💬 Let’s chat about Week 12 of The Artist’s Way
Our Final Thread! On recovering a sense of faith
Welcome to Life after Trauma; I’m Clare Egan. This is the final week of The Artist’s Way, a community exploration of the intersection between creativity and recovery. Our goal has been to explore our creativity in a gentle, low commitment way and to show up each week to cheer each other on. Here’s an overview of our approach if you’d like to learn more!
FINAL CALL: An opportunity for you
Before wrapping up The Artist’s Way, I wanted to give you - the members of this community who’ve been chatting with me in comments, Notes and our virtual gatherings - a chance to share a little of what The Artist’s Way has meant for you. I’m planning to do a roundup post next week, and would love to include your perspectives, as well as a link to your newsletter or another creative project. I’ve made a short google form to capture your stories. Please share your experiences by today Friday, June 13th.
It’s time for our final thread. Can you believe it?!
I’m ending this exploration of The Artist’s Way on a high note. I enjoyed chapter 12 and appreciated the opportunity to reflect on my faith as it relates to creativity. I wrote Morning Pages most days this week and had a very enjoyable Artist’s Date at a gig. Irish band The Corrs were playing in Dublin and while I’m not usually a gig person, I had a lot of fun! (& the above ice-cream which was delicious, though my lactose-skeptical digestive system was less enthused!)
I also decided not to sign the creative contract in the back of the book. I’ve appreciated the structure The Artist’s Way has provided but I’m eager to liberate myself from some of that rigidity. Signing another contract just didn’t feel right to me, but I’m curious about your experience. How are you planning to support your creativity over the weeks and months ahead? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
Over to you…
I’m also curious to hear how you got on with your Morning Pages and Artist Date this week. Remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect. Showing up regularly-ish, and giving it a try is enough! It still counts as “doing The Artist’s Way”, and you are very welcome here!
💬 Did you enjoy chapter 12? Are there any insights you’d like to share? As always, I'll get us started with some reflections on my tasks from this week.
Thanks so much for being here. It’s an honour to be in community with you 💕
P.S. If you’re new here, please review our community guidelines before participating too.
I think Chapter 12 was among my favorites for its emphasis on trust, surrender, the mystery of creativity, and having a sense of faith about ourselves and the "big magic" of creativity as Liz Gilbert describes in her wonderful book about creativity. I missed doing the morning pages only once, took myself on an Artist's Date to the Mediterranean Sea for my first dip of the season and will try out a new ice cream place this weekend, Clare you inspired me! I will miss all of you but Clare, you have earned a well deserved break from shepherding us so beautifully through this shared experience. I hope everyone has a fantastic summer and if you are ever in Barcelona, please get in touch with me!
I am in a season of letting go, not holding onto the notions I have held so long for what "makes" me a "successful" creative writer (ie., publishing a novel in the traditional way via an agent). I can't say these past weeks have sent me scurrying to my neglected new novel or revisions to the one that got so many agent rejections and no doubt needs yet another draft. And that's because I am healing not only my physical body from the back injury of February but also healing myself from a lifetime of "doing," "producing," ticking off to-do lists and accomplishments. That is the lens with which I approached The Artist's Way in this season of my life, taking on board her gentler guidance and not the prescriptive ones. I felt quite allergic to the idea of "tasks." If I were to revise this book, I would call them "invitations." So much better!
The whole experience still resonates with me and I’ve been reading and writing and growing ever since. I already miss the weekly posts and community but the empowerment I feel is priceless. Thank you.