The Artist's Way Week 1

If you've never heard of/read/followed The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, you're really missing out. This book about breaking through our creative blocks was originally published in the early 2000s. I followed the 12-week program back then and saw great results.

But I wasn't really blocked back then. I hadn't been writing that long, so I was young and dumb and didn't know any better. Now, I'm older and supposedly wiser, and I have become my own worst enemy when it comes to my writing and my art (I'm an artist as well as author). I feel like I'm wearing a straightjacket; no matter how much I want to write/draw/paint, I just can't seem to make myself do it. At least not on a regular basis, or as often as I should. And when I do start a project, I have a hard time completing it.

So, that's why I've decided to do the 12-week Artist's Way program again. I'll check in weekly here with an update.

This week... I've read the Week One chapter. I've been doing Morning Pages most days ever since I orginally did the program in 2002 (or whenever it was). Mornings just aren't mornings if I miss my pages. They're usually more of a running To Do list than anything else. "I can't forget to make an appt with the vet." "I really need to clean out the fridge--it's a mess." Other times, if I'm going through a stressful time in my life, it might be full of four-letter cuss words. If anyone ever read my morning pages, they'd either think I'm 1) the most boring person in the world, or 2) a complete psycho bitch.

Both descriptions are probably fairly accurate. LOL.

I haven't done any of the tasks yet... however, I did make a list of possible artist dates (this is hard for me to do. If I have time to do an artist date, then maybe I should be writing/working out/cleaning the toilet...).

Artist date ideas:
Play the piano (haven't done this in years. Literally.)
Take a sketchbook to the park (if it's not raining)
Take a hike with my dog
Browse the little shops in my town
Go to a movie by myself
Watch an old B&W movie in my jammies
Go to the art supply store and browse
Visit the new antique store in town
 
If any of you are doing the program, even if you're ahead of me, I'd love to hear how you're doing. Tell me what prompted you to do the program and how it's working for you. I'd also love to hear your artist date ideas.

Have fun this week!

--Becky