The Artist's Way (Week Five)
Jun. 26th, 2021 02:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
toricopiesThe Artist's Way: The Virtue-Trap Quiz
1. The biggest lack in my life is taking the time to focus on me, take care of me.
2. The greatest joy in my life is moments when I can be in the present and finding the beauty.
3. My largest time commitment is work.
4. As I play more, I work feeling sad there is not more time for play and things that I enjoy.
5. I feel guilty that I am not truly doing the work toimprove love myself.
6. I worry that we will not be able to afford a place to live on our own.
7. If my dreams come true, my family will relocate with me to another country.
8. I sabotage myself so people will not be inconvenienced or displeased.
9. If I let myself feel it, I'm angry that I don't prioritize myself and my wants.
10. One reason I get sad sometimes is I don't surround myself with enough beauty.
The Artist's Way: Forbidden Joys, An Exercise
List ten things you love and would love to do but are not allowed to do.
1. Travel.
2. Go on vacation.
3. Get involved in grassroots organizations that align with my politics and interests.
4. Have more pets.
5. Move to a bigger place/have my own decorated space.
6. Daily coffee shop people-watching.
7. Speak my mind and spread compliments freely.
8. Audition for a play.
9. Carry a sketchbook.
10. Get a drumset.
The Artist's Way: Wish List, An Exercise
As quickly as you can, finish the following phrases.
1. I wish I could love myself.
2. I wish I could improve.
3. I wish I could be healthy.
4. I wish I could have confidence.
5. I wish I had savings.
6. I wish I went on regular vacations.
7. I wish I didn't have to work 40 hours a week.
8. I wish 24 hours (or less!) was the standard work week.
9. I wish I could visit a bunch of other countries, or even just one.
10. I wish Biscuit didn't have ringworm anymore.
11. I wish Luka and I were happier together.
12. I wish I didn't get so triggered with Evelyn.
13. I wish I could lavish my pets more.
14. I wish I could spend my days the way I want to.
15. I wish I could write something great.
16. I wish I could feel comfortable in my own skin.
17. I wish it was easier to make time to see my family.
18. I wish I could work for myself.
19. I most especially wish my life was filled with more love.
The Artist's Way: Week 5 Tasks
1. The reason I can't really believe in a supportive God is . . . List five grievances. (God can take it.)
2. Starting an Image File: If I had either faith or money I would try . . . List five desires. For the next week, be alert for images of these desires. When you spot them, clip them, buy them, photograph them, draw them, collect them somehow. With these images, begin a file of dreams that speak to you. Add to it continually for the duration of the course.
3. One more time, list five imaginary lives. Have they changed? Are you doing more parts of them? You may want to add images of these lives to your image file.
4. If I were twenty and had money . . . List five adventures. Again, add images of these to your visual image file.
5. If I were sixty-five and had money . . . List five postponed pleasures. And again, collect these images. This is a very potent tool. I now live in a house that I imaged for ten years.
6. Ten ways I am mean to myself are . . . Just as making the positives explicit helps allow it into our lives, making the negative explicit helps us to exorcise it.
7. Ten items I would like to own that I don't are . . . And again, you may want to collect these images. In order to boost sales, experts in sales motivation often teach rookie salesmen to post images of what they would like to own. It works.
8. Honestly, my favorite creative block is . . . TV, overreading, friends, work, rescuing others, overexercise. You name it. Whether you can draw or not, please cartoon yourself indulging in it.
9. My payoff for staying blocked is . . . This you may want to explore in your morning pages.
10. The person I blame for being blocked is . . . Again, use your pages to mull on this.
Saturday Check-In
1. The biggest lack in my life is taking the time to focus on me, take care of me.
2. The greatest joy in my life is moments when I can be in the present and finding the beauty.
3. My largest time commitment is work.
4. As I play more, I work feeling sad there is not more time for play and things that I enjoy.
5. I feel guilty that I am not truly doing the work to
6. I worry that we will not be able to afford a place to live on our own.
7. If my dreams come true, my family will relocate with me to another country.
8. I sabotage myself so people will not be inconvenienced or displeased.
9. If I let myself feel it, I'm angry that I don't prioritize myself and my wants.
10. One reason I get sad sometimes is I don't surround myself with enough beauty.
The Artist's Way: Forbidden Joys, An Exercise
List ten things you love and would love to do but are not allowed to do.
1. Travel.
2. Go on vacation.
3. Get involved in grassroots organizations that align with my politics and interests.
4. Have more pets.
5. Move to a bigger place/have my own decorated space.
6. Daily coffee shop people-watching.
7. Speak my mind and spread compliments freely.
8. Audition for a play.
9. Carry a sketchbook.
10. Get a drumset.
The Artist's Way: Wish List, An Exercise
As quickly as you can, finish the following phrases.
1. I wish I could love myself.
2. I wish I could improve.
3. I wish I could be healthy.
4. I wish I could have confidence.
5. I wish I had savings.
6. I wish I went on regular vacations.
7. I wish I didn't have to work 40 hours a week.
8. I wish 24 hours (or less!) was the standard work week.
9. I wish I could visit a bunch of other countries, or even just one.
10. I wish Biscuit didn't have ringworm anymore.
11. I wish Luka and I were happier together.
12. I wish I didn't get so triggered with Evelyn.
13. I wish I could lavish my pets more.
14. I wish I could spend my days the way I want to.
15. I wish I could write something great.
16. I wish I could feel comfortable in my own skin.
17. I wish it was easier to make time to see my family.
18. I wish I could work for myself.
19. I most especially wish my life was filled with more love.
The Artist's Way: Week 5 Tasks
1. The reason I can't really believe in a supportive God is . . . List five grievances. (God can take it.)
2. Starting an Image File: If I had either faith or money I would try . . . List five desires. For the next week, be alert for images of these desires. When you spot them, clip them, buy them, photograph them, draw them, collect them somehow. With these images, begin a file of dreams that speak to you. Add to it continually for the duration of the course.
3. One more time, list five imaginary lives. Have they changed? Are you doing more parts of them? You may want to add images of these lives to your image file.
4. If I were twenty and had money . . . List five adventures. Again, add images of these to your visual image file.
5. If I were sixty-five and had money . . . List five postponed pleasures. And again, collect these images. This is a very potent tool. I now live in a house that I imaged for ten years.
6. Ten ways I am mean to myself are . . . Just as making the positives explicit helps allow it into our lives, making the negative explicit helps us to exorcise it.
7. Ten items I would like to own that I don't are . . . And again, you may want to collect these images. In order to boost sales, experts in sales motivation often teach rookie salesmen to post images of what they would like to own. It works.
8. Honestly, my favorite creative block is . . . TV, overreading, friends, work, rescuing others, overexercise. You name it. Whether you can draw or not, please cartoon yourself indulging in it.
9. My payoff for staying blocked is . . . This you may want to explore in your morning pages.
10. The person I blame for being blocked is . . . Again, use your pages to mull on this.
Saturday Check-In
1. How many days this week did you do your morning pages? Are you starting to like them—at all? How was the experience for you? Have you discovered the page-and-a-half truth point yet? Many of us find that pay dirt in our writing occurs after a page and a half of vamping.
2. Did you do your artist date this week? Have you had the experience of hearing answers during this leisure time? What did you do for your date? How did it feel? Have you taken an artist date yet that really felt adventurous?
3. Did you experience any synchronicity this week? What was it? Try inaugurating a conversation on synchronicity with your friends.
4. Were there any other issues this week that you consider significant for your recovery? Describe them.
2. Did you do your artist date this week? Have you had the experience of hearing answers during this leisure time? What did you do for your date? How did it feel? Have you taken an artist date yet that really felt adventurous?
3. Did you experience any synchronicity this week? What was it? Try inaugurating a conversation on synchronicity with your friends.
4. Were there any other issues this week that you consider significant for your recovery? Describe them.
