Week 11: RECOVERING A SENSE OF AUTONOMY
This week we focus on our artistic autonomy. We examine the ongoing ways in which we must nurture and accept ourselves as artists. We explore the behaviors that can strengthen our spiritual base and therefore, our creative power. We take a special look at the ways in which success must be handled in order that we not sabotage our freedom.
Acceptance-Measure your success by your moment to moment relationship and experience and growth! Typically, a healthy passionate mind experiments and finds a mix of structure and freedom that best supports their creativity. As an artist, as a person diving passionately into the work of equitation, your measure lies with you, with the simple flow of healthy universal energy, and with the work you do in the present moment!
Success-We cannot let dollars (or follows or likes or any other external measure) determine the value of our art. Validation and guidance needs to come from our inner artist and God alone, and we should never let any other factor keep us from creating what we’re called to create. What is most critical is for us to continue to meet the inner demand of our own artistic growth!
Move your body- In a nutshell, if you aren’t already, move your body at least 20 minutes a day. You are stretching your mind if not as much or more than your body, so let it be something you enjoy that you can get lost in! There doesn’t need to be an emphasis on fitness, although that may come. Exercise teaches us the rewards of process, and a sense of satisfaction over small tasks.
Build your altar- Morning pages are meditation, a practice that bring you to your creativity and your creator God. In order to stay easily and happily creative, we need to stay spiritually centered. This is easier to do if we allow ourselves centering rituals. It is important that we devise these ourselves from the elements that feel holy and happy to us. A spiritual room or even a spiritual corner is an excellent way to do this. This haven can be a corner of a room, a nook under the stairs, even a window ledge. It is a reminder and an acknowledgment of the fact that our creator unfolds our creativity. Fill it with things that make you happy. Remember that your artist is fed by images. We need to unlearn our old notion that spirituality and sensuality don’t mix. An artist’s altar should be a sensory experience.
Daily/Weekly Rituals:
Morning pages: Whatever you do, WRITE EVERY DAY!
Take yourself an artist date.
Movement and meditation exercises daily. Remember CROSS-LATERAL exercise is good for the head, body, and heart. Read and learn more about cross lateral exercise and the benefits here!
Weekly Tasks: On our call, we started with Task 5! Finish this one if you have not already, and pick several more tasks - one that you find yourself resistant to and a couple that you look forward to doing!
Weekly CHECK-IN : You will do this check every week. If you start running your creative week Sunday to Sunday, do your check-ins each Saturday. Remember that this recovery is yours. What you think is important, and it will become increasingly interesting to you as you progress. You may want to do check-ins in your morning- pages notebook, It’s best to answer by hand and allow about twenty minutes to respond. The purpose of check- ins is to give you a journal of your creative journey. It is my hope that you will later share the tools with others and in doing so find your own notes invaluable.
How many days this week did you do your morning pages? Seven out of seven, we always hope. How was the experience for you?
Did you do your artist date this week? Yes, of course, we always hope. And yet artist dates can be remarkably difficult to allow yourself. What did you do? How did it feel?
Were there any other issues this week that you consider significant for your recovery? Describe them.
Mindfulness and Movement practices:
Week 12: Recovering a Sense of Faith
Julia Cameron opens her essay this week with a pep talk on faith. A few sentences on the first page sum up the Artist’s Way: “Each of us has an inner dream that we can unfold if we will just have the courage to admit what it is. And the faith to trust our own admission.” In a repeat of week #1’s message, she insists that we do know what we want, but we allow fear to block our way. The best way to build up inner bravery and strength is to use affirmations, such as “I know the things I know.” This will begin to give us a sense of our own direction – thought we’ll probably recognize it by the sense of resistance it throws up! This initial panic comes from the cultural message that life has more to do with work and suffering than with bounty, creativity and bliss. Thus, Week twelve is all about a recovering a sense of faith; it touches on trusting, mystery, the imagination at play and escape velocity. It’s the perfect way to wrap up this journey because sometimes you do just need to have a little faith and trust that the process is working for you now and will catch you when you fall. Julia introduces the idea of a wet blanket friend and encourages us to surround ourselves with people who uplift us, encourage us, and support our dreams!
Daily/Weekly Rituals:
Morning pages: Whatever you do, WRITE EVERY DAY!
Take yourself an artist date.
Movement and meditation exercises daily! and remember to think about hobbies you love :) such as gardening as part of your artistic recovery!
Weekly Tasks: On our call, we started the task of listing out friends to support us! Finish this one if you have not already, and pick several more tasks - one that you find yourself resistant to and a couple that you look forward to doing!
Weekly CHECK-IN : You will do this check every week. If you start running your creative week Sunday to Sunday, do your check-ins each Saturday. Remember that this recovery is yours. What you think is important, and it will become increasingly interesting to you as you progress. You may want to do check-ins in your morning- pages notebook, It’s best to answer by hand and allow about twenty minutes to respond. The purpose of check- ins is to give you a journal of your creative journey. It is my hope that you will later share the tools with others and in doing so find your own notes invaluable.
How many days this week did you do your morning pages? Seven out of seven, we always hope. How was the experience for you?
Did you do your artist date this week? Yes, of course, we always hope. And yet artist dates can be remarkably difficult to allow yourself. What did you do? How did it feel?
Were there any other issues this week that you consider significant for your recovery? Describe them.
Mindfulness and Movement practices: