The Artist's Way - Week 9 & check in

RECOVERING A SENSE OF COMPASSION

I had a terrible Artist's Way week health-wise and, while I did read the chapter and do some of the tasks, I didn't get to process the information as much as I would have liked. For week 9, Julia gave us permission to READ the morning pages we have been writing since the beginning of the course. We were to highlight any insights, note areas where action is needed, and note any repetition. I am yet to explore my morning pages but I'll report on my findings next week.

This past week, we were to delve into our inner blocks, not external ones.

• Fear of putting ourselves out there.


• Being too hard on ourselves to the point where we lose our enthusiasm.


• Making up excuses not to progress further on our creative journey because we experience a hurdle. Julia calls them Creative U-turns.

Then Julia discusses how to break through the blocks that are stopping us from moving forward.

One of the tasks was to visualise and write about our goal already being accomplished but to write about it in the present tense. My dilemma is that I don't think I have a goal. I can't decide which direction or style of art I truly want to pursue. I'm reminded of that saying - Jack of all trades, Master of none. Is not having a set goal really such a bad thing at my age? I feel content and happy to just paint for my own joy and not necessarily because I want to sell my art. Of course, the latter would be nice as it would supplement my meagre income but then....I'm back at square one.....what to paint? Realistic animals, motivational/spiritual, Goddess art, mixed media abstract????? I just can't make up my confused, little mind!!! Geez, I can get so frustrated with myself at times! It's not like I'm setting off to climb Mount Everest. Somebody....ANYBODY....please do my a favour and just hit me upside the head, will you?!

I guess my main focus is about living joyfully in each moment of each day rather than pressuring myself to make choices or achieve goals. I much prefer the relaxed attitude of - I'll get there when I get there. I'm truly happy to just plod along and see where I end up so it's hard for me when books talk about choosing goals and aiming for them.

Since doing The Artist's Way twice before, I can see that I've changed my whole mind-set. Back then, my goal had been to teach art and I achieved that, though it wasn't what I expected. I found myself feeling totally drained of creative energy after giving my all to my students and wound up with no time for my own art. I quit teaching numerous students and now, I continue to teach one student, once a week, which seems to fit in much better with my more relaxed approach. Maybe my goal in processing The Artist's Way this time around is more about enjoying my creative life without pressure. I like the sound of that!

CHECK IN FOR WEEK NINE

Did I do my morning pages? For the first time, I missed days of doing my morning pages....FIVE days, in fact. No excuse except to say I felt miserable and totally drained.

Did I go on my artist date? See above.

Did I experience any synchronicity? None.

Any issues significant to my creative recovery? Perhaps the realisation that I'm happy where I'm at.

Next week, we discuss recovering a sense of self-protection.

I'll get the boxing gloves ready.

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photo courtesy of jamie ridler

After a few weeks of ill health due to asthma and subsequent chest infection, I've decided to lighten some of my load and, sadly, The Joy Diet will be one of the casualties. I must admit that the Creativity week did bring me to the realisation that the book was not for me as it was beginning to touch on areas I have already dealt with and released via help from other books I've read over the past couple of years. I certainly don't want to re-hash it all again so, while I'm no longer following the Joy Diet process, I do wish all my fellow Joy Dieters a joyful journey as they continue on their way without me.

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On another note, I'm happy to report that I'm feeling a lot better today after being on the antibiotics for the past two days. I'm no longer feeling miserable....a little drained and weak but that will get better too. YAY! Hopefully, I'll get into the studio over the coming days.

love, light and peace

THE JOY DIET - item three - DESIRE

THE JOY DIET - ITEM THREE - DESIRE
photo courtesy of jamie ridler

human beings are the only beasts on the planet who seem to have problems following their true desires. this is probably due to the fact that we can think and reason, and thereby, do a great job at confusing ourselves to the point of losing our way. we often end up living lives that don't fulfil our deepest needs....our true desires.

those true desires are hidden deep within and, to find them, we need to enter the stillness, seek the truth, and ask ourselves - what do i want most right now? then wait for the desire to reveal itself to us. as we wade through the desires that surface, we must pay heed to how each makes us feel. if a desire fills you with great passion and yearning....if it speaks to you of freeing and expressing yourself in your own uniqueness, then it is highly likely to be a true desire and well worth giving your attention to. you will feel a shift within, a knowing that this is the right choice for you. don't let your ego throw negatives into the mix on why the desire is a waste of time. don't let your ego tell you how you are going to reach the desire either. just trust and believe that this desire will manifest into your life in a way of least resistance. as you focus more and more on your chosen desire, you will feel more whole and you will feel that you are moving toward to a fresh, new and joyful life. believe it!

it may take time to recognise your true desires but daily practise will get you closer and closer.

for me, i desire to be a better artist. i desire to lean more towards intuitive, spiritual art but i'm not sure if i'm on the right track to my true desire. i have come up against some creative hurdles over the past couple of weeks and this has left my confidence severely lacking. i'm actually feeling quite lost. have i taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way? as i continue the daily practise of stillness, truth and searching for my true desire, i'm hoping the answer will reveal itself.

the next item on the joy menu is - CREATIVITY - so hopefully, that will shed some light on my confusion.

love, light and peace

MONDAY PHOTO-A-WEEK & JOY DIET

MONDAY'S PHOTO-A-WEEK

i am back to feeling half-human again after a week of being miserable with sinus allergies and asthma congestion in my chest due to that horrible dust storm. the antihistimines helped but they also made me feel quite groggy and out of the loop.

anywhoo, i will be catching up on everyone's blogs over the coming days.....i've missed you all so much.

on friday, michelle, brad, aaron and i went over to visit my mum and dad. it seemed like ages since we'd seen them so it was really nice catching up. we went for a lovely walk around the retirement village they live in and i snapped some pics along the way.

it was a very hot day and these bougainvillea certainly made a spectacular and brilliant display in the sunlight

click on any image to enlarge

i've always loved hippeastrum which bloom here every october


a close up of some geranium flowers

one of the homes boasted a front garden amass with roses and the scent drifting through the air was mesmerising. i couldn't resist snapping a pic of this rose as we passed by

.....and this morning, i snapped this pic on the way home from dropping reece at the bus stop at 6:30AM. why a pic of a school info sign, you ask? because it was the only way i could convince my ten year old son, aaron, that school did indeed start back today after a two week spring holiday break. he was adamant that it was a public holiday today and that school didn't start back until tomorrow. the poor thing was even on the computer trying to google public holidays to back up his case. needless to say, he lost the argument though he was so desperate, i almost wished it was a public holiday for his sake.

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THE JOY DIET - WEEK/ITEM TWO - TRUTH

photo courtesy of jamie ridler

this week, martha beck asks us to create and absorb one moment of truth each day. after a life of mental overload and being conditioned to fit into society or a set belief system, is it any wonder that so many of us lose the connection we are born with to our true selves? it often feels like we've been moulded into being someone else. i have felt this way many times and it's probably the reason why i've read so many self-help books over the years. i have come to realise that i was on a quest to find me. the teachings of eckhart tolle and abraham-hicks over the past two years have been eye-openers for me and i can honestly say that i finally feel like i'm on the right track.

an excerpt from the joy diet by martha beck -

as you tell fewer fibs and keep fewer secrets in your inner world, you'll find that the energy you once spent on denial turns outward in a kind of creative bloom. fascinating ideas, compassionate actions, un-heard of adventures will bubble up from the inexhaustible well of your unique personality during your moments of truth.

so, this past week, i did my daily 15 minutes of nothing (meditation) and then asked myself the six questions that martha posed for our TRUTH menu item -

what am i feeling?
what hurts?
what is the painful story i'm telling?
can i be sure my painful story is true?
is my painful story working?
can i think of another story that might work better?

i truly feel like i have already let go of past burdens so that wasn't relevant for me. however, lately, i have been feeling blocked, frustrated, and pretty much useless when it's come down to my art. could the congestion i felt from the dust storm last week have been a manifestation of these inner feelings? one thing is for sure, i know that this too shall pass.....i know that my truth is that I AM a creative being.

this friday, i will blog about the next item on the joy menu - DESIRE

love, light and peace

the joy diet - week one - do nothing

photo courtesy of jamie ridler

for the first week in the joy diet by martha beck we were asked to 'do nothing' for fifteen minutes each day. that's right....nothing! not an easy thing to do in today's fast-paced world but, yes, i can handle that. i sure NEED it! in fact, i did get into a habit of daily meditation in november of last year but, in recent months, i had let it lapse. now, it has jumped right back into my lap again. i have meditated each morning for the past week and found it to be a very satisfying and meaningful experience. i hope to make it a permanent habit as i truly believe there are many benefits to meditating each day. care to join me?

pop on over to this link if you are interested in reading what other joy dieters had to say about doing nothing.

love, light and peace

THE JOY DIET - welcome

photo courtesy of jamie ridler
i think i am seriously becoming a book club addict

today, launches the first week of the joy diet book club which is being hosted by the lovely jamie ridler. at the beginning of the year, i chose the word 'joy' as my word for 2009 so it seems only fitting that i participate in reading a book about living in joy, right? i am so excited to be adding the joy diet by martha beck to my journey and i look forward to sharing my weekly findings here each friday on my blog. i'm also looking forward to sharing this journey with other joy seekers so, if you are interested in going on this joy diet too, just click the picture at the beginning of this post.

stay tuned.....

work in progress & coloured pencil lesson

perpetual chocoholic has put up the first lesson for the coloured pencil project on her blog.

as i'm very much a novice when it comes to coloured pencil art, i'm looking forward to giving it a go......here is my line drawing attempt for lesson one.

click here for the list of requirements and instruction if you are interested in trying it yourself.

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i also managed to do the rough blocking-in of the frangipanis on the canvas for my room today. still more to do with the background but having the basic flowers in place gives me a better idea of balance. i still need to make a start on the baby canvas for my niece....maybe tomorrow.

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call me crazy but i have signed up for yet another blog book club! we will be reading and working our way through the joy diet by martha beck starting friday, september 18th. i'm all for living a more joyful life and i do enjoy working through books within an online blogger group so taking the bait was easy. the joy diet overlaps the artist's way but i'll give it my best shot. click here if you're interested in more information.

love, light and peace