four things | seventy | Miss Mustard Seed

It’s been my favorite early spring weather.  Cool enough for a hoodie, but warm enough to spend lots of time outside.  I donned my overalls for the first time this year, and Jeff and I worked together in the backyard on Tuesday.  We pulled weeds, mowed the small patch of grass, pruned the hydrangeas, trimmed back the liriope, and cleaned up the leaves.  I remembered looking out the window last week and feeling overwhelmed at all of the tasks that needed to be done to get the garden beds and patio ready for spring, but it only took a couple of hours, and it looks noticeably better.  There are a few more things to do, but it’s looking great already.

I know that small amounts of work, one or two hours, devoted regularly to something can make a big difference, but I’m glad when I’m still delighted and surprised at the results of those efforts.

Here are my four things for this week – A fresh Persephone/Hades take, the creative habit, and same.

what I’m reading & watching

These two go hand in hand this week, since I watched the series and read the book over the past couple of weeks.  I’m pretty much game for any period drama series or movie, so I immediately clicked on the Seeking Persephone miniseries when I saw it on Amazon Prime.  It wasn’t a part of the subscription, so I did have to purchase it, but I decided to give it a chance and hope it was good.  It’s a loose retelling of the Persephone and Hades myth, set in Regency England.

Let me start with the series.  It isn’t a big-budget series, but I think they did a nice job overall.  Of course, the scenes filmed on location are stunning.  You can tell, though, that some of the rooms are sets and the props and furnishings, while trying to look era-appropriate, are clearly modern.  I always study the sets, costumes, and props, though, so I’m probably pickier than most!  I mean, I look at the details like the doorknobs.  Some of the acting isn’t the highest caliber, but the leads are solid, and I found any shortcomings completely forgivable since I enjoyed the story and characters so much.  It’s sweet, family-friendly, and champions good things.  The score is also beautiful.

I then decided to read the book, since the book is always better!  The series was very faithful to the book, so reading it just added a little bit more narrative and depth to some of the characters and storylines.  It’s a quick and easy read (I read it in just a couple of hours).

The way I know I really enjoyed a book, movie, or series is when I find myself wanting to revisit that world again after it’s over.  I tell Jeff it’s like wanting to spend more time with friends you’ve gotten to know.  When the book is over, you want to hang out with them more!  I felt that way about this miniseries and book.

 You can watch the series trailer HERE.

what I’m loving

“The routine is as much a part of the creative process as the lightning bolt of inspiration.  Maybe even more.”  – Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit.

This definitely applies to my current season of creative work.

what I’m working on

When Jeff asks me what’s on my schedule each day, the typical answer has become, “Same.”  While I’m in an exciting season, I’m also in one where I do pretty much the same thing each workday.  Write and paint.  And between writing and painting, I ship out finished pieces, answer emails, and handle other administrative tasks associated with being a writer and an artist.   When furniture, antiques, and home projects were the main focus of my creative attention and business, every day was different.  I’d bounce from working on upholstery to sanding down newly acquired pieces to hanging wallpaper to painting a dresser to sourcing new pieces.  I still do my fair share of bouncing around, but my days are much more predictable.

Same sounds like it might be tiresome or dull, but that hasn’t been my experience.  There is just enough variation in the same to hold my interest.

What have you been reading, watching, loving, and working on?