Achievement to Appreciation

My creative journal

There are advantages and disadvantages to being an only child. I spent most of my childhood around people older than I was so I had a good chance to watch them. I remember often thinking, "Why do they do that?" and it's taken me over sixty years to figure some of it out.

Time is very different to me now than it was when I was a child or a younger adult.  As a child I remember it being a very very long time between Christmases.  Now, here it is late November, almost Christmas again and it seems that I have just become used to dating my cheques 2016. Once my mother asked my grandfather what he did that day and his answer was, "Well, I don't really know but I must have done something because the day is gone."

Perhaps time seems to go faster because, as we age, each year becomes a smaller piece of our life experience. Perhaps it's because our focus shifts. As children we think 'when I grow up....' As working folks we think 'when I go on holiday' or 'when the kids are older.' As adults past 50 it's 'when I retire.' So I'm retired. Now what?

When Joseph Campbell, American mythologist professor and lecturer, retired from teaching he commented that this was the point in time when he moved from focusing on achievement to focusing on appreciation and enjoyment.  I can see that change happening in myself.  I'm still very curious about the world around me and I can see many more possibilities than I will ever realize which is part of the fun. As I grow older and become accustomed to a focusing on my life's work rather than my working life, I find I'm learning to let go of the need to accomplish. Some of you will probably laugh at that statement. I still want to be good at things and I'm beginning to realize that it's okay to pick and choose where I want to spend my time and energy. I spend more time appreciating the here and now and a creative journal is one of the tools that has helped me accomplish this.

A collage over two pages

In 2005 I took part in a creative journalling project as a professional development activity. We were given a hard-cover artist's sketch book and we met three or four times to work on it. Since then I have kept mine up in a very irregular fashion and it has given me a record of some of the highs and lows,  the dreams and accomplishments. I'm now in the final pages of the book and I have already purchased its replacement. It's part scrapbook, part drawing practice, part written journal. I write in a journal every day but this is different. I work in it only occasionally and only when there is something important to put in it. I use it to work through problems, to try things out and to celebrate. It is a way to slow down time and to appreciate important moments. I has taken me almost 11 years to fill this journal and I hope that I will fill the next one more quickly. However fast or slow the process, I look forward to the possibilities for appreciation, enjoyment and gratitude contained in its pages. I'll keep you posted.

Another collage over two pages