David John Dowd

From Daylight for Dreamers: We are reaching the end of a season and I hope that it has been productive for everyone. We will be shifting gears in a few weeks, once autumn rolls around. We will enter into a more reflective space in regard to our work. It might be tempting right now to let one's attention lag. This week is all about confidence. . . .

At the Top of the Creative Mountain - David John Dowd Your expectations shape your reality. I have had the opportunity of connecting with every one of you over the past year in one form or another, whether in person or online. I believe in your potential. Spend a few moments with yourself in a quiet space and remind yourself of why you began this proje...

From Daylight for Dreamers: August is upon us. The dog days are here. Make a last-ditch effort to wrangle some of the waning summer to read something new. I want to throw my own opinions into the mix, to offer up some insight into what I have grabbed to read over the past few months. . . .

Books for the Dog Days of Summer - David John Dowd I have put together a short list of books that have been in my orbit over the past couple of months. These books have spoken to me – and you could do far worse than to pick up one of these books to read while the dog days of summer drag along, when disappearing into a different space altogether is...

From Daylight for Dreamers: I will count the number of crows this morning when light returns to the valley. There must be half a dozen of them. I have no idea why they have decided to take up residence here, where all their claim to the property comes from. There was a white crane that used to fly into the front yard, time and again. I had no understanding of what it was doing here either. Cranes like the water and there is no water to speak of up on this ridge. The surface water just doesn’t exist anymore. There used to be tree frogs by the hundreds when I was growing up on this ridge, but now it is hard to find a single one. I sometimes chalk up this dearth of tree frogs to my own perspective – how I have changed over the years, having become less connected to the patterns of nature. I have grown up. Maybe it is inevitable. I am not so close to the ground anymore. I don’t venture out for an afternoon of exploring, of just playing in the natural environment. Finding tree frogs seemed easy then, along with catching blue bellied lizards and uncovering a king snake, once or twice, hiding between rocks.

The Crow's Feather - David John Dowd So, I decided to give into their calls this morning, to reckon with what they were trying to tell me. Why were they hovering about my land – and such a specific patch of it?

From Daylight for Dreamers: A friend gave me some valuable advice this past week. He was reading through some pages of fiction I have written over the past couple of months. He had a notable observation. My friend asked me if I had ever taken a hot yoga class. He reminded me of one of the principal rules of hot yoga, especially when first starting out. No matter what, just stay in the room. The same can be true of the artistic process . . .

Intersection of Art and Yoga - David John Dowd Have the courage to stay in the room, no matter how hot it might feel. That discomfort means that you are getting at something meaningful and powerful. Let the sweat gather on your brow.

The Conversation between Two Artists - David John Dowd You may have lost the thread of this conversation over the past few months. It is time to refresh the acquaintance. You should dive a little more deeply into the dialogue, as you now have amassed considerable hours devoted to your work. How does the creative path that you have been walking down resp...

From Daylight for Dreamers:
At the start of our creative journey together, I asked you to unearth an artistic partner for yourself. I wanted you to find a work of art within your given medium that you really responded to. I encouraged you to look at the relationship between your work and the model you selected as an ongoing conversation to unfold during this year. You may have lost the thread of this conversation over the past few months. It is time to refresh the acquaintance . . . https://davidjohndowd.com/2022/07/12/the-conversation-between-two-artists/

The Conversation between Two Artists - David John Dowd You may have lost the thread of this conversation over the past few months. It is time to refresh the acquaintance. You should dive a little more deeply into the dialogue, as you now have amassed considerable hours devoted to your work. How does the creative path that you have been walking down resp...

From Daylight for Dreamers:

Rhythm will become increasingly important as you apply yourself to your artistic craft over the next couple of seasons. Finding a steady sense of how you move through the day, especially within those hours devoted to the endeavor, is essential to your success. . . .
https://davidjohndowd.com/2022/04/06/finding-your-groove/

Finding Your Groove - David John Dowd Start with an objective measure of rhythm. But then, over the next couple of weeks, listen with your inner ear more closely, to establish a more personal pattern for this artistic pursuit.

From Daylight for Dreamers:

I am excited to launch into this period of the process. It is where discoveries are made. But I want to first open with a discussion of how we can look toward relating to the creative project, and our work as an artist. I have several writing projects that I am juggling right now, including these posts here. I really enjoy the opportunity to organize my thoughts about creativity into a cohesive passage each week. I look forward to it.

Except when I don’t. Thankfully, those moments are rare. But, nevertheless, they exist. . . .
https://davidjohndowd.com/2022/03/22/the-beauty-of-waiting/

The Beauty of Waiting - David John Dowd I am excited to launch into this period of the process. It is where discoveries are made. But I want to first open with a discussion of how we can look toward relating to the creative project, and our work as an artist.

From Daylight for Dreamers:
Over the past several weeks, we have been gathering materials to serve as inspiration for our creative project. We will be diving headlong into the endeavor once spring rounds the corner. With this change of seasons coming soon, I want to offer some postings with a more philosophical bent. I hope that these entries encourage forward movement for the project – by developing a positive mindset for the work ahead. https://davidjohndowd.com/2022/03/08/the-wall-of-perfection/

The Wall of Perfection - David John Dowd All your best intentions will go nowhere, once you hit the unscalable wall of perfection. Let’s find a way over that wall.

From Daylight for Dreamers: Why does the urge to create resonate so strongly within your heart? This question can be enlarged, too. Why is the need to create art a universal trait? Why does humanity yearn to improve upon their surroundings? Where does this impulse spring forth, to alter our environment in a more pleasing pattern? Find a way into the natural world this week and discover some subtle way in which you can interact with it. . . . https://davidjohndowd.com/2022/03/03/the-personal-garden/

The Personal Garden - David John Dowd Why is the need to create art a universal trait? Why does humanity yearn to improve upon their surroundings? Where does this impulse spring forth, to alter our environment in a more pleasing pattern?

From Daylight for Dreamers: Over the past several weeks, I have shifted emphasis between two different modes of thought – the rational and the subconscious. A different exercise each week invites the artist to focus upon one or the other. This perspective is purposeful; there is a method to the madness. I want you to establish a dialogue between these two aspects of the mind, for both are indispensable to the creative endeavor. Over the course of these twelve months, this exchange will become more fluid and more readily accessible. . . https://davidjohndowd.com/2022/02/22/creativity-and-the-campfire/

Creativity and the Campfire - David John Dowd The sturdiness of a given detail is uncovered through this process. Working and reworking the structure of a creative endeavor allows us to strip away all that is unessential.

From Daylight for Dreamers: This season we have been gathering inspiration for our creative endeavor. We have been searching out resources that will support the process once we dive deep into the project this spring. You may have been invested in putting together notes on characters for a novel. You could have been producing preliminary sketches for a painting. Or you might have been pouring through cookbooks to develop an innovative menu. Whatever your passion, taking this opportunity to assemble stimulating materials will pay off in the end. . . . https://davidjohndowd.com/2022/02/16/a-small-journey/

A Small Journey - David John Dowd I want to encourage you to write a ten-page narrative of the work you are creating this year.

From Daylight for Dreamers: Why do we create? Why do we aspire to become more creative? These are important questions to ask ourselves at this juncture. We have spent the past few weeks assembling a structure around which the creative project can grow. But we haven’t quite got to the point where we are ready to dive into the project headlong. This is the season of gathering materials that inspire us. . . . https://davidjohndowd.com/2022/02/09/the-deeper-purpose/

The Deeper Purpose - David John Dowd Why do we create? Why do we aspire to become more creative? How we approach these questions will determine the success of our creative endeavor.

From Daylight for Dreamers: This week we are focusing on the creative process as it relates to a sense of place. I want to first touch upon the grand scheme of things – the very geography of art. I am not suggesting that you pull up stakes and head west. But I want you to address the notion of space this week. Where will your creative endeavor unfold over the next year? How does the physical environment shape and inform your work? It matters a lot. . . . https://davidjohndowd.com/2022/02/02/disorder-and-order-in-the-creative-process/

Disorder and Order in the Creative Process - David John Dowd This week we are focusing on the creative process as it relates to a sense of place. I want to first touch upon the grand scheme of things – the very geography of art.

From Daylight for Dreamers: It is time to start gathering inspirational materials. This is not just this week’s focus – rather it is the prevailing theme during these winter months, as we step off in to the unknown and begin to shape our creative project. Start to search out sources of inspiration – whether that means artifacts from the natural world or objects of interest within your artistic field. Wrap your arms around these items and collect them in some sort of defined space. . . . https://davidjohndowd.com/2022/01/26/gathering-inspiration/

Gathering Inspiration - David John Dowd It is time to start gathering inspirational materials. This is not just this week’s focus – rather it is the prevailing theme during these winter months, as we step off in to the unknown and begin to shape our creative project.

From Daylight for Dreamers: Find the opportunity to become quiet and listen to the song of a blackbird, somewhere amidst the darkness. You may not know how your creative goal for the year will come of life. But these notes are a subtle call to action. https://davidjohndowd.com/2021/12/22/song-of-the-blackbird/

Song of the Blackbird - David John Dowd You were only waiting for this moment to arise

From Daylight for Dreamers: I want to share this poem with you today. It is written by the talented poet Naomi Shihab Nye. I hope that it inspires you this week, as you cultivate a sense of purpose for your creative endeavor in the coming year. https://davidjohndowd.com/2021/12/23/a-poem-to-inspire/

A Poem to Inspire - David John Dowd This verse speaks to the notion that inspiration may not come from the words actually written but the doodling that will occur at the margins.

From Daylight for Dreamers: What story captures your heart? Where does magic comes into your life? Where do you accept fate and not try to contest it?

The artistic creations that we relish, those that we cannot do without – either our own or others – are ones that reinforce the core myth of our lives. https://davidjohndowd.com/2021/09/07/the-artists-pole-star/

The Artist's Pole Star - David John Dowd Sometimes we need to define our work and give the artistic pursuit more structure. Follow these questions to discover your own story.

From Daylight for Dreamers: I am a big fan of the Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami. I have devoured each of his books, and now they sit prominently on my bookshelf, close at hand, in case I need inspiration. His characters inhabit flamboyant and imaginative worlds, such as “Killing Commendatore,” wherein a figure in a painting slips off the canvas and influences the destiny of its painter. https://davidjohndowd.com/2021/07/06/creativity-and-the-art-of-juggling/

Creativity and the Art of Juggling - David John Dowd Plant your creative feet on the ground. Then your ideas can soar.

From Daylight for Dreamers: During the dinner conversation, she commented upon these new students’ activities during the lunch hour. “You can’t believe it,” she said, “they are from a different planet. They actually climb trees during break. It is ridiculous!”

My response was – good for them! The more trees they climb the better. It links those kids to something that seems altogether foreign to more mainstream students. Having an intimate connection with the earth makes those kids stand out. Maybe even ridiculed. Those kids have the courage to make known that they do not come from a different planet. On the contrary, these students are deeply invested members of this planet. https://davidjohndowd.com/2021/08/11/going-out-on-a-limb/

Going out on a Limb - David John Dowd Make the point to visit a tree today. Maybe even climb up a sturdy limb. See how it inspires you.

From Daylight for Dreamers: The child development expert and coach Thanna Vickerman talks about the need for children to immerse themselves in the flow of things. Left to their own devices, children naturally fall into these moments of reverie. The expansion of their imagination takes flight in these states. Parents, with their self-imposed structure and schedules, often overlook this intrinsic need of children. Parents disrupt those naturally occurring patterns of focused relaxation. https://davidjohndowd.com/2021/07/20/focused-relaxation/

Focused Relaxation - David John Dowd Allow children to be the guides into the creative space. Follow their lead to live a more inspired artistic life.

DAYLIGHT FOR DREAMERS: In his book, “Last Child in the Woods,” Richard Louv makes a remarkable observation. He believes that children must interact with nature in order to embrace the notion of mystery. In his opinion, mystery is a fundamental quality of human development that cannot be ignored. Encountering the natural world opens up the child to the concept of mystery. They are thrust into a space where they must become the architects of their own experience. https://davidjohndowd.com/2021/07/27/naming-the-wilderness/

Naming the Wilderness - David John Dowd The creative process is all about sitting still with mystery. Approach the natural world as fertile training ground.

DAYLIGHT FOR DREAMERS: Sometimes it feels as if everything has already been done. There is no room for still another portrait or another novel. It is time, then, to consider the art of inventing new forms. Michael Shapiro, in his inspiring book, “The Creative Spark,” relates that Ian Anderson (of Jethro Tull fame) was similarly stumped. He contemplated how to move his career forward. The music scene already had a number of accomplished guitarists stealing any thunder that might come his way. Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page had cornered the market on guitar virtuosity. https://davidjohndowd.com/2021/07/13/invent-new-forms/

Invent New Forms - David John Dowd Look for ways to create new categories of art. Let unique combinations inspire you.

Scrawling little images on a piece of paper when you should really be paying attention to something else may seem like you are just wasting time, but nothing could be further from the truth. These drawings transform mental discourse – all the buzz inside your head – into symbol. https://davidjohndowd.com/2021/06/01/3-things-you-think-are-not-creative-but-really-are/

3 Things You Think Are Not Creative (But Really Are) - David John Dowd Discover how activities that seem inconsequential can really matter to the creative life.

I am working on a memoir right now, exploring a brief period of my life, which was both turbulent and psychologically insightful. I would like to think that there is some value in sharing my story. We will just have to see.https://davidjohndowd.com/2021/06/08/dare-to-be-unwise/

Dare to be Unwise - David John Dowd With the memoir, I find that I am always asking myself if I am being honest, true to that moment in the past.

The goal of the marathon meditation is to ultimately give up on the mind altogether – to release its primacy, and somehow reach a space of inner tranquility. But I couldn’t find the equanimity – the same few thoughts circled around and around in my head. https://davidjohndowd.com/2021/04/13/art-the-buddhas-rooster/

Art & The Buddha's Rooster - David John Dowd Artists ask questions. Those questions fuel the creative process.

There is an oft-repeated theme running through these posts. The creative journey is an ongoing dialogue between the rational mind and the collective unconscious. Engagement between these two sides of the brain sometimes needs a navigator, for the different aspects of the mind speak different languages. https://davidjohndowd.com/2021/05/11/the-creative-mediator/

The Creative Mediator - David John Dowd Sometimes we need to call upon an intermediary.

DAYLIGHT FOR DREAMERS: Just pick anything inconsequential that you can begin to collect. There’s something joyous and powerful in seeing this collection grow over time. I have a marble jar that sits on my desk, and the mounting marbles inside remind me that my ongoing creative pursuit has its own milestones, perhaps unseen by others, but still incredibly meaningful. https://davidjohndowd.com/2021/04/20/bribery/

Bribery - David John Dowd The bare-knuckled method for getting things done.

We have lost touch with this possibility, that something outside of us can somehow help us to engage with our creative pursuit. We have become all too self-reliant, and possibly much to our detriment. Maybe ardent supplication to the goddess is necessary once again. https://davidjohndowd.com/2020/12/01/grasping-for-inspiration/

Grasping for Inspiration - David John Dowd For a long while, humanity thought that there was a goddess out there in the firmament.

Don’t fall into the trap of ruminating on an idea, worried at the back of your mind that there will not be another idea to replace it, to capture your imagination to quite the same degree that this special little idea has. Release those ideas out into the world. https://davidjohndowd.com/2021/05/04/there-are-always-more/

There Are Always More - David John Dowd Develop the habit of releasing ideas