My favourite task this week was the one about cherishing your inner artist. I didn’t do all the sub-parts (there were 5!), but I did list a handful of small victories and three nurturing actions I’ve taken for my artist. I like these quick win tasks that only take a couple of minutes to complete, and would like to incorporate them into my Morning Pages in future!
I took some time to think about my work boundaries, and to be honest I’m not sure I figured it out. I thought about recommitting to a boundary I set a few years ago that I wouldn’t work on weekends, but in order to achieve that, I’d need to work longer hours during the week which just doesn’t feel right. I know I will be working on a coming weekend (to host our forthcoming virtual gathering) and I often share Notes on the weekends too. Would Julia Cameron say that all this explaining seems like an excuse? Maybe, but I’m passionate about my work and want to bring my ambitions to life. Working hard fulfills me, though I know it also swallows the mental space I need to be creative. In the end, I think I made a solid attempt at this task but was left with more questions than answers. I’ll keep mulling on it!
Some of the quotes I marked and thoughts I had on Week 10 of The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. Thanks again Clare for hosting this group over the past few months.
Dangers of the Trail
“CREATIVITY is GOD ENERGY flowing through us, shaped by us…”
“Saying no can be the ultimate self care.” Claudia Black
“If creativity is like a burst of the universe’s breath through the straw that is each of us, we pinch that straw whenever we pick up one of our blocks. We shut down our flow. And we do it on purpose.”
“Mix and match is a common recipe for using blocks. The object of all this blocking is to alleviate fear.”
“Rather than paint, write, dance, audition, and see where it takes us, we pick up a block. Blocked, we know who and what we are: unhappy people. Unblocked, we may be something much more threatening – happy.”
I get what she means but in my experience getting through this isn’t always linear and certainly not once and done.
“Feel: anxious!
Try: using the anxiety!
Feel: Just did it! I didn’t block! I used the anxiety and moved ahead
Oh my God, I’m excited.”
Workaholism
I didn’t relate so much to this as I would have even a few years ago. A few negative experiences brought around a positive change in myself where I have created a better habit of balance.
“Work abuse creates in our artist a Cinderella Complex. We are always dreaming of the ball and always experiencing the ball and change.”
Drought
“This is the desert of the heart. Looking for a hopeful sign, all we see are the hulking remains of dreams that died along the path.”
“And yet we write our morning pages because we must.”
“A drought is a tearless time of grief. We are between dreams. Too listless to even know our losses, we put one page after another, more from habit than hope.”
“…the morning pages are both our wilderness and our trail.”
Fame
“We know-and have felt-success at the end of a good day’s work. But fame? It is addictive, and it always leaves us hungry.”
“The point of the work is the work. Fame interferes with that perception.”
“In the long run, fan letters from ourselves - and our creative self – are what we are really after.”
Inner satisfaction beats outer validation. I keep a journal of fan letters to myself and I’ve been amazed at the affect.
“We must actively, consciously, consistently, and creatively nurture our artist selves.”
Competition
“Instead of saying, “That proves it can be done,” your fear will say, “He or she will succeed instead of me.” “
Negative reframing at it’s finest.
““what’s the use? What do I have to offer?” We often ask these questions as we try to talk ourselves out of creating.”
“As artists, we must go within. We must attend to what it is our inner guidance is nudging us toward.”
I’m not a fan of absolutes, but Cameron’s advice has proven wise, for the most part, when I’ve heeded it.
“The desire to be better than can choke off the simple desire to be.”
Quite often when I truly let myself “just be”, answers I’ve sought seem to arrive naturally.
“Let us concern ourselves first and foremost with what it is within us that is struggling to be born.”
Labour of art and creativity are likened to birthing our children. It should be a worthy priority.
“All other work is influenced by other work. No man is an island and no piece of art is a continent onto itself.”
“Instead, we see an old in a new light.”
Marcel Proust spoke of this when he said, “The real voyage of discovery consists no in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”
“We are the origin of our art, its homeland. Viewed this way, originality is the process of remaining true to ourselves.”
“The need to win – now! – is a need to win approval from others. As an antidote, we must learn to approve of ourselves. Showing up for the work is the win that matters.”
Approval and support of others is important in it’s own way, but without learning to approve of ourselves first, I think we are likely leaning toward feeling inadequate.
“Tell the truth. What habit do you have that gets in the way of your creativity?”
Honestly I like to switch them up but if I have to pick one it’s busy work. Because I’m visual, I’ll create a reminder to ask myself if what I’m about to do connects me to my true North or disconnects me from it? My payoff for holding on to it is not risking failure, but I’m also failing to risk success. That seems like a double loss off the starting blocks.
The “tell the truth” section was uncomfortable but also liberating and clarifying. Making a few decisions I’d been putting off facing, suddenly became obvious.
I did have some victories which included entering a flash fiction competition, successfully solving a technical issue, and asking for help when I needed it. I nurtured my artist by opening all the supporting and helpful comments I’ve received during past competitions.
I did experience synchronicity on a pretty impactful scale this week and I intend to write about it, eventually, but not today.
It has been my tremendous pleasure, Jewel. Thank you for being here 💕
It's inspiring to read that you've come through your workaholism, and found more balance in your life. That's a big goal for me, and something I'm hoping to think through in more detail this summer. I love my work and am passionate about making a positive difference in the world, but it's not enough for me. A life filled with only work is a barren one, and I want to find new ways to find a sense of proportionality in my life.
I have also struggled with Cameron's absolutist language, though like you, there are many instances where it is has proved useful for me. It's a useful encouragement to take what I can from this book, and leave aside what doesn't resonate.
The 'tell the truth' section was bracing for me too, but as you say, also clarifying. I'm thrilled to hear about your synchronicity too - it's been the one area of this experience that hasn't really taken root for me, but it's heartening to know that it has been impactful for others 💕
My favourite task this week was the one about cherishing your inner artist. I didn’t do all the sub-parts (there were 5!), but I did list a handful of small victories and three nurturing actions I’ve taken for my artist. I like these quick win tasks that only take a couple of minutes to complete, and would like to incorporate them into my Morning Pages in future!
I took some time to think about my work boundaries, and to be honest I’m not sure I figured it out. I thought about recommitting to a boundary I set a few years ago that I wouldn’t work on weekends, but in order to achieve that, I’d need to work longer hours during the week which just doesn’t feel right. I know I will be working on a coming weekend (to host our forthcoming virtual gathering) and I often share Notes on the weekends too. Would Julia Cameron say that all this explaining seems like an excuse? Maybe, but I’m passionate about my work and want to bring my ambitions to life. Working hard fulfills me, though I know it also swallows the mental space I need to be creative. In the end, I think I made a solid attempt at this task but was left with more questions than answers. I’ll keep mulling on it!
How did you get on with this week’s tasks?
Some of the quotes I marked and thoughts I had on Week 10 of The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. Thanks again Clare for hosting this group over the past few months.
Dangers of the Trail
“CREATIVITY is GOD ENERGY flowing through us, shaped by us…”
“Saying no can be the ultimate self care.” Claudia Black
“If creativity is like a burst of the universe’s breath through the straw that is each of us, we pinch that straw whenever we pick up one of our blocks. We shut down our flow. And we do it on purpose.”
“Mix and match is a common recipe for using blocks. The object of all this blocking is to alleviate fear.”
“Rather than paint, write, dance, audition, and see where it takes us, we pick up a block. Blocked, we know who and what we are: unhappy people. Unblocked, we may be something much more threatening – happy.”
I get what she means but in my experience getting through this isn’t always linear and certainly not once and done.
“Feel: anxious!
Try: using the anxiety!
Feel: Just did it! I didn’t block! I used the anxiety and moved ahead
Oh my God, I’m excited.”
Workaholism
I didn’t relate so much to this as I would have even a few years ago. A few negative experiences brought around a positive change in myself where I have created a better habit of balance.
“Work abuse creates in our artist a Cinderella Complex. We are always dreaming of the ball and always experiencing the ball and change.”
Drought
“This is the desert of the heart. Looking for a hopeful sign, all we see are the hulking remains of dreams that died along the path.”
“And yet we write our morning pages because we must.”
“A drought is a tearless time of grief. We are between dreams. Too listless to even know our losses, we put one page after another, more from habit than hope.”
“…the morning pages are both our wilderness and our trail.”
Fame
“We know-and have felt-success at the end of a good day’s work. But fame? It is addictive, and it always leaves us hungry.”
“The point of the work is the work. Fame interferes with that perception.”
“In the long run, fan letters from ourselves - and our creative self – are what we are really after.”
Inner satisfaction beats outer validation. I keep a journal of fan letters to myself and I’ve been amazed at the affect.
“We must actively, consciously, consistently, and creatively nurture our artist selves.”
Competition
“Instead of saying, “That proves it can be done,” your fear will say, “He or she will succeed instead of me.” “
Negative reframing at it’s finest.
““what’s the use? What do I have to offer?” We often ask these questions as we try to talk ourselves out of creating.”
“As artists, we must go within. We must attend to what it is our inner guidance is nudging us toward.”
I’m not a fan of absolutes, but Cameron’s advice has proven wise, for the most part, when I’ve heeded it.
“The desire to be better than can choke off the simple desire to be.”
Quite often when I truly let myself “just be”, answers I’ve sought seem to arrive naturally.
“Let us concern ourselves first and foremost with what it is within us that is struggling to be born.”
Labour of art and creativity are likened to birthing our children. It should be a worthy priority.
“All other work is influenced by other work. No man is an island and no piece of art is a continent onto itself.”
“Instead, we see an old in a new light.”
Marcel Proust spoke of this when he said, “The real voyage of discovery consists no in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”
“We are the origin of our art, its homeland. Viewed this way, originality is the process of remaining true to ourselves.”
“The need to win – now! – is a need to win approval from others. As an antidote, we must learn to approve of ourselves. Showing up for the work is the win that matters.”
Approval and support of others is important in it’s own way, but without learning to approve of ourselves first, I think we are likely leaning toward feeling inadequate.
“Tell the truth. What habit do you have that gets in the way of your creativity?”
Honestly I like to switch them up but if I have to pick one it’s busy work. Because I’m visual, I’ll create a reminder to ask myself if what I’m about to do connects me to my true North or disconnects me from it? My payoff for holding on to it is not risking failure, but I’m also failing to risk success. That seems like a double loss off the starting blocks.
The “tell the truth” section was uncomfortable but also liberating and clarifying. Making a few decisions I’d been putting off facing, suddenly became obvious.
I did have some victories which included entering a flash fiction competition, successfully solving a technical issue, and asking for help when I needed it. I nurtured my artist by opening all the supporting and helpful comments I’ve received during past competitions.
I did experience synchronicity on a pretty impactful scale this week and I intend to write about it, eventually, but not today.
It has been my tremendous pleasure, Jewel. Thank you for being here 💕
It's inspiring to read that you've come through your workaholism, and found more balance in your life. That's a big goal for me, and something I'm hoping to think through in more detail this summer. I love my work and am passionate about making a positive difference in the world, but it's not enough for me. A life filled with only work is a barren one, and I want to find new ways to find a sense of proportionality in my life.
I have also struggled with Cameron's absolutist language, though like you, there are many instances where it is has proved useful for me. It's a useful encouragement to take what I can from this book, and leave aside what doesn't resonate.
The 'tell the truth' section was bracing for me too, but as you say, also clarifying. I'm thrilled to hear about your synchronicity too - it's been the one area of this experience that hasn't really taken root for me, but it's heartening to know that it has been impactful for others 💕
Enjoy the party!
Thank you so much my friend 💕