Neglecting my Inner Artist . . . or Am I?
Isn't it funny how seemingly unrelated things can make your mind wind around until you get back to what is really important to you? I have been worrying lately that I have been neglecting my Inner Artist and that I am not being as creative as I should be. Then I was online today at lunch and saw an article on "Shine" (Yahoo's . . . well, I don't know what it is.) about dieting tips. It wasn't set out as any major article, just a list of 11 things that someone had come up with that helped her diet. It caught my eye because I'm watching what I eat. I scanned the tips, then the comments caught my eye. Mean, really irritating comments. I mean, here was a woman who merely made a list of things that helped her watch her diet, and anonymous readers from who-knows-where who weigh who-know-what and who do who-knows-what were ragging on her. It irritated me, so I did what I rarely do - I went to the source to see who she was. It was my own small way of counteracting those negative comments. The woman's blog is about finding happiness - The Happiness Project. I skimmed a couple of posts and was very impressed. I enjoyed her writing and her take on things. Liked it well enough that I subscribed to her blog and her monthly newsletter.
And I spent the rest of the afternoon with The Happiness Project simmering in my subconscious. It has struck me several times in the past few months that I am happy. I've got no extra money, I work full-time, and there is always work to be done at home. There was a time when all that would have left me stressed and depressed. But now, I am happy. What is the change? How has my life changed? How have I changed?
A good deal of the credit for my change in attitude is a direct result of my new job. I enjoy the work I do, I have the equipment I need to do my job, the people are hard-working - yet pleasant and polite. But there's more - and I suspect the other aspects of me that have changed have to do with my journey along The Artist's Way. I worry sometimes that I am neglecting my Inner Artist because I don't always do my Morning Pages and I don't do Artist's Dates nearly often enough. But then when I stop to really think about it, I realize that I have incorporated The Artist's Way into my daily life. I write in my journal regularly, though not first thing in the morning as I should. I allow myself time to scrapbook (just last weekend I went to a 24-hour crop for charity with my daughter), and I have created a haven in our home that allows me to explore my creativity. Most important of all, I give writing the priority it deserves in my life. My critique group meets every other Saturday, and that is something that I'll even get up early for! That group has been fantastic, and they are pushing me to make my current manuscript the best possible story it can be. Just last week, I submitted a short story to a contest. I am making my dreams come true, bit by bit.
So, my Inner Artist is alive and well. She just needs to be allowed to come out. And thinking about The Happiness Project may be just what I need to encourage her to come out more often.
And I spent the rest of the afternoon with The Happiness Project simmering in my subconscious. It has struck me several times in the past few months that I am happy. I've got no extra money, I work full-time, and there is always work to be done at home. There was a time when all that would have left me stressed and depressed. But now, I am happy. What is the change? How has my life changed? How have I changed?
A good deal of the credit for my change in attitude is a direct result of my new job. I enjoy the work I do, I have the equipment I need to do my job, the people are hard-working - yet pleasant and polite. But there's more - and I suspect the other aspects of me that have changed have to do with my journey along The Artist's Way. I worry sometimes that I am neglecting my Inner Artist because I don't always do my Morning Pages and I don't do Artist's Dates nearly often enough. But then when I stop to really think about it, I realize that I have incorporated The Artist's Way into my daily life. I write in my journal regularly, though not first thing in the morning as I should. I allow myself time to scrapbook (just last weekend I went to a 24-hour crop for charity with my daughter), and I have created a haven in our home that allows me to explore my creativity. Most important of all, I give writing the priority it deserves in my life. My critique group meets every other Saturday, and that is something that I'll even get up early for! That group has been fantastic, and they are pushing me to make my current manuscript the best possible story it can be. Just last week, I submitted a short story to a contest. I am making my dreams come true, bit by bit.
So, my Inner Artist is alive and well. She just needs to be allowed to come out. And thinking about The Happiness Project may be just what I need to encourage her to come out more often.
Posted by Elle Robb at 3/10/2009 12:38 AM 
Categories: Writing Tips and Tricks
Tags: scrapbooking the artist's way artist dates
Categories: Writing Tips and Tricks
Tags: scrapbooking the artist's way artist dates
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