Beware the barrenness of a busy life. ~Socrates Greetings, Soapboxers! When was the last time you stared into space? Not the thousand-yard stare that comes with your inner circuitry being overloaded, but rather a time when you made the choice to simply be. No electronic devices, just you and your breath and whatever enters your …
Adventures in downtime (Mara Thomas, ASBX blog post 025) Read More »
Can you understand being alone so long you would go out in the middle of the night and put a bucket into the well so you could feel something down there tug at the other end of the rope? The Abandoned Valley ~ Jack Gilbert Greetings, Soapboxers, Loneliness. There’s a loaded word for you. What comes …
The gifts of loneliness (Mara Thomas, ASBX blog post 022) Read More »
When we got together for our interview Elisabeth Lewis Corley said, “Let’s just have a conversation.” And wow, did we ever. Elisabeth began by reading one of her poems. From there we discussed survival strategies for artists, diversifying our artistic practice, her company Street Signs and their intentional approach to developing profound new work….and the …
Greetings, Soapboxers! This morning I ran a 14-mile trail race at Little River Regional Park in Durham. Running is one of the primary ways I connect with my body and is a huge resource for me. Trail running, though, requires an entirely different set of tactics. Sure, running is the common denominator, but you use …
Running toward creativity (Mara Thomas, ASBX blog post 017) Read More »
Greetings, Soapboxers! We’ve got a few more tricks up our sleeves before we close out this year, but I’d like to take a minute to look toward 2019 and what lies ahead. What are your dreams for 2019? One of the tools we use in our Creative Accountability Groups is a mind map. Mind maps …
Map your dreams (Mara Thomas, ASBX blog post 015) Read More »
Greetings, Soapboxers! I’m a nerd about dates. Birthdays, anniversaries. I generally love acknowledging these annual markers. A recent anniversary has me thinking about creative identity, loss and Ronnie James Dio. Well, if THAT didn’t grab you, maybe this will: Five years ago this month, I experienced the distress of a home robbery. The most painful …
Reclaiming creative identity after a loss (Mara Thomas, ASBX blog post 014) Read More »
You are (still) an artist. If you haven’t thrown a pot in two years, you are still an artist. If you haven’t shown up to rehearsal since you can remember, you are still an artist. If you haven’t written a sentence, picked up a paintbrush, stepped into a studio, taken your instrument out of its …
You are still an artist (Cheryl Chamblee, ASBX blog post 013) Read More »
Greetings, Soapboxers! Earlier this month, several friends and collaborators gathered to read and hear the latest draft of my upcoming play, YEAR OF THE MONKEY. If you’ve ever put your work-in-progress up for critique, you know it is a singularly excruciating, insecurity-stoking and necessary experience. I clawed my way to that draft and now, armed …
Writing the perfect MONKEY (Mara Thomas, ASBX blog post 012) Read More »
Curious about a Creative Accountability Group? A few of our participants share their takeaways from the 1st ASBX Creative Accountability Group at the opening of this episode! Mara and Tamara reflect on the 5 weeks of topics covered, why a group setting can support the individual creative process, the balance of practical and woo, and …
(Join our next Creative Accountability Group, beginning July 31st.) Greetings, Soapboxers! Please raise your hand if someone has ever told you, “Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Y’all. So many times. Over and over throughout my life. This phrase confounded me and angered me. I didn’t understand it. I passed it off as a cliché. An …
Ask WHY to create opportunities for compassion (Mara Thomas, ASBX blog post 011) Read More »
