Will You Come Play With Me?

Nurturing creativity? How about you connect with me?

To nurture creativity
“The Artists Way” looks fine to me
If you might like to play with me
Read on! Decide! Connect with me!

30-minutes in the morning
One solo date per week
There are writing tasks that no one will read
Not you, not I, not a peek!

Transmit, receive, with discipline:
Create each day, each week check in
12-weeks it lasts, there may be tears
It’s never easy confronting fears

And if we fail or miss a day
That’s fine — we’ll expect that anyway
And by the end who knows what wonders
Lie beyond 12-weeks of blunders

So here I am and here are you
I like to create and if you do too
Please join me on “The Artist’s Way”
Reach out to me with code word Play

The Artist’s Way provides a twelve-week course that guides you through the process of recovering your creative self. It aims to dispel the ‘I’m not talented enough’ conditioning that holds many people back and helps you to unleash your own inner artist. Its step-by-step approach enables you to transform your life, overcome any artistic blocks you may suffer from, including limiting beliefs, fear, sabotage, jealousy and guilt, and replace them with self confidence and productivity. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Artists-Way-Discovering-Recovering-Creative/dp/0330343580

Connecting with others in safety and trust can provide “a believing mirror”. We learn and grow with those on similar paths: the makers, the dreamers, and the hunters chasing down those dreams yelling war cries inside as we make the next cup of tea and get back to work. After reading the first chapter of The Artist’s Way I wondered if anyone might be interested in joining me. The book explains why, what and how. I’ll share the whats and hows and reflections with anyone who’s interested. Consider reaching out to me so we can safely share tales of our voyaging. Solo journeys are supported by the company of like-minded, we are not alone together.

Prefer to start and risk failure than fail to start. There are many reasons to delay starting; lack of planning, too many existing priorities, that you’ve already signed up and paid for something else starting soon. True, true, true — I expect the process to be messy, my expectations are well set low. I’m not recommending a process I haven’t tried yet, I’m inviting you to play in uncertainty. I’ve read only 27% of the book, the instructions for week one and two. The two central tools are (1) writing daily morning pages and (2) going on a solo artist’s day per week. Each week, the course provides a list of activities to complete. At the end of each week, look back, look forward, and if we’re playing together — share what we feel like in whichever ways feel best.

Below I’ve noted week one’s activities. After the daily morning pages, I’ll aim to do two tasks each day to complete everything early with time to spare to be late and still on time. I’m aiming to publish one article per week, though during the 12-week course I give myself permission for time-off if it feels right.

Week one focuses on recovering a sense of safety through completing these tasks:

1. Wake up 30-minutes earlier to write three pages of longhand, stream-of-consciousness morning writing. Do not reread these pages or allow anyone to read them. Hide them. Then write out 10 times a strong positive statement (affirmation) that something is already so; I’ll go with “My creativity heals myself and others”. My first reaction is that this affirmation makes me squirm, I’m utterly uncomfortable with it. When the Censor voice comes along and tells me “You are rubbish, this is absurd”, notice this as a “blurt” and flip it into a new affirmation, such as “You are incredible and this is an excellent experiment”. Morning pages are transmission.
2. Go on an artist’s date: a solo active pursuit of images and sensations to refresh and nourish your artistic ecosystem. My date is at least 2-hours. Aim for the most fun, excitement, mystery and magic when you plan your date. What will stoke your curiosity? Pay attention to micro-details. Use your senses. The artist’s brain is accessible through rhythm and rhyme not reason. Experiment. Play. Figure our what works for you and use it. Focus attention. Fill the well. The artist’s date is receiving.
3. Time travel to list three old enemies of your creative self-worth — your monster hall of fame.
4. Select and write out one horror story from your monster hall of fame. What did they do or so in what situation? Be specific about the details that come up. Cathartically erase your monster; draw a big X through the story, burn it, draw a picture of it to scrumple up and throw into the bin.
5. Write a letter to the editor in your defence, in the voice of your wounded artist child.
6. Time travel to list three old champions of your creative self-worth — your champions hall of fame. Be specific. Write out one of their compliments and display it somewhere prominent.
7. Write a thank-you letter for one happy piece of encouragement you received; post it in an envelope with a stamp to yourself or the champion who said it.
8. Imaginary Lives — if you had five other parallel lives to lead, what would do in each of them? For example, a traditional navigator, a free-diver, a professional violinist, a contortionist, or a sex and intimacy coach. Choose one on the list and do it this week — the navigator would surely go look at the stars while the violinist would get the violin out.
9. Take your artist for a walk — brisk 20 minutes minimum.
10. Check in on day seven and look ahead to plan week 2. How many days did you do morning pages? How was the experience? What did you do on your artist’s date and how was it? What would you like more of/less of in future artist’s dates? Were there any other issues you consider significant? Describe them.

I reserve the right to remove myself from negativity
Which doesn’t support creativity
And if you will come play with me —
I promise
I’ll believe in you if you believe in me

If you would like to play with me, contact me with codeword “Play”.

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