Creativity

A big reason I wanted to have a Top 45 at 45 is to challenge myself to keep learning and growing.  A large section of the list contains Creative and/or Knowledge building items. 

See Below:

Creative/Knowledge

1. Minimum one handwritten note/story a month to Nicole turned into a Christmas present book for 2012 - ongoing
2. Creative writing class – DOM - January
3. Photography class – February        
4. Art class - February
5. Top 45 @ 45 Blog - ongoing
6. Courage to Change/One Day at a Time Blog - ongoing
7. The Artist’s Way writing and Art dates - ongoing
8. A letter/note a month to a friend or family member – ongoing
9. IPhone/Android app/Apple class – January
10. Practice French - ongoing
11. A Whole Foods or Central Market Cooking class 
12. Organize family birthday calendar and distribute @ Christmas – December

I have made some adjustments to this list since I first posted it, most notably I have made the handwritten note/story to Nicole a monthly minimum as well as the letter/note to a friend or family member so the spirit of the activity is not lost on trying to reach a number.  If I am so inspired to write more, I will.

I have always wanted to take a creative writing class, a cooking class, an art class and a photography class.  The desire to take an Apple class is pretty new and comes from using the computer technology that I have at my disposal to its fullest.  The Artist's Way is a book that I started using last year then it fell by the way side when life happened.  I am hoping to finish the 11 week 'course' that the book outlines and then follow the morning pages and Art dates with myself throughout the year.  These activities will overlap with some of the other activities on the list, so it should be doable.

Finally, a few (read as MANY) years ago, my sister Fran and I created a family birthday book that had cute cover pages for each month and then the names and birth dates of family members written in each month where it occurred.  There have been so many babies born since we made it (and unfortunately a few deaths) that it is time for an update.  It seems that all of my siblings are probably done having babies, so hopefully this is the last revision needed for this book until grand-babies start coming along.

It has been a rainy weekend here in Austin and it turned quite cold last night.  Between listening to the heavy rain and the thunder, that we haven't heard in Austin for quite a while, I didn't get a lot of sleep last night.  Two things I don't mind, swimming which involves getting wet, and being cold are okay separate, but the thought of swimming today while it is pretty cold out was not appealing because I do not like being wet _and_ cold at the same time.  The fact that I started this blog about my list of Top 45 was enough motivation to get myself out the door and to the pool for Master's swimming today.  As I was walking out of the Y, I saw the following quote that made going to practice even more meaningful today then it usually is, "Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man's growth without destroying his roots." ~Frank A. Clark  I was able to overcome my personal lack of motivation to do my workout and am thankful for the physical as well as the mental exercise that I experienced today.

The countdown begins to the new year and the official start of the Top 45!

Ciao!