Dog Days of Summer

I always thought the expression Dog Days of Summer referred to those days we'd get in August that were so hot and humid, even the dogs just wanted to lay around and do nothing. 

But the saying actually comes from the bright star, Sirius, which in late July into mid-August, aligns with the sun. Sirius is the brightest star seen anywhere from earth and is part of the constellation, Canis Major, or, The Greater Dog. Who knew?

In New England, where I grew up, we moaned about those hot, humid, dog days. There, August is like the end of summer. Things start to wind down with Labor Day, and you know you can expect September to bring cooler nights and days with delightful temps. 

Now I live in Florida, where August is more like mid-summer, with a lot more hot, humid weather to come, and no real relief until late October or even November. The idea of it can really drag you down if you let it....

So, how does that relate to our summer creativity class? Well, we're two months into it now, and our last meeting is at the end of the month. Right about now, you might be running out of steam and it can be hard to keep the momentum going, especially if you are feeling any sort of dog-day-drag. Time for a little re-boot coming into the home stretch.

My suggestion for August is to set some small, achieveable goals to keep you motivated. This could be just one small thing each week that stirs your creative soul or moves you forward. It could be as simple as reading a book that inspires you, taking walks in nature or meditating. Dreaming and planning are creative endeavors too....

Or, you can set some goals that really challenge you! The main thing is that by setting some kind of goals, and particularly, writing them down - you hold yourself accountable - for listening to and nurturing that creative flame inside you - the one we reignited in our first class. 

These are the goals I'm setting for August:

• By month-end, have completed the final versions of the sketches to go with the first poem in my collection of poetry for kids.
• Spend time quietly revisiting the notes from my David Whyte seminars, and see what inspiration arises
• Write a rough draft of the next chapter in my book. It can be a messy first draft, but that's okay.

Since our last class focused on overcoming obstacles that can block our creative paths, I'll end with this quote from dancer Martha Graham, who reminds us how important every individual's creative contributions are:

"There is a vitality, a life-force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost. The world will not have it."