back to good old julia cameron
i am thinking of attempting julia cameron's second book, The Vein of Gold (her first one was The Artist's Way). i am even thinking of starting a group (she calls them "clusters") to work it with. i just don't know if i have the bandwidth for it.
i will, however, begin using the two major tools she insists on -- daily morning pages and a weekly artist's date.
the morning pages are to be written first thing upon awakening. cameron insists that they be written by hand -- she is very specific about this point and has pages of reasoning as to why. i have in the past typed them, but i will give her way a try. i need to improve my handwriting again anyway. and it gives me a chance to break out my lovely 3 fountain pens and purple, crimson and blue ink. i need another fountain pen and teal ink.
i think i will have to have something to eat or drink before starting, because my blood sugar gets wonky in the morning if i don't immediately eat. i think perhaps a cup of unsweetened soy milk, with some splenda, would do the job. i would start with tea but it hits my stomach harshly if i don't have anything else in there.
if it's nice out, i'll sit outside. i'll have to be in a different room than eros for this part, so i can concentrate.
the main drawback is that i won't get to share them on livejournal. you're not supposed to let anyone else read your morning pages. they are not supposed to be high art. in fact, it's kind of like a brain dump that leaves your mind clean and ready to receive new and inspired themes, messages, epiphanies. you're not even supposed to dwell on your own morning pages very often.
so i don't know how much livejournal posting i will end up doing. i do like to keep people abreast of what is going on. and there may be new friends i am meeting through humfun and humboldt imps. and i do love to post photos. so we'll see. i prefer to do livejournal posting at night. maybe i could make a commitment to at least document the bare details of what happened that day here.
i fear that with all my many programs to work i won't actually have time for life. let's see -- there's NA, the Artist's Way, my morning meditation, my daily walk or bike ride, daily yoga, plus Imp Society, HumFun, AND I'd like to try going to the zen group again and start tai chi. so where does life fit it? somewhere in there i have to work, clean, cook, and maybe have a few minutes to spend with eros. sigh. i will just do the best i can.
i made a bunch of necklaces today -- some of which i just restrung in a slightly different configuration. i will have to take photos of them at some point. i find making them very therapeutic. i would like to make one for each of the three women running the imp society. i have already made one for april -- well, i gave her my period one. need to make a new period one for myself too. i have been observing jen and asspaddle (the other jen) and trying to ascertain their style. asspaddle definitely has a bit of the rockabilly, vintage black and red going on, with flowers. jen is more natural, kinda a hippie. not sure what colors she would like. maybe something in natural hemp with pretty blues and greens. i would like to learn how to macrame necklaces. i know cidnee can teach me.
back to julia cameron. her second main tool is the Artist Date. you are supposed to make a definite plan each week to do something for your inner artist. you are supposed to do this by yourself. it can be almost anything -- a walk in the park, poking around a used book store, going to a museum, taking a class -- that infuses you with some fresh creative energy. it doesn't have to result in any actual art. in her words, it is restocking the pond of your creative energy. and it is keeping your inner artist nourished and taken care of -- something we tend to skimp on. the point is that by setting aside some time for your artist, you are validating that part of you.
i think my artist date for this week will be to go to the saturday arcata farmer's market and buy some fresh vegetables, and maybe poke around in the bead shop and see what their class schedule is.
i will, however, begin using the two major tools she insists on -- daily morning pages and a weekly artist's date.
the morning pages are to be written first thing upon awakening. cameron insists that they be written by hand -- she is very specific about this point and has pages of reasoning as to why. i have in the past typed them, but i will give her way a try. i need to improve my handwriting again anyway. and it gives me a chance to break out my lovely 3 fountain pens and purple, crimson and blue ink. i need another fountain pen and teal ink.
i think i will have to have something to eat or drink before starting, because my blood sugar gets wonky in the morning if i don't immediately eat. i think perhaps a cup of unsweetened soy milk, with some splenda, would do the job. i would start with tea but it hits my stomach harshly if i don't have anything else in there.
if it's nice out, i'll sit outside. i'll have to be in a different room than eros for this part, so i can concentrate.
the main drawback is that i won't get to share them on livejournal. you're not supposed to let anyone else read your morning pages. they are not supposed to be high art. in fact, it's kind of like a brain dump that leaves your mind clean and ready to receive new and inspired themes, messages, epiphanies. you're not even supposed to dwell on your own morning pages very often.
so i don't know how much livejournal posting i will end up doing. i do like to keep people abreast of what is going on. and there may be new friends i am meeting through humfun and humboldt imps. and i do love to post photos. so we'll see. i prefer to do livejournal posting at night. maybe i could make a commitment to at least document the bare details of what happened that day here.
i fear that with all my many programs to work i won't actually have time for life. let's see -- there's NA, the Artist's Way, my morning meditation, my daily walk or bike ride, daily yoga, plus Imp Society, HumFun, AND I'd like to try going to the zen group again and start tai chi. so where does life fit it? somewhere in there i have to work, clean, cook, and maybe have a few minutes to spend with eros. sigh. i will just do the best i can.
i made a bunch of necklaces today -- some of which i just restrung in a slightly different configuration. i will have to take photos of them at some point. i find making them very therapeutic. i would like to make one for each of the three women running the imp society. i have already made one for april -- well, i gave her my period one. need to make a new period one for myself too. i have been observing jen and asspaddle (the other jen) and trying to ascertain their style. asspaddle definitely has a bit of the rockabilly, vintage black and red going on, with flowers. jen is more natural, kinda a hippie. not sure what colors she would like. maybe something in natural hemp with pretty blues and greens. i would like to learn how to macrame necklaces. i know cidnee can teach me.
back to julia cameron. her second main tool is the Artist Date. you are supposed to make a definite plan each week to do something for your inner artist. you are supposed to do this by yourself. it can be almost anything -- a walk in the park, poking around a used book store, going to a museum, taking a class -- that infuses you with some fresh creative energy. it doesn't have to result in any actual art. in her words, it is restocking the pond of your creative energy. and it is keeping your inner artist nourished and taken care of -- something we tend to skimp on. the point is that by setting aside some time for your artist, you are validating that part of you.
i think my artist date for this week will be to go to the saturday arcata farmer's market and buy some fresh vegetables, and maybe poke around in the bead shop and see what their class schedule is.