In a hurry? Crushed under a 90-item to-do list? In the spirit of doing art first (see “The New Gig” ~ 6 January), I offer these suggestions for lightning-fast art.
1. Do a zentangle. Essentially, this is an evolved form of doodling, centered around the idea that anything is possible ” one stroke at a time.” And true enough that is. My true love, my friends, and I have all been making zentangles and feeling the calm, the satisfaction, and even the gentle surprise which comes with creating an intricate and beautiful little work of art in just fifteen or twenty minutes.
2. Write a ten-minute poem. My dear friend Cheryl and I have been doing this for years on the theory that we always have ten minutes to devote to poetry. And sure enough, we do. These days, I’m also doing this with the poet friends I’ve met at Artella, a website devoted to creativity in every form. A group of us have been writing and posting poems every week.
3. Make a ten-minute picture. Gather your crayons, watercolors, colored pencils and your favorite paper. Set the timer for ten minutes. Go! Don’t think too much, critique, or edit. Just make something.
4. Rewrite a verse of a catchy song with your own lyrics. This is fun to do as you drive or while you’re waiting in line somewhere.
5. Write a haiku. Remember the essential rules: line 1 = 5 syllables, line 2 = 7 syllables, line 3 = 5 syllables. Haiku masters like to include a “turn” or surprise in that third line, and they also sometimes include a nod to the season. But to my mind, the main thing is to make something pithy, pungent – and brief. A little stinger of a poem.
6. Go on a one-mile poem walk. Or a song walk. Or a painting walk. Or a dissertation walk. Or any kind of walk that serves your current project or whim. The idea is to get moving and get outside for fifteen or twenty minutes. It’s fun to weave between observing the world and letting ideas simmer. Sometimes I find the two braid together and I come home inspired. And if not, I’ve had a lovely walk and feel refreshed.
7. Compose a one-verse song. When I do this, I don’t worry about immortality. I think more about flow and fun. It’s about now. This usually takes me ten to twenty minutes and most times I don’t even write the words down. I just polish up this one little song, send it out to the world, and then return to the day with an extra spark.
8. Write a note to someone you love. Consider including a tiny sketch or decoration, or use different colors for different letters.
9. Make an artful lunch. Or supper, breakfast, or tea. Just let yourself attend to the aesthetic qualities of everything you include – tastes and textures, colors, shapes, and even the names of things. Please your tastes without compromise but without fuss, either. Use what you have but make it wonderful.
10. Write a ten-minute journal-entry – but not with a pen. Use the side of reddish rock, a paintbrush dipped in honey, a Japanese calligraphy brush, a glue-pen. Or, write with your best Venetian glass pen or fountain-pen, but write with your non-dominant hand. See if this changes anything.
These are just a few ideas, but you can imagine many more, I’m sure. If you do, send ‘em along and help foster the notion that art lives happily alongside everyday life, enlivening, refreshing, and giving meaning to everything else we do.
