rashundatramble.com

I tee-totally freaking forgot it was Thanksgiving in the US today. Talk about being out of the loop. As for my “Artist’s Way” journey for week one, it’s been stop and go. I did my morning pages for two mornings. Morning pages are three pages that you’re supposed to write as soon as you get up, in longhand. You’re just supposed to write whatever comes to your mind…however stoopid. After you’re done, you can’t look at them again (at least not yet). Due to the fact that I’m doing this straight out of bed, I believe they’re taking on a particularly evil quality.

Other things I’ve yet to do this week that’s prescribed in the program: taking myself on a artist date (I have absolutely no idea where I’m going to find time to do this, probably Saturday); time travel (I’m supposed to list three old enemies of my creative self-worth. Dear Lord that sounds really…flakey); time travel again (write out one horror story from your monster hall of fame); Write a letter to the editor in your defense; time travel yet again (list three old champions of your creative self-worth); time travel…oh come on (select and write out one happy piece of encouragement); imaginary lives (list what I would do if I had five other lives to lead, select one then do it this week). Not sure if pole dancing would be kosher at the office.

Basically, this program is beginning to take on the aura of one big Oprah moment. I don’t know if I can take 12 weeks of this without succumbing to saccharin poisoning.

One thing it has done is prompt me into at least looking at (and smelling) my perfume supplies again: the warm, berry of Osmanthus concrete from China, the wheaty, rubbery scent of Khalea concrete from South Africa, and….good lawd…Cocoa absolute. The latter is just begging to be part of some sort of blend.

Ahhh. I guess I should explain the terminology. The paste that is left behind after extracting (or dissolving?) an essential oil from a botanical is called a concrete. The liquid that is extracted from the concrete after its dissolved with ethanol is called an absolute. Someone will probably come along and correct me on this, but I’m going on memory for my explanation. I like working with concretes and absolutes more because their scents seem more rounded to me. Deeper. Earthier (is that a word?).

I’m going slow with The Artist’s Way and the perfume stuff. When I travel too deep and start dreaming, real life jumps up and bites me in the a$$ as a reminder to get the stars out of my eyes.

By the way, check out Strange Invisible Perfume, a cool Flash-based site. Never tried the perfumes though.