Week 10 of the Artist Way is about self protection. Really just protecting that Artist self that is recovering from being blocked for so long.
One thing we are to do is to make a list of touchstone. They are just simple things we love, that give an instant pleasure. Here is my beginning list. I know it will grow the more I think about it
river rocks
seashells
fresh peaches
blackberry jam
airs incense
the smell of a campfire
my daughters smile
how touching someone feels
fresh flowers
smell of lavender
having orange juice in a wine glass
having wine in wine glass (smile)
new art supplies
Lindor truffles
Sunshine
Gently falling snow when I am spending the day at home
walking by the river, in the woods, fields or desert.
What habit do you have that gets in the way of your creativity?
For me that one is TV. I tend to watch too much, thinking its a way to relax but the more I watch the more I watch. When I could spend some of that time in the studio. I know its a crutch and sometime I give in and other times I break free and think why do I spend all that time watching reruns when I could be creating wonderful things.Then I go create and the feeling is wonderful.
What is your payoff for this behavior? I think that it relaxes me but I now I can see that is I am mistaken. If I am drawn into a drama on TV I carry that with me. I think I may need to be empty of these kind of infleunces to be able to tap into creativity.
What can you do about it?
Become aware of it and limit my TV time. Go for a day without any TV. Now that will be a challenge but one I can accomplish now that I know what its doing to my creative life. Also I can find other ways that help me relax.
Which friends make you doubt yourself? I have eliminated most of them from my life.
Which friends believe in yourself and your talent,?
These are the ones I share my dreams with. I know they won't stomp on them and I know they will encourage and support me when I am no longer feeling it. These friends are a must in my life. Some of them are physical but a lot of them are blogging friends like you.
List five small victories this week.
1.Doing the black art journal pages when I was not really feeling like it.
2.Risking my ideas on the Joy diet post
3.Finding out that the weight I gained was due to increased muscle mass which is a good thing.
4. Actually doing the things I promised myself I would do the night before.
5. Keeping up with all these posts and doing my morning pages every day.
List three nurturing actions you could take to comfort your artist
Spend some time in nature
Treat yourself to a new art magazine
Have a spa day in your own home
Now I think I will go do one of those things.
Nice list...good ideas here...I often doodle/zentangle or sew while watching tv so I am still creating even then. And am often surprised the next day looking at what i did the night before and get a wow for myself.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful list... made me smile, and somehow it gives me a fuller picture of you. :)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely make time to treat your artist! It sounds like you have been quite disciplined this week -- all that, plus managing to post our weekly tasks over at the Artist Way page, too. (Thanks so much for that!)
As for the t.v., would you believe we don't have one? Gave it up last December, and it was the best decision ever. It is truly a time suck and an energy drain. Plus, it's stressful on the senses. When I visit someone's house and they have it on, my body gets tense from all the noise and sensory overload.
But I know it's incredibly difficult to give up in our culture -- it even limits conversations with some people when I cannot discuss t.v. programs with them, unfortunately :(
The TV and computer are probably two of my time-wasting habits. Great list, Kate!
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