The Artist’s Way: Week Eleven
Overview:
I can’t believe we’re already on the second last week! This week, Julia Cameron discusses Recovering a Sense of Autonomy. It basically means, we are on our own now. We need to carry on this artistic creative venture by ourselves and find our own way forward.
There are four main topics in this chapter:
Acceptance
Julia says that creativity is it’s own reward, but many of us think that if we’re not getting paid for what we’re doing, we’re not very good. This in turn leads us to self-sabotage - why continue if:
We’re not getting paid for what we’re doing
We’re not good anyway.
We need to get over the paid factor and accept that we’re creatives. She goes on to say we aren’t very nice when we’re not creating, and can be mean to others. We need to be supported well by our loved ones (those who support our artistic endeavours). We need to be our true selves and stop trying to make other people happy by trying to be something we’re not.
Julia Cameron states that our creativity is a gift from God and being creative in turn is our gift back to him.
Success
Even if we reach a certain level of success, this doesn't mean we just stop. We now need to reach even further in order to achieve even more. We need this for ourselves, not just for people outside.
It seems to be easier to appease the people we work for, but for some reason we hold ourselves to a higher standard. (Thus creating this tension for self-sabotage). We tend to self-criticize before our work is even done and the creation never even leaves the drawing board).
Julia says that Artist Dates and morning pages will help us with these dilemmas, as long as we continue using them.
Exercise
Walking is the perfect meditative physical exercise. We tend to get the best thoughts and ideas while we walk. If we are exploring nature, this is an added bonus as nature lends us an artistic vista.
The goal here is not necessarily for the exercise and physical benefits of the walk itself (although that tends to be the outcome). The main goal is to clear the mind and use the walk as a meditative focus).
Artistic Altar
Julia Cameron says the artist altar should be a sensory experience. Think of incense, oils, textures such as different types of rocks and stones. It could also include pictures, and favourite objects. My altar gives me inspiration.
Thoughts:
Again, the same as last week, I kind of thought this entire week was a bunch of nonsense. Although there were actually some good takeaways here (I actually think the walking bit and the altar are really good ideas), my mind is wandering and I am simply no long in tune with this course.
Morning Pages
My experience:
I was reading last week’s notes on morning pages, and it pretty much sums up my thoughts. I still don’t believe that morning pages are the answer to everything as Julia Cameron would have us believe. However, there are people who swear by them.
I am not going to give the practice up at this point. I do enjoy the practice of writing as a meditative process, but I still don’t see how doing this writing is going to help me solve my issues.
Again, I still need to go back and reread all of my pages since June.
Artist Date
My experience:
No artist date completed.
Tasks
My Experience:
I did seven of the tasks this week, and I found I procrastinated one of them until the next week. (Again, I am experiencing a little boredom with the course). I am stubborn though, and I’m determined to complete it.
Conclusion
I find that the chapters repeat unnecessarily. Again, since I find that a lot of the material doesn’t apply yet me, I do find the material a bit boring and repetitive. I didn’t mind the tasks this week, but since I procrastinated them, I am leaning more and more toward that break I said before that I needed.
I will continue with morning pages. I look forward to me writing each day, but I’m glad the assigned readings, notes and tasks are coming to the end. I’m excited to take that time and use it toward something else.
Thanks for reading and we’ll see you again at the next and final week, Week 12!
❤️Sandra
