I'm reading through The Artist's Way again. A year or so ago, it was a gift to me from a dear friend of mine, and proved to be very useful in motivating me to keep up with making creative time for myself, as well as taking time to reflect and learn.

I have a habit of writing in the margins of my books, and did so all throughout college. When revisiting a book, it means that I get to see another side of myself, and what resonated with me in the past. Usually, something different resonates with me the second time around, but sometimes I find myself wanting to write the same things over and over again in the margins; occasionally I underline what I've already written.

Awhile back, as directed by the book, I started an inspiration jar, made from an old mason jar whose lid I lost somewhere. I hated to let the jar go to waste, or even be recycled, since a jar can be such a useful thing, even without its lid.

I started dropping little do-dads into it last August, while I was waiting for Lucas to be born. I remember feeling anxious about the birth, as well as creatively restless; I was saving my energy to bring a child into the world. The physical demands of late pregnancy, combined with a self-enforced leave of absence from any paid photo work, meant that I felt a tad useless too.

The jar has an Orthodox icon on it, featuring the Resurrection--a symbol of hope and triumph over death. Inside the jar was a scrap of velvety wrapping paper I liked, a few of my favorite wedding images, scraps of paper on which I wrote my anxieties, the foil lid of a wine I really liked (Irony Cabernet Savignon 2005--get a bottle while you can!). Other things--like a found friendship bracelet, the paper crane bottle cap, and blue jay feather--were things that reminded me of my childhood.

We'll see what more ends up in the jar later on; it's nowhere near full yet!