The Artist’s Way Week #2 *Recovering a Sense of Identity*

QUOTES

“Snipers are people who undermine your efforts to break unhealthy relationship patterns.”
-Jody Hayes

“Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose.”
-Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

“What I am actually saying is that we need to be willing to let our intuition guide us, and then be willing to follow that guidance directly and fearlessly.”
-Shakti Gawain

“Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast-you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.”
– Eddie Cantor

“Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music-the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.”
-Henry Miller

“The painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through.”
-Jackson Pollock

PASSAGES

Do not let your self-doubt turn into self-sabotage.

If [your blocked friends] are having trouble with your recovery, they are still getting a payoff from remaining blocked. Perhaps they still get an anorectic high from the martyrdom of being blocked or they still collect sympathy and wallow in self pity. Perhaps they still feel smug thinking about how much more creative they COULD be than those who are out there doing it. These are toxic behaviors for you now.

You will learn that it is actually easier to write than not write, paint than not paint, and so forth. You will learn to enjoy the process of being a creative channel and to surrender your need to control the result. You will discover the joy of practicing your creativity. The process, not the product, will become your focus.

One of the things most worth noting in a creative recovery is our reluctance to take seriously the possibility that the universe just might be cooperating with our new and expanded plans. We’ve gotten brave enough to try recovery, but we don’t want the universe to really pay attention. We still feel too much like frauds to handle some success. When it comes, we want to go.

Very often a creative block manifests itself as an addiction to fantasy. Rather than working or living the now, we spin our wheels and include ion daydreams of could have, would have, should have. One of the great misconceptions about the artistic life is that it entails great swathes of aimlessness. The truth is that a creative life involves great seathes of attention.

TASKS

1. Where does your time go? List your 5 major activities this week. How much time did you give to each one? Which were what you wanted to do and shoulds? How much of your time is spent helping others and ignoring your own desires?
*working
*sleeping
*reading
*blogging
*socializing/talking

I want to include exercising and journaling and meditating and cooking.

2. List 20 things you enjoy doing. When was the last time you allowed yourself to do these things.
*singing
*painting
*writing
*journaling
*walking
*reading
*taking pictures
*baking
*visiting with friends
*spend time with cats
*play board game
*road trips
*volunteering
*attend community activities
*go to church
*sending packages/letters
*thrift store browsing
*gardening
*making love
*bookstore visiting
*blogging
*listening to live music
*taking pictures

3. Write down 2 things from above list that I have avoided that could be this weeks goals.
*BAKING (Sending Packages!)
*Taking Pictures—BUY DIGITAL CAMERA!

4. Write down 5 more imaginary lives…
*successful chick lit author
*book reviewer/columinist
*pastry chef
*event planner
*psychologist

5. Life PIE? THE BIGGER THE MORE FULFILLED I AM IN THIS AREA
Friends
Play
Romance
Adventure
Work
Spirtuality
Exercise

6. List 10 changes you would like to make for yourself
*Start cooking healthy dinners, bring healthy lunch to work
*Follow sleep routine (wake up at 5:30, gulp!)
*Walk to work
*Put away all clothes
*Catch up on blog notebooks
*Start evening meditiations
*Journaling
*Record dreams
*Take vitamins
*Drink more water
*Update Perchance to Be Blogroll!

7. Select ONE of these items to make as a goal for the week.
*Put away all clothes*
*Update Perchance to Be Blogroll!*