The Artist's Way: Week One

[kygirl]

Only a few more days, and we'll officially start our Artist's Way journey. Here's how it will work. Each Thursday, I'll be sending you a PDF with an overview of the week, reading assignments, questions, and optional art projects.

We'll have a separate thread for each week, a place where you can share you ideas, interpretations, and questions about the week's reading and activities. You will never be asked to share anything from your Morning Pages, or anything that might make you uncomfortable.

I've also set up an Artist's Way (http://www.digitalartquirks.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=579) gallery where you can post any art that you do related to the class.

I can't wait to get started. See you Thursday.

[Lumilyon]

I've been keeping to my pages for over a week now, despite attending two weddings away from home. I have not a clue what I'll do for my dates and I'm feeling a bit panicky about it all now!

[kygirl]

Lumi, did you see that we've started a thread just for Artist's Dates? Cindy has posted a ton of great suggestions, and I'm planning on adding to it this afternoon.

[cfalbro]

Oh I am totally excited about this. For 2 days now I've had intentions to start my Morning Pages but just didn't feel it. One thing that is going to be really good for me, concerning this journey, is it will get me back on a path of having some sort of discipline. Once I get started I'm not going to stop doing them, but just like anything else, it's the getting started that is hard.

[FLCindy]

Oh I am totally excited about this. For 2 days now I've had intentions to start my Morning Pages but just didn't feel it. One thing that is going to be really good for me, concerning this journey, is it will get me back on a path of having some sort of discipline. Once I get started I'm not going to stop doing them, but just like anything else, it's the getting started that is hard.

Carolyn,
You will find avoiding the pages means are you are avoiding something in your life. It could be a person, situation or fear in relation to your creativity. I began writing my MP's again a few weeks ago. I discovered I was avoiding something in order to please other peoople. The MP's helped me discover what it was and to take action.

[kaylaugh]

yeah, I just started a blank document to just bullet list what I want, what makes me happy, where I see my different ideas leading, what business ideas are productive and which have little earning potential...I've been avoiding some decisions but this garbage has been bubbling over the front of my brain instead of simmering on the back burner and I had to process it 'on paper'. Kind of how my process works, anyway.

So today is my 41st birthday, today I start chapter 1 of TAW, today I have to make a decision about a job contract, and today I'm finally focused and know what I want. But it makes me sad because I have to turn down a bad contract to work in a place I've grown to love.

fortunately, my birthday emails should start rolling in here soon with coupons...a little retail therapy is in order, I think...lol!

Kristi

[Lumilyon]

Happy birthday to you and congratulations on making an important decision x

[trkdesigns]

Happy Birthday Kristi!


yeah, I just started a blank document to just bullet list what I want, what makes me happy, where I see my different ideas leading, what business ideas are productive and which have little earning potential...I've been avoiding some decisions but this garbage has been bubbling over the front of my brain instead of simmering on the back burner and I had to process it 'on paper'. Kind of how my process works, anyway.

So today is my 41st birthday, today I start chapter 1 of TAW, today I have to make a decision about a job contract, and today I'm finally focused and know what I want. But it makes me sad because I have to turn down a bad contract to work in a place I've grown to love.

fortunately, my birthday emails should start rolling in here soon with coupons...a little retail therapy is in order, I think...lol!

Kristi

[kygirl]

Happy birthday, Kristi. Retail therapy is always good. :)

By now, everyone should have received an e-mail outlining this week's activities. If you haven't, let me know and we'll figure out what happened.

Does anyone want to share their imaginary lives with the group? In my alternate lives, I might be a librarian, a writer of childrens' books, a chef, a forest ranger, or a psychologist. My plan is to become a librarian for a little while this week, and organize my bookshelves.

[Lumilyon]

Opera singer. I used to sing and was really serious about it but two things happened when I was in my early teens: my mum told me that people who work with their voices die young (?????) and I developed stage fright during a school music contest. Really regret giving it up. (BTW Donna, that was my lie - i wanted to be an opera singer, not a trapeze artist!)
Other than that, a landscape gardener or Davttenborough's job.

[Artist in Residence]

In my other (imaginary) life or lives, I would be: an interior designer, landscape designer, photographer at National Geographic, photojournalist, large animal veterinarian, full time artist.

Juli/Artist in Residence

[FLCindy]

I forgot to mention "dreams". Once you start TAW, you may begin having vivid dreams. I use DREAM DICTIONARY (http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamdictionary/) to help interpret my dreams. I work through the information from my dreams in my MP's. It helps me get to the heart of what's going on inside of my head.
Last night's dreams uncovered:
luck
hope
anger
rage
turmoil
rapid changes
rising spirituality
sensuality
strength of emotions
secrecy
repression of thoughts
revealing something hidden
wisdom
spiritual power
advice/messages
relaxation
long deserved break
sense of belonging
self sufficient
independence

The list contains alot of info. I can usually figure all of it out. However, if your dreams have too many clues, take a few and see how they apply to your life.

[Lumilyon]

I have always had very detailed and complex dreams and wish i could make take photographs of them. I'm writing about the ones i remember, in my morning pages. This list is really useful. thanks x

[gardenerjoy]

I would be a toymaker, a novelist, a CSA farmer, a photo safari game guide, and a nutritionist. This week, I plan to be a novelist for a few hours, playing around with ideas for NaNoWriMo.

[kygirl]

So I had to go look up NaNoWriMo, and for the rest of you who are clueless like me, it stands for National Novel Writing Month. It's basically a challenge to write a complete 175-page novel in 30 days, Nov. 1 to Nov. 30.

As I read the description, I realized that it fills the same purpose for novelists that the Morning Pages fill for those of us undertaking the Artist's Way. As the site explains: Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that's a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.

"To build without tearing down." I love that.

I'm really enjoying reading all of your ideas for alternate lives. Now, if we can just figure out how to bring aspects of those careers into our daily lives.

[Artist in Residence]

Well I have to say, I did get my first three pages done-- but I couldn't get to them until tonight. So I'm a day behind and working at the wrong end of the day! But I think this will actually work better for me. Mornings are waaay too hectic. I'm pleased with the flow of my first three pages and hopefully, I'll have as much to say/write tomorrow.

And about those dreams-- I hope this will make me dream. Hopefully, it will help me sleep! :]

More things I would like to be in my imaginary life-- a mounted police(woman), a woodworker, antiques dealer, bed & breakfast owner. When I was young I always wanted to be a ballerina or a rock singer but I'm over that now! :]

Juli

[Artful Amanda]

Happy belated Birthday, Kristi!! :D Congrats on 41!! - for me, the 40s have been great- kind of an 'arrival" feeling. I no longer do some of the things I used to make myself do, and I have no regrets about it. Much more confidence!!
**Dreams are telling!! I have many that I have recorded because they are significant, and several have come to pass just as seen.
** as far as another life-- I would have gone to school to be a judge,
and be someone that doesn't get dizzy on rides, so I could be more physically adventuresome. The last ride I was on gave me vertigo-- it was horrible. But I love adventure, and taking risks!!
** Daytime dreams should be recorded too- like ones you could do but are chicken... I will be a gourmet chef. I have already researched classes, and wehn we move, it will be done...CAn't wait!!! I have started collecting recipes and cookbooks, just like I bought new paint brushes!! Nothing more inspiring than a few new supplies!

[FLCindy]

3 enemies of creative self worth

1. Mother
2. Me
3. Illness

3 champions of my creativity
1. Those who've replied to my gallery postings.
2. Joan-at work
3. Any craft store

5 imaginary lives
1. Mom to more than one child
2. Bed and breakfast owner but have others run it. I'd love to visit with the guests!
3. Librarian
4. Someone who lives in a yellow cottage in a small tourist town near the ocean. On my property I'd have flower gardens. I'd write, paint, collage, digi...
5. Someone who travels to find locations to film movies
I purchased several collage type magazines this week.

What have I learned this week?
Oh, that's a very good question, considering how my life has changed in the past few months. I learned my Mother is a crazymaker (see chapter 2). I learned I can take on someone's problems-emotional, physical, ect... My Aunt is dying of cancer. The thought of traveling to see my Aunt gives me great anxiety. It would be physically difficult for me to travel at this time. I learned I can set clear bounderies with other people. If they don't like it, it's their issue, not mine.

The Price of Being an Artist (http://www.digitalartquirks.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=6949&cat=579)

[kygirl]

Cindy, I appreciate how open you are with us. I can't imagine how much stress you're under between your illness and your aunt. No wonder you're dreaming of little yellow cottages on the ocean. Learning to set boundaries is just huge. Good for you!

Artful Amanda, I thought of you today while I was touring our state's food expo. There were tons of students there from our local culinary school, dressed in their white jackets and hats. The expo, itself, was amazing. Tons of gourmet food and wine samples. I met a couple of cookbook authors, so I now have another imaginary life. I'd love to write a Kentucky cookbook.

[cfalbro]

The MP's have been coming easily now, they're pretty fun actually, I even look forward to them.

I've started on Chapter 1 and I'm going to have an Artist Date today after work. I'm going to stop by and watch the salmon swim up stream, I know of a really great place. I'm going to take my camera and try to get some pictures and I know of another place to get a great picture of the trees changing colors. There's so much beauty out there to capture right now.

[kygirl]

Carolyn, my husband I and went to Alaska this summer, and we were thrilled to see the salmon swimming upstream. It was the most amazing thing. How lucky you are to be able to experience that on a regular basis.

One of our tasks this week is to read back over our morning pages and look for "blurts", those little bits of negative thoughts about ourselves that have crept into our mindset. I did that yesterday and was surprised to find how judgmental I am about myself. Blurts like I'm too lazy, I'm so disorganized, and I'm so off-track kept creeping into my pages. Not that there's not some truth there, but I'm surprised at how much that negativity is dominating my thinking.

For me, this has been the most revealing task of Chapter One. The second part of the task is to convert those negative statements into positive affirmations. Looks like I've got some work to do.

[Lumilyon]

Like I've said already, elsewhere, it's been an emotional week. Lots of blurts to zap but at least I'm keeping up with the pages. It's doing an Artist's Date that's still stressing me, although I did take my book up the hill for a read.

[clickhappy]

Wow, my thoughtful post just timed out on me. I will have to make this brief then.
I went on a great artists date to a museum in kansas city which had a great photography exhibit - check out the header as it rotates in this link.
http://www.nelson-atkins.org/
This was the most amazing photo to me by Julia Blackmon. There were some other very creative ones and a lot of vintage photos.

I also worked on my morning pages and exercises and realized that I have to set more boundaries in my relationships to get the energies for art.

I found my critic is within. Growing up I always felt like my dad was embarrased by us and we should try not to draw any attention. Now my dad is rather flamboyant and carefree, but I carry that with me. He has been a fan and a realist and worries about me making a good living.
I have not really been put down for my art, but I found it embarrasing to be singled out - even for praise.
My alternate lives:
traveling photographer

meditation retreat wonderer

artist

child advocate - I work in this area and still have some love for it-

writer ? healer

[kaylaugh]

I've found most of the material in week one didn't apply to me that much. I grew up in a creative house with very supportive creative parents. I used to be my own worst critic but I kind of did that healing process when I went through my adjustment to MS and learning not to stress about crap like not being perfect. In fact, stressing about my weight was keeping me from losing it and in many ways, those blurts and things from this week are exactly what I dealt with back at the beginning of my weight loss journey. I know I have plenty of other blocks though and look forward to the rest of the material.

My imaginary lives:
Tae Kwon Do instructor
Photographer for National Geographic
script writer on staff for a favorite show
best selling sci-fi author
linguistics professor

of course the non-writing ones are purely imaginary because of my health...but I still hope to get some books written one of these days...both fiction and non-fiction.

Kristi

[kygirl]

Like many of you, I have always been my own harshest critic. Maybe it's being the oldest of five girls, but I've always felt the need to be the responsible one. So part of my struggle has been convincing myself that being creative is not the same as being irresponsible. Just because I enjoy art does not mean that doing art is frivolous. My inner voice just said, "of course it is." :-)

It's a good thing we've got eleven more weeks. LOL

[Lumilyon]

Woo-hoo!
Just managed to get it in before the new week. It's been the hardest thing to do and my wonderful partner thinks it was too much like work and that I should have done something more indulgent, but I enjoyed myself. I took myself down to the bookshop in town, enjoyed a leisurely cup of coffee, and spent a couple of hours looking through art books. I have vast art book collection but rarely allow myself time just to look at them just for pleasure rather than immediate inspiration.

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