summer

let's jam

Summer feels like it is finally here!

This weekend, we are camping on Cape Cod, near Provincetown. Despite the cool weather, I am looking forward to hiking, resting, and reading some poetry from long-time resident, Mary Oliver, and Thoreau’s Cape Cod.

Last year, we made summer lists of things to do, from small to epic. I love this seasonal practice because it ensures attentive and meaningful activities are not forgotten. What is really fun is to keep your lists from year to year and see how they change (or don’t). I just throw them in my journal, and they form a sort of time capsule.

Things that make the list every year:

• Make popcycles and lemonade

• Attend Shakespeare and music in the park

• Create a list of themed movies to watch all summer (80’s movies, classics, horror… )

• Writing project focus

• Crafts - ever-changing but frequently solar prints, shadow drawing, nature observation, and some sort of fiber art

• Clean out of area (closet, basement, because it’s cool down there, games…)

• Wild swimming - makes the list every year, and I NEVER do it. I just don’t know how. Growing up in Florida, freshwater swimming freaks me out. And the beaches here are not as sweet as the Gulf. I do hike and cool my feet off in a stream, but I need to figure this out! Advice welcome!

• Book fall camping

• Read something light and/or trashy (Valley of the Dolls, a Sweet Valley High book, pop novel….)

• Grow flowers from seed (sunflowers, zinnias, marigolds are easy)

I also gathered up my old journals from past Journal Jams. Some of you who have been around will have participated in the past.

I want to run a light version here in this newsletter with a weekly -ish“lab.”

This is a lab with low stakes, just an invitation to play around, make some marks, write some ideas, and drop in.

To Do

• Gather up your old Journal Jams and consider finishing one (mine always have blank pages). Or grab a new one. I like a spiral bound with mixed media paper. Anything will do.

• If you have done Journal Jam in the past, spend time looking through your old ones

• Gather some supplies (only what you have): scissors, glue, tape, markers, watercolors, stickers….

• Make a page listing all the things you want to do this summer. Be sure the majority of activities are small, easy, and inexpensive. Think: morning coffee on the stoop, watching for fireflies, playing a childhood game, blowing bubbles….

Are you in? (It’s free, just subscribe to be sure not to miss any posts.

Let me know what topics and things you are interested in, and I will see what I can do! I’ll check in next week with some films, prompts, and art ideas.