Complete "The Artist's Way"

I discovered the book not too long ago and after reading the reviews I was so inspired and determined to do this for myself and my recovering Artist. I’ve been blocked for so long. I believe this book has the potential to change my life~

I have a question though…how long does one page of the Morning Pages need to be? It doesn’t specify length or size of paper in the book. Any suggestions/ recommendations?

Morning Pages
I only managed 3 days this week. I had a really bad sinus infection for a few days that pretty much made me incapable of anything requiring my brain. Excuses, excuses.

Artist Date
My artist date involved creating art this time, instead of just looking at it. I’ve had an easel in my closet for years now that I never used. I finally dragged it out, set it up, and went and bought myself some supplies. The result is probably only endearing to me, but I’m displaying it proudly as an inspiration to keep on painting. I don’t have any high aspirations to become “a painter”, but I do enjoy it as a creative outlet. It’s nice to do something creative that you don’t care too much about. It feels much freer.

1. Morning pages: 7/7; still so much pouring out about self-protection, self-respect, self-care. Still grieving the loss of some “crazy makers”, and expressing fear around repeating the same mistakes with new people. But also this week, I wrote a song, I felt happy, I felt inspired.

2. Artist date: I went to RuthG’s poetry reading. It’s hard to find words to describe how inspired I was by the gathering she created and her poems. It reminded me of my time in Boulder when I was going to Naropa. Although I was a dance major there, I was very friendly with the poetry community (Naropa has a poetry program) and I began to write and read my own poetry at the Monday night readings at Penny Lane coffee shop, incorporated a lot of what I wrote in my dance pieces, and collaborated with writers in the community. Everyone I knew was creating some spoken word pieces, finding their voice, and it was such a nurturing environment that I think it would’ve been nearly impossible not to start writing poetry. I loved the simplicity, passion, and beauty of Ruth’s poetry, and I loved how she said, when someone else got up to read and initially disclaimed that they weren’t a poet, “a person who writes poems is a poet”. It was a very funny and sweet moment. And I was so inspired by the community that surrounded her. I wrote a song in my morning pages the following morning.

3. Synchronicity: Oy, still on Chapter 2. I will make it a goal to move on from this this week. But this week was very synchronistic. A friend of mine called out of the blue, and as he is a massage therapist, he offered me a massage gratis. I still am in pain because I think it may be osteoarthritis or something else non-muscular, but it still was a really nice experience. And after the massage, when I was walking from my car to my apartment (I had to park four blocks away) I ran into some friends I hadn’t seen in a very long time, and one of them offered me a part-time job within the first three minutes of our conversation. Another synchronicity..found Thom (the person who started the readings at Penny Lane) on Facebook, and we became “friends”, although he has been vaguely in my life since I left Boulder because his sister and I have stayed in touch since then.

4. Issues significant for my recovery?
Yes! Again health and money. As I didn’t work the book part of the program very much this week, I didn’t see anything from that. But again the issues of self-care, and making sure that I’m with people who are “safe”, and that I do what I need to do to take care of myself. I realized the idea of being “in love”, i.e. being around loving people, doing loving things for myself and others..basically surrounding myself with the energy of love rather than trying to bleed love from a person made of stone. My biggest issue has been giving more than I receive..going to the hardware store for milk and all that.

Another thing I was reminded of, and this occurred at Ruth’s gathering, was that I could turn my life experiences into art. I did this when I was in Boulder, but now there are so many more experiences, and some of them cut very deep and there’s much sorrow around them. This would be hard to begin, but I think it may be the only way through…to create beauty from ugliness, to turn straw into gold. Sounds maudln, I know, but if you knew the half of it, you’d understand.:)

I’ve started reading it and started the first week, but now I find that other things are taking my time. I will come back to it, I’m just can’t do it at this time.

I think it takes more like a month to do each chapter. I’m on 8 and I started last December. The morning pages are really helpful. The forced artist date is such a treasure. Watching for syncronicity is fun and magical.
I’m doing the chapter 8 tasks this weekend, if I don’t die from this cold first. I have ONE north facing compass goal, but it will take integration of the other goals to truely stay on track. I almost feel ready to make the plan. Maybe by MOnday I’ll get it all down.

I don’t know if it’s just a coincidence, but I’ve felt a lot calmer the last few days and I think the routine of writing my morning pages may have something to do with it. Actually, i should call them my night pages, since that’s when I write them. I’ve been bending the rules I guess, since they’re supposed to clear your head for the morning, but I think I need to do what works for me or else I’ll never get through 12 weeks of it. Anyway, I hope that more good stuff is coming! :-)

1. Morning pages 6/7. My pages are like a built-in life coach. Pretty cool. I got fired this week, so it was great to have my trusty notebook to consult with. My morning pages and I knew something was up the day before and the day of the news. And for a few days there were instructions to really look for a fulltime job in earnest.

2. Artist Date: I took the train downtown and walked over to the final Summerdance of the season. A tango band was playing, and it was wonderful. There were some wonderful partners dancing together, including a beautiful couple who were dancing so well together, and the man was carrying their baby in front during the dance. It looked so perfect.

3. Synchronicity: I wonder if the as the chapters are worked, if the chapters work you. I’ve been on the chapter on crazymakers for awhile, and I experienced this energy at the job I was at, and the circumstances I was let go under. Perhaps I should move on to chapter three very soon.:) I am relieved though to no longer be at that job. I think I was being protected in a way. Other things: A friend called me out of the blue and gave me some job leads, I saw a friend today driving down the street and got to chat with him for a second. I see, too, how as I participate with my Universe, my Universe gives back. It’s so important that I participate!:)

4. Were there any other issues this week that you consider significant for your recovery?
This week the primary issue seemed to be “WTF? Okay..power job search!!”. So issues of survival. Also, self-care came up, and I made a couple of phone calls about scheduling a dr.’s appointment to take a look at my knee, as it’s been hurting lately. There was a little bit of sadness at the park today when I was watching the dancers because my body has been hurting too much lately to go out and enjoy the dance, and that’s new. When I was in the thick of performance, dance was my foundation art, and from there I built up the confidence to sing and read poetry in front of audiences. Through dance, I lost my stage fright. So, I feel a little bit like the Tinman after sitting still for so long, and I really wish someone would come by and oil-up my creaky joints.

I have started this several times in the past, and never completed it, because great things have always started to happen. So I wonder what will happen if I stick with it? I’m guessing things so great that I can’t even imagine them.

It is my Birthday today, and I’ve started the morning pages again a couple of days ago.

I am left-handed, and I struggle with writing long hand. It kind of strains my hand, and the writing always gets smeared. I feel like typing works better for me, also typing I feel keeps up better with my thoughts. I can type a lot faster than I can write freehand. I’m wondering what other people think about this.

Peace.
-Alec

I bought a nice leather bound journal for the morning pages. My plan is to start next Monday on week one.

I didn’t write creatively at all – no journaling, nothing, really – for as long as Rob and I were together. For just a brief moment last night I thought, I would like to start writing again. This little spark of a feeling of wanting to write felt really good. It felt like I was my true self.

I have been so out of touch with my creativity for so long that resuming a writing life is scary. But I could tell when I had that brief instinct last night that it would be the absolute best thing for my growth as a person if I could start writing again. And reading again! I’ve lost touch with my SELF. Reading good literature and writing could get me back to myself.

So, since I dont’ know how to begin, exactly, I am going to pull out my trusty old Artist’s Way and start it this coming Monday.