For the last few weeks I've been reading Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way Every Day: A Year of Creative Living. I find the information to be very inspiring, motivating, and refreshing. Being a creative, artistic person - this is the jump start I need to begin the new year. I've noticed since late last summer that I've had very few opportunities to delve deeply into my creative self. And it's been killing me. I feel like I've been neglecting a part of myself that I've otherwise had no problem nourishing. And considering the fact that I started nourishing this part of myself at the early age of four - I'm like, "What the hell happened?" But I won't fret. I've never been one to force my creative self into doing something just to do it. I have to feel it. I have to be in the mood. Each time I force myself into doing anything in this regard I hate the outcome. And whatever is produced usually goes in the trash. I realize that I need to give my creative self the space to process, exist, and grow. And that I need to uplift and inspire my creative self just like I would any other component of my being. I can move on now with a better perspective. Here are a few takeaways from the book.
From January 11: "We expect our artist to be able to function without giving it what it needs to do so. An artist requires the upkeep of creative solitude. An artist requires the healing of time alone" (p. 17).
From January 13: "Writing goes much better when we don't work at it so much. When we give ourselves the permission to just hang out on the page" (p. 19).
From January 15: "When we open ourselves to something or someone greater than ourselves working through us, we paradoxically open ourselves to our own greatest selves" (p. 21).
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