More on Simplifying

I'm loving this book by Janice Elsheimer called The Creative Call. Chapter 8 is on Simplifying. I've been thinking about and doing 'simplifying my life' for over twenty years.

At first I thought that if we moved to the country and grew our own food, hung out my clothes to dry, chopped our firewood, and homeschooled the children, then we would have a simple life. Ha!

Here are some quotes from this book that says it better than I can.

"Self-sufficiency and simplifying one's life are not synonymous." That's the truth! It only gives you more to do. Of course, if that's what you want to spend your time doing (and I do) then that's fine. Just know that your life won't be simpler when you take on more things to do.

Greek philosopher Democritus wrote, "Let your occupations be few if you would lead a tranquil life." Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Antonius wrote, "Let not your mind run on what you lack as much as on what you have already. Remember this--that very little is needed to make a happy life."

In her article "Simplifying Life," Susan Pilgrim writes, "Fundamentally, 'simplifying' is determining what's really important to you."

So to find out what's important to us, Elsheimer gives us an exercise to write down ten things that are important to us and then to prioritize the list. Here's mine:

1. My faith-God

2. Family

3. Home

4. Homeschooling-Education

5. Creativity

6. Church

7. Being a Titus 2 Women

8. Friends

9. Community

10. Travel

This is a great book for everyone, not just artists. I believe everyone is an artist; some have just repressed it. More on this book later.