If the last few weeks were difficult to keep on track, then this last week has been… well, a test of strength! TheO had his 5th birthday on Sunday, then promptly caught Chickenpox and has been off school since. For anyone who’s nursed a child through the itchy, scratchy, seemingly endless nights of this childhood trial, I don’t have to explain just how tired I feel right now. That’s a bit of an understatement.
But, it also feels like a progressive week, another week where things have shifted a notch or two. As Julia Cameron predicted, I haven’t done the Morning Pages every day – this is exactly the point when most people give up with it. Have you been very tempted to abandon them? she asks in the check-in part of this chapter… I already have, screams my inner saboteur, and I’ve got good reasons and everything… I read a review of another creative coaching book (which I’ve bookmarked to buy) which suggests that writing every morning is fine for some, but these other exercises “can be completed by a whole range of methods geared towards the visual artist”. ie. there might be a better way.
And indeed there might, but I know instinctively that, although the course of action you choose is important, the main point is to choose something and stick with it – to actually DO it right through to the end – to show up every day, every week, to do the work and to then evaluate the benefits. I can do the next course once I’ve (successfully) finished this one and given it a chance.
So, my check-in for last week;
How many days this week did you do your morning pages?
I only did my Morning Pages for 2 days, but I wrote/scribbled/noted in the notebook I use every day.
Have you been very tempted to abandon them? How was the experience for you?
Oh yes, but I’m back on track now – Sabotage!
Did you do your artist’s date this week? What did you do? How did you feel?
I didn’t plan or do an Artist’s Date, but I did go for an inspired and beautiful run one morning along the beach, which made me feel great!
Have you been allowing workaholism or other commitments to sabotage this practice?
Yes, I’ve been splitting myself in all directions, but I feel strong. I also have been reading whole juicy chapters of Sarah Thornton’s “Seven Days in the Art World”. I’d love to interview her for this site in the future. I haven’t completed many of this week’s tasks either. I need to make a firmer commitment to the Artist’s Dates especially.
Did you experience any synchronicity this week? What was it?
I had my numerology session with our yoga teacher Sada Nam – she said my numbers were clear – guru-teacher!! How fab… I’ll keep on keeping on then. She’s about to give me an hour a day yoga and meditation practice to do, which will take away an hour each morning from what’s available for my workaholism. Is that good? Yes, that’s good. How will I do it all? My inner voice says ‘give up the work ethic’ and my saboteur says ‘and how the hell do you expect to make a living’. My soul says ‘quiet both of you – and listen!’.
Were there any other issues this week that you consider significant in your recovery? Describe them.
I did another business coaching session – a mini one, with the fab Dawn Campbell – she’s on my case and it’s made me stop and think. Is this all just a hobby, because I’m treating it like one. I need to treat it like a business, or I can’t expect it to behave like one. I also edited my interview with Janet Breitmaier, a Financial Alchemy coach based near Toronto. Cultivating a good relationship with money is all about our relationship with ourselves – be nice to ourselves – which is where next week’s Artist’s Way takes over – developing a sense of Compassion.
My takeaway from this week;
treating myself like a precious object will make me strong…