then trying to see and translate what it is I'm supposed to see inside this space, is definately a continual challenge. But writing, besides my art and music, is the only way I can put it into a visual concept I can fully understand.
Kathy S.
Message Edited by Laurel on 06-02-200711:56 AM
Message Edited by Laurel on 06-02-200711:56 AM
