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Complete "The Artist's Way"


 

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It took me
12 weeks
It made me
Contemplative


Torii-Lee Gorgeous is done organizing her list and feels good about it!

It took me
6 weeks
It made me
happy


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saraband14 is noisier again now :D

As week one draws to a close ... 5 hours ago

... I thought I’d write up my thoughts thus far.

I have written my morning pages every day. I have no problem with it and would resent not having the opportunity. (It will be interesting next week when I’m away for a few days and that opportunity may become less accessible.) There have been days this week when I’ve felt the exercise held no particular benefit; I’ve simply had nothing to say or work out. On the other hand there have been days when it’s helped me work through some thoughts: by the end of some entries I’ve felt really strong and confident :) At the moment, that feeling dissipates quickly but it’s a positive start. I’ve used affirmations and worked with blurts. I feel as if I want to continue with that for weeks; I don’t feel anywhere near done with it. But I’m assuming it will be revisited and that each week builds on what has gone before.

I tackled two of the tasks and may get another done today. I opted for the Hall of Champions because it was the task that leapt out at me waving a huge “Pick Me!”. I wrote reams and tried to post it on the blog but couldn’t make it work. Perhaps that was just as well ;) I was surprised that my overall response to the task was one of sadness. Writing about champions ought to have made me feel good and powerful yet what I experienced was a sense of loss. Loss of opportunity perhaps?

The task that stood firm with a flat: “No Way” was Imaginary Lives. As I read the beginning of it: list 5 lives you would have liked to have lived, I was really enthusiastic. Then I read: “pick one and live it” and I immediately thought: NOPE! I had a LOT of resistance to that one and as Julia advises trying those that we most resist I gave it a go. I had no problem thinking of 5 other lives but I’ve done nothing towards ‘living’ one. Obviously this is a not a literal directive; the idea is to have fun doing something connected with an item on the list that you would maybe have done in that other life. One of the other lives I listed was to be a dancer. I could have danced therefore: I could have booked for a dance class, or just danced to music by myself in private. But it was never going to happen and I’m not going to force it. I’m reasonably confident it’s all connected to my innate reserve and inhibition: one of the stories attached to a champion in the first task centred on my long held desire to be able to join in and dance.

I’m sure it’s also connected to the fact that sometimes I’m not quite sure that my body belongs to me: I don’t always feel an affinity with it – especially when it’s moving about!! :D It’s hard to describe – I just don’t have a connection with it: it doesn’t feel like I am dancing/running/whatever; it’s someone/something else entirely. The actual “me” is most discomfited by all the inconvenience and disturbance! On the other hand, I love to watch dancers – I love the way their bodies move with such fluidity and grace. And I’m not envious of them; I’m more than happy just to marvel :)

Anyway – not much movement on that task but I’m recording it because this is only the beginning and perhaps I may have changed dramatically by the end of the journey!

I also took myself on a walk. Like morning pages, this is easy because I do it already and love doing it. When I walk I spend the time drinking in the sights and sounds around me. It’s a wonderful time: a feast for the senses; energising and liberating. It makes me feel alive! So actually I had two or three walks but for reasons best known to myself I designated yesterday’s as my “artist’s walk!

Also yesterday I had my artist’s date. This had been a slight worry initially: all the usual objections coming up to explain why I couldn’t fulfil this part of the contract! But ideas came and I started feeling more confident about it. I settled on something very easy, the thought of which made me feel I was copping out slightly. I decided to watch a DVD.

It was a film I’d wanted to see and knew would be visually appealing. I also knew B would have no interest in it. I told him I was planning to watch by myself and settled down in anticipation. I’d made up my mind to watch differently; to watch with my artist-brain. I love films. But as with most things in life I skate across the surface; I focus on the big picture, the overall impression, the feel, the atmosphere. This time I planned that it was going to be different.

And it was. For many people – who are naturally observant and aware of the minutiae of life – this may seem astonishing. I’ve never watched a film in this way before. i tried to drink in everything. I noticed the textures and patterns and colours of the clothes. I noted the placements of objects in the scenes and the changes in camera shot and camera position. I marvelled at a shot in which a man looked through a window at the people outside, all of whom – except the heroine (of course) – were out of focus because of a raindrop on the pane of glass… I saw metaphors and symbolism and made connections and all the while I absolutely loved the story.

Throughout the film I was both completely involved and completely alert. When I read I can be lost in the book – unaware of the world around me. Watching this film I was entirely aware of me, myself watching the film and yet I was also a part of it. It was a wonderful and rewarding experience and I’m planning to do it every week – though not as the same artist’s date each week;)

This probably makes me sound a complete fool. I am an intuitive person and well-versed in detecting what’s unsaid and reading between the lines. I thrive on atmospheres and subtlety. But I’ve always eschewed tangible, concrete, visual detail. I’ve focused on the abstract: proclaiming that to focus on the little things would detract from the overall experience. How wrong I was! I now feel as if visually at least my artist-brain has been sleeping pretty much my entire life.

Choosing to watch the film at the end of the week was co-incidental but it perfectly highlighted what I’d been beginning to realise as the week had progressed: that there is a whole side of me that’s been lying dormant or has been incredibly lazy – or perhaps both! It’s such an exciting prospect to think about what discoveries there may be to come :)

A little story to close with – another ‘awakening’ :)

I made soup earlier today. I often make soup. This soup was a frugal recipe I’d come across a while ago that makes use of cauliflower leaves. So instead of throwing the leaves away the other day, I’d kept them for this soup. I checked for th recipe online. I find lots of recipes online. Normally I print them out and add them to my cook’s file if they’re deemed a success. This time I read the recipe through and thought, “I don’t need to print that out; I can put that together.” And I went ahead with chopping and adding various things to the pot and enjoying the colours and how fresh it looked and so on. I added a little garlic – the recipe had called for garlic. And then I decided to add lemon grass – definitely NOT mentioned. And I did it with intent and confidence. I thought, “lemon grass will work wonderfully with this,” and in it went without a care.

Only then did I realise I’d added that ingredient with great confidence; there was no dithering, no “I wonder if I should…” Again – a silly thing to all you creative cooks out there but I’ve just never thought of myself as creative cook before. Of course I deviate from recipes slightly but to add something as different as lemon grass is a whole new departure for me. And it made me think “I am a creative cook!” Woo hoo! :D



mandarcat is a lifelong learning traveling extrovert.

Just started morning pages 2 days ago

I just did my first set of morning pages. I haven’t finished reading the introduction or the first chapter yet, but I was so compelled by the description of the morning pages that I just had to get started.

I think my plan will be to do morning pages every day and a ~2 hour-long artist’s date each week, and then to get through the chapters and exercises in the book at my own leisurely pace. If I try to rush myself, I will probably not do a good job or give up because I expect too much.

I’ve already decided that my first artist’s date will be sitting at Starbucks with a tasty beverage and reading Alice in Wonderland for a couple hours. I have some projects to complete for work, so my artist’s date will sort of be an award in a few days when I complete those projects :)



fluidhips today I am dancing and eating well

this week 2 days ago
  • write my morning pages each day
  • artists date
  • weekly walk

I commit myself to the regular use of the three basic tool.for the duration of this course.I shall write my morning pages daily,and will take an artists date and a walk once a week.
Additionally,I commit myself to adequate sleep,good food and gentle companionship.

when we avoid our creativity,we avoid ourselves
when we meet our creativity,we meet ourselves



mandarcat is a lifelong learning traveling extrovert.

my books arrived today! 2 days ago

I ordered the morning pages journal and artist’s workbook along with The Artist’s Way. Totally unnecessary, but honestly it was just seemed easier than taking the time to find suitable notebooks on my own. The morning pages journal and workbook are huge! It’s kind of nice and they seem like they will be fun to write in, but they are not very portable. I will be traveling for the holidays and for work and I’m not sure it’s terribly feasible to lug those around with me.

I scanned the intro and I can definitely see why it takes people longer than 12 weeks to complete the program! I will do my best. I think I will read the intro and clear some other tasks off my plate before I get started on The Artist’s Way. I want to give myself a realistic chance of completing it on time.



fluidhips today I am dancing and eating well

second day of morning pages 3 days ago

its such a wonderful feeling,the way the pen moves over the page.when I sit back and see a page written,I love the way that my scirbbles make owrds.,words of honesty and truth.its important to write about your feelings in truth isn’t it?
this morning I filled both sides of the page.I dont read it when I have done.I am so grateful of the ability to write.I am so grateful for paper and pens,colors and such.
I looked forward to coming down and getting pen to paper this morning and it realy flowed well,just like water flowing through my body into the pen.
I am excited for my artists date at the end of this week.



Another day of lunchtime pages 3 days ago

I get writer’s cramp but I shake it off and keep writing. I usually type when I “write” so writing longhand is a bit of a change for me. TAW says that you can do the pages on a computer if you do it with the monitor turned off so you can’t see what you’re typing or edit. I wouldn’t mind trying that except I think I will wait for a weekend to do that. Since I write on my lunch break, I am at work when doing my lunchtime pages. I’m pretty sure it would draw unwanted attention if I sat at my PC typing furiously with the monitor off at work.



besidequietwaters pushing through...

First Artist's Date 3 days ago

For my Artist’s Date I decided to drive myself to a public library in a nearby town and read the first part of The Artist’s Way. I found a cozy table in a sunlit corner and stayed there studying and contemplating for two hours. Toward the end of that time I read that Artist’s Dates are meant to be enjoyable.

The process goes something like breathing “out and then in. Doing your Morning Pages, you are sending-notifying yourself and the universe of your dreams, dissatisfactions, hopes. Doing your Artist Date, you are receiving-opening yourself to insight, inspiration, guidance.”

And there I was, not taking in artistic nourishment and not being uplifted, but doing hard work on what was supposed to be a fun outing. For days I had been exploring serious issues in my morning pages. The Artist’s Way gives a name to serious issues such as those I’d been working through: Monsters! Turns out I had already been doing this week’s homework even before reading what the assignment was.

What I needed now was some rest and enrichment, so I sat there in the library trying to think of a way to redeem my Artist’s Date. I noticed a framed Monet print and walked over to look at it. Then something else caught my eye. A rack on the end of a nearby bookshelf contained a few magazines and one of them was perfect to meet my need: American Patchwork and Quilting. Oh yeah!

Pictured on the cover was a scrap quilt called Scattered Leaves which I immediately fell in love with. Each block contained a maple leaf with log cabin borders all done in rich autumn colors. A quilt easy enough even for beginning quilters like me…:)

I suddenly felt inspired and spent the remainder of my Artist’s Date thumbing through other quilting publications then photocopying instructions for the new autumn leaf quilt I would love to make. Enjoyable, yes. And interestingly I never found another quilt I liked nearly as well as the first. I actually like it better than the library’s Monet!



fluidhips today I am dancing and eating well

what the hell,you might as well 4 days ago
  • paint an owl on the kids tree
  • paint around my wall quotes
  • art the bathroom
  • another piece of sculpting
  • write poetry for the day
  • print out pictures for the wall
  • draw myself some heartwork
  • pot up the baby spiderplants
  • make an article for each site
  • draw myself as my dancing self
  • make art for someone else
  • design a card to go out with

1.patient
2.origonal
3.flowing
4.humorous
5.enthusiastic
6.focused
7.determined
8.grateful
9.active
10.loving

week one : creating the habit of morning pages



fluidhips today I am dancing and eating well

yey 4 days ago

I have this book,I just read another member completed this book,well now I will too.
I have eyed this book up alott lately.

morning : read a chapter
morning page

:)



Did my first "lunchtime" pages today 4 days ago

As I mentioned in a previous entry on this goal, I have decided to do my morning pages during my lunch break. Better then than not at all. It seemed to work out well. Though my hand became cramped from writing I was able to do a mind dump and just let the words flow. It was a different experience for me writing without judging. Normally, I try to print neatly but I just let the words flow and did not make an attempt to correct myself. Nothing astounding happened but is was interesting to see what fell out of my brain.



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Ask for advice: Get help from people who've accomplished this goal


London
Purplenails asks, “Hi guys, I'm near to completing The Artist's Way, just wondering what other books people have found helpful to keep on the creative track, or that they found more illuminationg than TAW. Thanks!”
— 3 months ago


11 answers

Austin
SparkleDarkle asks, “Artist date ideas of the free variety?”
— 8 months ago


8 answers

Birmingham
besamonie asks, “I completely need some support on this. I just started this week. Is anyone else interested in doing this as a team?”
— 3 years ago


4 answers

Canberra
Calissa asks, “Reading over the entries written by other people about this goal, I notice that some of you are struggling. Is there anyone who'd like some extra encouragement by working as a team?”
— 3 years ago


9 answers

 

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