The Artist’s Way
Week 5 Reflection & Week 6 Instructions
Week 5 Reflection
- This week I did morning pages on about 4 days — I didn’t have a ream of paper next to the bed and used the excuse of not wanting to write in my notebook. The days of not writing were not good days. Was it the destabilisation that caused me not to write or vice versa? Or was it the 3am-6:15am meeting on Tuesday that messed up my sleep and my week? Have I found the ‘page-and-a-half truth point’ yet? I don’t know, I don’t have time to read my morning pages to analyse them right now…. I will look some time soon when I can!
- Did you do your artist date this week? Barely. I wanted to give myself a good couple of hours in my home town to see or create beauty. In the end I only had about 40 minutes and was guilty of doing things on my to-do list around it. Nevertheless the intention was there and I did start to notice beauty — especially buildings — around my hometown. More: time. Less: errands! Need to plan and protect the time better.
3. Did you experience any synchronicity this week? Turns out my friend saved a random item for an unknown purpose whose destiny I fulfilled this week as the basket for an egg parachute. Friendly connection coincidence.
4. Were there any other issues this week that you consider significant for your recovery? Yes. I am un-homeless but lacking foundations. Moving into a new living environment is destabilising — where do I buy vegetables from? Where do I put my knickers? And where did I put that notebook? I ate a crazy ton of sugar…. Tuesday: three birthday cake slices (while skating); two ice cream scoop sundae on a bed of popcorn and marshmallows, topped with a mountain of whipped cream, chocolate disks “Jazzies”, chocolate syrup, nuts, eaten with a pink plastic spoon; chocolate chip cookie; Wednesday: “millefeuille” otherwise known as vanilla slice, (you get what you pay for in an English bakery); lemon drizzle cake and strawberries and greek yoghurt style yoghurt for dinner; Friday: two raspberry jam doughnuts; warm chocolate chip cookie. Getting high — normally reserved for an occasional weekend perhaps. Seeking stable foundations though aware my ideal dream situation may not manifest itself in less than seven days…. I enjoy believing in things but also know that hope is not a strategy!
Week 6 Instructions — Recovering a Sense of Abundance
This week you tackle a major creative block — money. You are asked to really look at your own ideas around banana, money, and creative abundance. The essays will explore the ways in which your attitudes limit abundance and luxury in your current life. You will be introduced to counting, a blockbusting tool for clarity and use of funds. This week may feel volatile.
“We cling to our financial concerns as a way to avoid not only art but also our spiritual growth….Most of us harbour a secret belief that work has to be work and not play, and that anything we really want to do — like write, act, dance — must be considered frivolous and be placed a distant second. This is not true.”
Creative living requires the luxury of time, which we carve out for ourselves — even it’s 15 minutes for quick morning pages and a 10-minutes minibath after work. Remember that your artist is a youngster and youngsters like things that are “mine”. My chair. My book. My pillow. Designating a few things special and yours alone go a long way toward making you feel pampered.
- Counting Exercise: Write down every single penny, cent, dollar, euro that you spend — no matter how small, write everything down. Each day, write the date on a page and count — what you bought, what you spent, where your money went. Me meticulous and thorough. And be nonjudgemental.
- Money Madness: Complete the following phrases as quickly as possible — don’t pre-edit your thoughts.
a) People with money are ……
b) Money makes people …..
c) I’d have more money if …..
d) My dad thought money was …..
e) My mum always thought money would ….
f) In my family, money caused …..
g) Money equals …..
h) If I had money, I’d …..
i) If I could afford it, I’d …..
j) If I had some money, I’d …..
k) I’m afraid that if I had money I would ….
l) Money is …..
m) Money causes …….
n) Having money is not ……
o) In order to have more money, I’d need to …..
p) When I have money, I usually …..
q) I think money …..
r) If I weren’t so cheap I’d …..
s) People think money …..
t) Being broke tells me ……
3. Natural Abundance
Find five pretty or interesting rocks (you can carry them in your pockets, hold them while working — they can be small, constant reminders of our creative consciousness)
4. Natural Abundance
Pick five flowers or leaves. You may want to press these between wax paper and save them in a book.
5. Clearing
Throw out or give away five ratty pieces of clothing*
* Caro’s Note: This instruction is clearly targeting people with more clothes than I. If I throw away five more pieces of clothing I’ll be a little too nude for society’s liking.
6. Creation
Bake something or make a fruit salad. When you are blocked in one creative mode, try creating in another.
7. Five Postcards
Send postcards to five friends that you would love to hear from.
8. Favourites
List your favourites in the following categories: 1) Cars 2) Dogs 3) Flowers 4) Trees 5) Fruits 6) Vegetables 7) Desserts 8) Main course 9) Musical groups 10) Colours
9. Basic Principles
Re-read the Basic Principles (published at the bottom of week 2’s instructions) every day.
10. Clearing
Any new changes in your home environment? Make some.
11. Acceptance
Any new flow in your life? Practice saying yes to freebies.
12. Prosperity
Any changes in your financial situation or perspective on it? Any new — even crazy — ideas about what you would love doing? Pull images around this and add to your image file.
13. Reflection
- How many days this week did you do your morning pages? (Have you used them yet to think about creative luxury for yourself?) How was the experience for you?
- Did you do your artist’s date this week? (Have you considered allowing yourself two?) What did you do? How did it feel?
- Did you experience any synchronicity this week? What was it?
- Were there any other issues this week you consider significant for your recovery? Describe them.
