Publication : 1992
Lu : 12 septembre 2020
Recommandation : 5/5
Pages : 272
Sommaire
Introduction
WEEK 1 – Recovering a Sense of Safety
WEEK 2 – Recovering a Sense of Identity
WEEK 3 – Recovering a Sense of Power
WEEK 4 – Recovering a Sense of Integrity
WEEK 5 – Recovering a Sense of Possibility
WEEK 6 – Recovering a Sense of Abundance
WEEK 7 – Recovering a Sense of Connection
WEEK 8 – Recovering a Sense of Strength
WEEK 9 – Recovering a Sense of Compassion
WEEK 10 – Recovering a Sense of Self-Protection
WEEK 11 – Recovering a Sense of Autonomy
WEEK 12 – Recovering a Sense of Faith
EPILOGUE
The Artist’s Way Questions and Answers
Creative Clusters Guide
Notes
Synchronicity : Chief among these changes will be the triggering of synchronicity: we change and the universe furthers and expands that change. I have an irreverent shorthand for this that I keep taped to my writing desk: “Leap, and the net will appear.”
Basic Principles
- Creativity is the natural order of life. Life is energy: pure creative energy.
- There is an underlying, in-dwelling creative force infusing all of life—including ourselves.
- When we open ourselves to our creativity, we open ourselves to the creator’s creativity within us and our lives.
- We are, ourselves, creations. And we, in turn, are meant to continue creativity by being creative ourselves.
- Creativity is God’s gift to us. Using our creativity is our gift back to God.
- The refusal to be creative is self-will and is counter to our true nature.
- When we open ourselves to exploring our creativity, we open ourselves to God: good orderly direction.
- As we open our creative channel to the creator, many gentle but powerful changes are to be expected.
- It is safe to open ourselves up to greater and greater creativity.
- Our creative dreams and yearnings come from a divine source. As we move toward our dreams, we move toward our divinity.
Creative affirmations
Rules of the road
In order to be an artist, I must:
- Show up at the page. Use the page to rest, to dream, to try.
- Fill the well by caring for my artist.
- Set small and gentle goals and meet them.
- Pray for guidance, courage, and humility.
- Remember that it is far harder and more painful to be a blocked artist than it is to do the work.
- Be alert, always, for the presence of the Great Creator leading and helping my artist.
- Choose companions who encourage me to do the work, not just talk about doing the work or why I am not doing the work.
- Remember that the Great Creator loves creativity.
- Remember that it is my job to do the work, not judge the work.
- Place this sign in my workplace: Great Creator, I will take care of the quantity. You take care of the quality.
“Anger is not the action itself It is action’s invitation.”
“At night, before we fall asleep, we can list areas in which we need guidance. In the morning, writing on these same topics, we find ourselves seeing previously unseen avenues of approach. Experiment with this two-step process: ask for answers in the evening; listen for answers in the morning. Be open to all help.”
Blasting through blocks
“Beginning any new project, it’s a good idea to ask your artist a few simple questions. These questions will help remove common bugaboos standing between your artist and the work. These same questions, asked when work grows difficult or bogs down, usually act to clear the obstructed flow.
- List any resentments (anger) you have in connection with this project. It does not matter how petty, picky, or irrational these resentments may appear to your adult self. To your artist child they are real big deals: grudges.
Some examples: I resent being the second artist asked, not the first. (I am too the best.) … I resent this editor, she just nitpicks. She never says anything nice…. I resent doing work for this idiot; he never pays me on time. - Ask your artist to list any and all fears about the projected piece of work and/or anyone connected to it. Again, these fears can be as dumb as any two-year-old’s. It does not matter that they are groundless to your adult’s eye. What matters it that they are big scary monsters to your artist.
Some example: I’m afraid the work will be rotten and I won’t know it…. I’m afraid the work will be good and they won’t know it…. I’m afraid all my ideas are hackneyed and outdated…. I’m afraid my ideas are ahead of their time…. I’m afraid I’ll starve…. I’m afraid I’ll never finish…. I’m afraid I’ll never start…. I’m afraid I will be embarrassed (I’m already embarrassed)…. The list goes on. - Ask yourself if that is all. Have you left out any itsy fear? Have you suppressed any “stupid” anger? Get it on the page.
- Ask yourself what you stand to gain by not doing this piece of work.
Some examples: If I don’t write the piece, no one can hate it…. If I don’t write the piece, my jerk editor will worry…. If I don’t paint, sculpt, act, sing, dance, I can criticize others, knowing I could do better. - Make your deal. The deal is: “Okay, Creative Force, you take care of the quality, I’ll take care of the quantity.” Sign your deal and post it.
A word of warning: this is a very powerful exercise; it can do fatal damage to a creative block.
“One of our great cultural secrets is the fact that artists like other artists.
Think about it for just a second: What did the Impressionists paint? Lunch … with each other.”
