I have begun preparing for a week long class I am teaching at the end of this month. I want to adapt some of the activities and adventures I plan to present. In reviewing the outlines and content, these words came to mind…my own words:
Sometimes the best ideas take us outside the lines.
It is wonderful thing to be organized! There is a security in knowing where things go, what comes next, and what items are in process and when they are done. Many people find being organized means feeling constricted, pigeon holed, or even stifled. I am not one of those people. I find freedom in organization. Being organized means I know where things are, when things are due, and once the organized things are done – woo hooo! – I can do whatever I want. Being organized means I spent time before hand, setting up, putting away, cleaning up and clearing out. I know my time is precious, so being able to rely on being organized gives me a calm sense of being able to rest.
As I review the outlines and exercises I used last time I taught this class, I can “see” what goes where and how things should run. And yes, that is because I am organized. For my own sanity, I have called all my students to find out why they are taking the class and what they hope to learn. Level setting expectations shall we say – tears and my own. As a result of those conversations I am amping up a few things, adding a couple fun projects AND organizing the room a little differently. And of course I will arrive many hours early to set up before dinner, that way I can eat my evening meal with peace of mind.
So what does being organized have to do with life going outside the lines? EVERYTHING! When chaos happens, when things blow up, when people surprise us in both good and bad ways, being organized gives us the freedom to confidently move into the chaos knowing there is a solid structure under our feet. When a student arrives without the right supplies, I am organized and I am ready. When they ask a question that does not relate to the topic at hand, being prepared allows me to parking lot that one and come back to it later. And when people want to go off the range – which I ALWAYS hope they will – I can sit back and watch them have fun while they play, and learn and grow.
My job as a teacher and artist is to create a space where people can learn the rules, then go practice the rules, understand the rules, then break them! The best work comes out of surprise, experimentation and fun. The best days are when someone brings me something and I can say, “I’ve never done that…how did you do it?” They took the rules to a new place, and now I can have fun learning how they did it!
Let me encourage you to get organized, whatever that is in your own world. Such that, you can go hog wild and have fun without fear of what has been left undone. Living outside the lines doesn’t have to mean feeling fractured or ill prepared. Living life on your own terms means doing things your way, with peace and energy working together – organizing, preparing and knowing what is what – which gives you time and the freedom to discover your true self.
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