« • spring: part II, the day before | Main | • {acc: part duex} shortcut in the universe »

Comments

Brock S. Henning

Well McNair, you said it. I came, I read, I commented...I must be ACC. Here are few items you might find in my carry bag:

- iPhone: for taking notes, pictures, and recording sounds ranging from restaurants to city markets to meetings to chirping birds to my children's laughter. Some of the pictures and sound clips may find their way into future story scene descriptions.

- notepads: one for writing ideas, one for works-in-progress, one for my personal diary.

- books: various subjects such as poetry, writing resources, the Bible.

- conference rooms: okay, I don't carry a conference room in my carry bag (although the dust bunnies are known to hold meetings inside; maybe that's the "real" rabbit hole!), but I utilize conference rooms at my day job for taking short breaks. I do this to clear my mind of "day job" responsibilities (things I care less about) and focus on story ideas (things I care more about), or I just sit and breathe. I find this relieves the creativity-thieving stress of each day.

Tina Parker

Note to self:

Get a bigger purse.

~ I always carry my camera (you should have seen the poor guy at Verizon when I said I wanted a phone to talk on — not text, not take pictures, not surf the web. Bless his heart, he waited until I was out of the store before laughing or crying.

~ I am on the lookout for my handheld tape recorder. Some of us ACC folks need to think out loud before we forget what we wanted to say. I loaned mine out. Big mistake.

~ Fountain pen. They just allow me to write/think better.

~ Some sort of reading material. I'm working on reading printed material as opposed to the virtual stuff. Well, as soon as I get off here, anyway.

Thanks for reminding me that creativity — my creativity — needs to be fed every day. I see a day of photography tomorrow.

mcnair wilson

Tina & Brock: Welcome to ACC World. I always knew you lived in the neighborhood of the Actively Creative. You words inspired me and I am certain others will be equally poked! Onward & upward.

mcnair wilson

P.S. TINA, Fountain pens ABSOTIVELY make you (me...everyone) think better. And it improves my already-remarkable penmanship.

[In a recent survey 12 out of 10 high school seniors thought "penmanship" was one of Columbus's boats.]

LaureeAshcom

tears are falling because i have let others overwhelm me so much that i have seen my acc as a luxury instead of the absolute necessity that it is.....

my fountain pen has been my only hold on sanity. i am now putting my ring of 3x5 cards back in my purse... just in case.

Chris Schechner

I had a very brilliant comment and lost it due to the magic of technology. I'll retype it. First, through your influence, I have written the same sentence as you in the front of my sketchbooks for years. Second, I find it hard to draw on the run, mainly because I'm not on the run, but also because I have to have accoutrement to just hold the pen. Then I realized that I can use a big, fat Sharpie without using my splint. It won't look like a finished drawing, but I'm getting my ideas down. Thirdly, I have made a pact to draw every day. And lastly, I find that when I send out mail, an envelope is a great place to put a cartoon, so whoever I'm sending mail to, I draw a cartoon on the envelope. I figure people at the IRS or the electric company must have a sense of humor. And if they don't, at least the letter carrier gets a laugh.

Jennifer Lindsay

Fountain pens are a must! I never leave home without mine (nor my moleskin notebook). I also write everything by hand first, less chance of the internal editor taking control that way. When it's time for me to be actively creative, I turn off the overhead light, light candles, and use white Christmas lights strung on a fake palm tree to illuminate my writing. Something about the low, flickering light just makes me feel like I've entered a magical realm free of everyday distractions. And I always make time to daydream throughout the day. :)

Rob

I AM ACC TOO!!!!

Kim Ykema

Sara Groves wrote a song that tells my story well, "I just showed up for my own life/And I'm standing here taking it in and it sure looks bright/Oh the glory of God is man fully alive." It makes me dance, inside and out. This blog makes me dance, too. Borrowing from Sara again, "I'm going to live my life inspired/Look for the holy in the common place/Open the windows and feel all that's honest and real until I'm truly amazed." Yes, I'm an ACC who's been safely but stagnantly tucked away in a red-velvet-lined room but I'm coming out to be who I truly am. The tips from this blog and all the comments will help me on my journey, so THANK YOU, McNair, for creating this cyber-family. I'm grateful to be part of it.

ramona

Hello, I'm Ramona, and I'm ACC...

Love the phone comment. I had a boss who taught me that I don't have to answer it, and it's FREEING and FOCUSING. Also, it works well for bill collectors and it's fun to watch my sales rep friends squirm when I won't answer it. One lady offered to get it for me, and I made a friend for life when I said, "No, I'm talking to you. They can wait."

Camera is a must (I once got a shot of a toy Tonka truck strapped as the only cargo on a flatbed 18-wheeler and a cat hanging upside down from a honeysuckle vine). Notebook...Check. I also get really cranky if I haven't been creative. My friends have even learned the signs and have been to stop me mid-gripe to say, "Girl, go write something before we slap you upside the head."

Brian

I carry my iPhone with me everywhere and am not afraid to let it go to voicemail. A sketchbook is with me 90% of the time- I often draw during class something completely off subject (the dean and campus director have walked in while I'm sketching during accounting). My digital voice recorder always stays with me, even next to me when I sleep in case of ideas to write about or draw.

Elizabeth

I felt ACC this week. Actually Cranky Critical-mastastic! What a crazy week! My creativity was stretched beyond belief. I had grants to write that are so important to our budget. I tried to go through the week being methodical about the steps I needed to take and we started a new afterschool program this past week, as well. We had the Southwest Youth Councils this weekend and Captain Bill went with our delegation. Sorry! Still called Youth Councils! (Ha-Ha) Then it was Palm Sunday and feeding people in the park following the service. I was just overwhelmed this week and I feel like the demands of everything limited the flow of creativity. I can't wait to take the day off tomorrow.

I expect that this week will be better. Our annual dinner is coming up and I am putting together our annual report. I need to be creative and imaginative so that it truly represents the modernization of a mission that has not changed. I am looking forward to the work-week and the creative process waiting to unfold. Blessings.

vibram five fingers

Good post, I will mention it on my blog.. Cheers

Marney Makridakis

Beautiful post, I *totally* get it, and applaud you for embodying ACC and opening this dialogue!

Juicy Couture Handbags

How do you rediscover the enthusiasm of your childhood? The answer, I believe, lies in the word itself. Do you think so? Posed By Juicy Couture Handbags

coach bags

Yeah, you're right.*

Cheap Asics Shoes

Just about the most cherished factor in existence is friendship. By far the most valuable matter in between us is understanding.

MBT Wingu

It will be inferred that you just lack confidence in the victory in excess of your competitors with the actuality that you are irritable towards them.

The comments to this entry are closed.

My Photo

Images du McNaire

  • Smiles_0982
    IAMGES du McNAIRE • an ill-assorted collection of images from recent exploits and speaking/performance engagements. Wherever possible credit is given to photographers. ALL photos from my Haiti trip (8/5) are by my new pal David Duchemin, photo journalist, author, comdian (a.k.a. Rubber Chicken Guy), and full time Canadian. See more of his Haiti photos and Paris and other paintings of light and shadows David's blog ~ www.fearfullyhuman.com ~ worth a visit. COMING SOON ~ Photos of my upcoming European trip, including a visit to Disneyland Paris and other surprises!

Become a Fan

Tea Ingredients:

  • MAD TEA PARTY
    As a freelance stage director / Artist-in-Residence :: two stints at Huntington University (Indiana.) At Huntington our production of ALICE IN WONDERLAND featured an inventive cast including (L-R photo at top): Kylie Edmonds as Doormouse; Mr.Jeffrey Blossom as March Hair; McNair Wilson, Director; Lauralee Brautigam as Alice; and the indefatigable Daniel Neil Olson as a very Mad Hatter. (Photo by Mr. Mike Burnett.) I love directing for the stage–call me, TODAY!
  • • INGREDIENTS:
    TEA WITH McNAIR contains original writing, scribblings, doodles, and whimsies by C.McNair Wilson. When you "choose to use" any part of this web log, attribution to McNair Wilson is requested. ALSO INCLUDE A LINK to this site. I do the same when quoting other blogs, websites, articles, books, etc. Thanks for sipping by.
Blog powered by Typepad

CopyScape

  • Tea with McNair is about rediscovering, recapturing, and expanding your creativespirit. If you use phrases, posts, or exercises from this site, please give attribution to www.TeaWithMcNair.typepad.com and McNair Wilson. "Using" any of this material as your own is silly, rude, and illegal. And your brain will shrivel up and you shall be forced to draw stick figures, badly, the rest of your days. Now go CREATE!