Corporate to Creative Week 2 - and Maira Kalman

Tuesday.  I carved out time to go to the Seaside Library to "write".  I was looking forward to week 2 writing assignments and challenges.   Not released yet!

But, I did set aside time and am writing something, that is part of the practice or discipline.   Pause.

Again, pause.

In the Seaside library, Tuesday afternoon, post beach walk.   Objective is write from the Loft class - "Corporate to Creative".  These days it is about daily intentions - how I spend my days.

When not working the Corporate.  (Why do I feel guilty about this?)

I am listening to an interview between Krista Tippet interviewing Maira Kalman.  Maira is talking about her "day "as a visual story teller.  Her day - The Normal, Daily Things We Fall in Love With. 

You preserver.   Rituals help - but need to be flexible - was going to the newly found gym.  But weather is good - so the beach won out.  This is good to figure out that when it is nice outside - do outside stuff - this really is the way you lived in MN.  A place driven by how it was "outside", the weather.


It is about walking three times a day with her friend,  in Central Park.   Her friends is a doctor - saves lives.  After they walk, they have coffee.

After the walk (She, they, often ask - where is everyone?) when walking in the Park,  the Park is often not busy.

After walking and having coffee - Maira takes the bus home.  On the bus she looks around and says I am grateful (driving down 5th Avenue) , Grateful I live in New York City, grateful I live in the United States.  Wonderful, gratitude list and ritual. 

She, Maira, reads the obits daily.  Peoples lives are amazing.  She says: We see trees, what more do we need?

The perseverance of work.   About the trees - leaves grow on trees, birds sit in trees, trees are beautiful - a whole package.

Krista asks about how Kalman, in her writing, often thinks about death.  They explored that. Part of of it is the history of the family coming from Bel Russe, being Jewish, during a time when all could end and did.   She talks about other history and experiences that might make one think about death.

During the interview - much discussion about Maira's husband's death, cemeteries being up lifting.

Maira also talked about loving her dog - she writes children's stories  about dogs, Pete being her families dog when the kids where young.  "Mom, who do you love more?".

Anyway, the cemetery thing is interesting after reading "The Cloisters" and researching Abelard and Eloise and their life and death and how they were buried together in Paris at Pere Lachaise.