When I worked for the state, I used to get the upcoming holiday, Columbus Day, off. After my divorce, this was MY birthday day. My actual birthday is a few days earlier. I'd plan the day surrounded not by what needed to be done, but what I wanted to do.
Now that I work for corporate America, I find they don't hold Mr. Columbus in the same esteem as the governmental and banking systems do. His day, along with three other days I used to think of as holidays are now just another Monday.
So I carved out my own 'me' day.
Friday I visited our local art museum (all exhibits are free on Friday.) They had a Monet exhibit with the entire triptych (a fancy art word for set) of his water lily study. The local St. Louis museum owns one of the paintings; the other two were on loan. The sight was amazing.
I sat on the benches letting the painting talk to me and letting my muse listen. When I left, I had three new story ideas written furiously across my small notebook.
What I found most interesting was how the painting changed over time. They've punch holes (very, very tiny holes) in the canvas to reveal six or more layers of paint. And there are pictures of the first draft of the paintings showing what they looked like at first.
Revision. As a writer, that's where I find myself. Taking perfectly good stories, and trying to make them great. So the thought of Monet, standing in his studio, day after day for years, trying to determine if he was done, well, it's just chilling.
So I'm wondering about my readers? Have you ever carved out a 'me' day? Where does your perfect day lead you?
1 comment:
I don't carve out as many "me" days as I'd like...but I'm hoping to making changing that a priority in the near future.
That said, a perfect "me day" would be to sleep until about 8:30... Read. Walk around the city, stopping at a neat little restaurant after walking in Central Park for a few hours. And then cap it off by going to a movie.
Ahhh... Now I want one even more.
Post a Comment