The Artist’s Way Week #4

April 4th, 2008

If you have worked through the book The Artist’s Way, you are familiar with morning pages. Simply put, the author recommends that every morning you hand write three pages of whatever is on your mind first thing in the morning and with consistency you will begin to sort through your process in a deep and meaningful way, and that it will actually work itself into a form of prayer. I knew this to be true before I even began them. Since I was 18 years old, and maybe even earlier I have journaled as a way to get outside of myself and really own what I am going through…make sense of it etc. This blog is actually an extension of that.

I have fairly consistently done these morning pages, and have enjoyed what I see God guiding me in and to with them. It is actually very interesting to see yourself being moved in a direction you have NEVER in your life considered before, but somehow, now that you see it, it feels like it has always been there. I know that is very cryptic but hey, this is my process, I will flesh it out when it is a bit more tangible. Right now, I feel like a pot of water just before it boils. You see the small bubbles on the bottom and you know things are really getting ready to cut loose.

This is an exercise the author recommended. Join along if you feel so inclined.

Buried Dreams an Exercise: as recovering creatives, we often have to excavate our own pasts for the shards of buried dreams and delights. Do a little digging, fast and frivolous. Be sure to write your answers quickly.

1. List 5 hobbies that sound fun.

• sewing
• painting/photography
• scuba diving
• horseback riding
• flying

2 List 5 classes that sound fun.

• conversational Spanish
• painting
• pottery
• piano again after almost 20 years
• photography

3. List 5 things you personally would never do but sound fun.

• going to culinary school
• performing in a play
• surfing
• I don’t understand this one. Even as I write them I think, I am not sure I would NEVER do these things?

4. List 5 skills that would be fun to have.

• speaking Spanish fluently
• being able to reno an old house personally
• cooking for fun and not for necessity
• growing a fabulous garden
• rolling my own sushi rolls

5. List 5 things you used to enjoy to do.

• horseback riding
• flying
• diving
• dancing swing with my husband
• gardening (when I had a yard)

6. List 5 silly things you would like to try once.

• For the life of my I can’t think of anything silly to do?
• Maybe I am way too serious and not silly enough?
• Maybe it is because I think silly isn’t respectable?
• Oh my goodness I am a silly snob. Do I let me kids be silly enough?
• Oh wait I thought of one - perform in a circus - maybe there is hope for me yet.

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