THE ARTIST'S WAY
Trish Rucker
>.Anyone else here working (or worked) Julia Cameron's THE ARTIST'S WAY
>.program? I would love to discuss the program with you. I'm on week 4,
>.although I've been working through the book for more than 4 weeks. I'm
>.taking her tasks, etc. seriously, and some of them took more than a week
>.for me. Two questions for anyone who has done the program:
>.- Did you really not read for a whole week (week # 4)??
>.- How to integrate the morning pages into your daily writing? The
>. first week of the program, I was a writing machine. I kept
>. cranking out the creative work. It's slacked off quite a bit.
>. I don't know if this is due to normal writing ebb and flow, or
>. something related to the program. (Don't get me wrong, I am
>. writing more than I was before starting THE ARTIST'S WAY, but
>. much less than the first week of the program.)
>.- What have you done on some of your artist's dates? I'm always
>. looking for new ideas. My favorite so far was a long and
>. leisurely breakfast, alone, at a fancy French restaurant.
>.Trish
*******************************************************************
Trish Rucker This week's favorites:
tri...@mind.ORG * Movie - THE POSTMAN
Writing, Editing, Tutoring * Book - Ginsberg - HOWL
Atlanta, GA * Music - TMBG - JOHN HENRY
* Food - Grilled veggie sandwich
*******************************************************************
--
mind.org 404/659-5720 404/521-0445 Public Access Unix in Atlanta
Helaine Head
My most interesting Artist Date was the first one. I ended up going
to see a "boy's movie" - some shoot 'em up. When I realized what my
"child" wanted - I was appalled. I wanted to see THE JOY LUCK CLUB -
something of "value." Then I realized it was a test - my "child"
testing me to see if I was serious - if I would take her ANYWHERE she
wanted to go - no matter how "unworthy."
Ultimately, it was very liberating. After that, the dates were
different. I gues I had passed the test.
Helaine
Eliska
> I, too, think it's a great book.
Thank you and the original messenger for mentioning "The Artists Way". I'd forgotten all about it and the
part of having "dates". Surprisingly, when I pulled the book out( from under a pile of clothes and heaven
knows what else in my computer/writitng/painting/room) I found that I had been doing many of the
exercises unconsciously. How's that for the way spirit works.
At the time I first started (April 94) I wrote a lot about feeling guilty giving myself pleasures such as the
weekly outing. Ever the insatiable person that I am, I wanted to have 3 or 4 or more dates a week and I
had an endless list of places to go. What has happened is that without my being aware of it. some of
these have become a part of my regular routine; like breathing and sleeping. I write consisitently (which
isn't everyday, but it's consistent and guilt free) AND - ta daa! - the dates are also guilt free.
O.K. as for the question of dates - that's hard because regions differ, but my absolute favorite is a trip to
Barnes & Noble Bookstore for cappucino and a morning full of readin', ritin' and people watching a la
Natalie Greenberg.
visiting nurseries or public gardens
going to the park
bicycle riding on a paved, auto-free bike trail
browsing in a model train store
camping or hiking (usually lasts longer than two hours)
*not* going to the beach
museum (my kid thinks they're fun)
library - scooping up armloads of books on stuff I'd never otherwise read and finding a comfy chair in a
corner where the librarian can't see my smuggled in Diet Coke and just reading to my butt's content.
oops getting lengthy here. but there's lots more where those came from.
Eliska (is ig...@gate.net)
marion agnew
[snip, sorry!]
> >.- What have you done on some of your artist's dates? I'm always
> >. looking for new ideas. My favorite so far was a long and
> >. leisurely breakfast, alone, at a fancy French restaurant.
>
> >.Trish
I got to week three and quit working because I wasn't really working it,
you know? When I get done moving and can find my book again, I'll work it
for real this time. But my sister has worked it all the way through once
and reads it every night before bed, just letting it fall open and reading
a paragraph or two. (She's an artist in polymer clay and therefore
obsessive- compulsive.)
Her favorite artist's date was going to a gourmet grocery store and looking
at every single item on every single shelf.
It sounds like grocery shopping to me, but she still raves about it . . .
Marion
mag...@lanl.gov
julie
mag...@lanl.gov (marion agnew) writes:
>In article <41kfnp$e...@mind.org>, tri...@mind.org (Trish Rucker) wrote:
>
>[snip, sorry!]
>
Before TAW, I was not fully open to the idea of being "an artist." I had
the mental blocks that we all create -- and that most of us are afraid to
acknowledge (or deny that we have.) I would say to myself "I'm not an
artist. I just like to paint, draw, write, read....It's a hobby." During
the classes, I found that I was one of the most expressive people in the
class. One of the most open to the concepts that Julia Cameron puts forth
in the book.
Yes, it's a rather "newagey/metaphysical" approach to unlocking blocks,
shaking boulders, reclaiming parts of yourself...it's frightening. I
discovered I was afraid of **so many** things. The class helped me
discuss those fears, share the fears, and change the fear to love -- or
at least change the fear to acceptance. So I am not as dark as I once
once: there is much more light in my life.
Anyway, yes, I've worked all the way through the book. Many, many
powerful exercises for writers & other creative people (as well as creative
wannabes -- those who would really-like-to-do-something creative, but, well,
not-right-now,-maybe-when-I-retire types.) I would suggest gathering a
few people and working through the book together. Make a commitment to
each other to meet once a week for each week the book covers.
Did I really give up reading for 1 week? Yes and no. I had to do some
reading for work. But I made an effort to do something BESIDES read
at all other times of the day. Even doing this for 1 day can make a
difference. I was surprised HOW MUCH time I really spend just reading.
(and yes, I write, so a majority of my time is spent reading/writing/etc.)
So at least try to cut ****WAAAAAAAAY**** down on your volume of reading
for that week. It helps.
Morning pages? 3 pages, stream-of-consciousness writing, first thing in
the morning. When I do them I feel great. They're a great place to dump
all of the troubles of the day, all the dreams from the night, and all
the hopes for the future onto. Definitely don't read them for six weeks.
You'll be astonished.
Artist Dates? You may want your "inner child artist/inner child" to help
you with this. Here are some ideas...
finger paint
walk through a fabric store & feel the fabric
go to a big farmer's market & look/touch the vegetables/color....
make a magnetic poetry kit (has anyone seen these??? gr-8)
go to a thrift store & spend no more than $10
go to a park & swing on swings
take a walk in your neighborhood
investigate "craypas" - oil pastels
shoot a roll of film BUT be sure to shoot the same subject each time
(ie. the same tree, flower, whatever from different angles)
Use the lists that you create as you go through the book to get ideas for
artist dates -- rollerskating? Why I haven't done that since I was.....
The idea is to loosen up the tight binds you/we have on ourselves +
relax. Recapture the spirit of childhood. And, if the idea of doing what
you've written is frightening, that particular activity is probably JUST
what you need to do to help unblock. From the depths of darkness come
the light of freedom. Whew.
Anyway, this is way toooo long. Hope it helps! Julie
ig...@gate.net
> ahhh...The Artist's Way: a book that helped me change my life.
> Before TAW, I was not fully open to the idea of being "an artist." I had
> the mental blocks that we all create -- and that most of us are afraid to
> acknowledge (or deny that we have.) I would say to myself "I'm not an
> artist. I just like to paint, draw, write, read....It's a hobby."
Thanks Julie for all your insight. I have to laugh at the 'It's a hobby' statement. When I worked at various
places doing portraits or caricatures * for money*, people would constantly ask , "Is this your hobby?"
Society has the idea that artistic pursuits are less than work or a job or that they aren't valid enough to be
considered more than a hobby. So I"ve struggled a long time to validate myself. I don't make jokes
anymore like 'My Mom wants me to get a real job!'
It does so happen that I do have a second job, in a Day Treatment program for adults w/mental illness.
And when my spirit is in the right place, my writing, my painting, my life, all flow along as one and none are
bigger than the others.
Eliska