Resolutions

This is Western Coffee—notes on building the creative body. Last time: Time. The whole series is here. Please share this email; you can sign up free below.

I’ve been tied up in a couple of short-term writing projects, as well as painting about 60 percent of James’s house over the past couple of weeks. I hope to be back to full strength on Western Coffee next round.

She’s modest about it, but Joan has some real house-painting skills.

But I wanted to share that we took some time on New Year’s Day to write down a few resolutions related to our creative lives. Here are mine:

1. Take 100 photos worth keeping on my Nikon camera.

2. Finish reading the novel “Gilead” (a major inspiration for me—spiritually, cognitively, novelistically) aloud to James on our various car journeys, and keep up a practice of reading to each other.

3. Write the text of a children’s book.

4. Give the Dream—consciousness dreaming of itself—something it’s never, ever seen.

5. Finish my novel, ”Holy Fire Burns Closer.“

6. Make some objects I’d want to buy, and sell them.

These are more intentions, I guess, than resolutions, and they’re loosely held. But I will look back at them a year from now and reflect on how close I came, on what got in the way, on how my intentions shifted.

I’d love to hear a creative resolution or two from you, and check back in with you about it later—and that doesn’t just have to be a year from now. Reply to this email if you’d like to participate.

Kindly send me your thoughts, questions, and provocations: dmichaelowen@gmail.com.