Finding Water Week 12

Finding Water Week 12

Uncovering a Sense of Perseverance

We are stronger than we know. Like deep wells, we have capacity for sustained creative action. Our lost dreams can come home to us. By now you are familiar with the use of creativity tools. This week asks you to recommit to continued self-nurturance. Remember, creativity flourishes in a place of safety and acceptance. Focus this week on creating a healthy environment for you inner artist.

Dreams 1

Trusting the fates is learned behavior for most of us. Our fears are just needless suffering. We can and do survive our storms. “This will pass” As a good storm always does..

Dreams are as stubborn as weeds daring us, one more time to believe in the unbelievable. As long as a dream lives so does a chance of its manifesting. Our dreams are tenacious. They don’t just fade away. 

What is called for is faith. Faith enough to work further.  Faith enough to invest more.  Faith enough to risk again. Dreams demand that we have faith in them. If they are brave enough to live, we must be brave enough to assist them.

Divining Rod

Choose a first step for you that feels “doable.”  In reentering an arena, do not set that jumps too high. You do not want to scare yourself. Allow yourself the grace of being an absolute beginner.

Company 2

Jumping straight to the Divining Rod section…. It does us good to keep the company of our friends. It does us good to have them present even when they are absent. By consciously cherishing our connections, we strengthen those bonds.

But what we also need to realize is we have to set our own pace. And that pace for our needs, be it long walks, swimming or great bolts of quiet and solitude. We may need to shut the phone off or turn down invites. It can be very seductive; the business of action likes an artist rather than actually being one.  

Divining Rod

One might want to draw or do a collage of image of people and have some fun with this this and create your mental snapshots of your relationships. The aim is to round up your company.

Staying Green 3

Julia shares about a friend of hers… she’s been looking for a way to put fun back into her work. When she’s not writing, she’s not happy. When she writing well, everything else falls into place.  The friends shares that she must keep the world at bay and live with her work.

Respecting it at first, until they know each other then she relaxes a bit..

The need for endorphins was a big help, staying fit in the mind and physical was very important to her.  Keeping to the routine, practicing a gentle vigilance to keep positive energy around keeping the drama on the page.

She shares with us again…When I’m not writing, I create chaos, making all sorts of drama to distract her from the fact that she is not working, also finding she’s circling like a dog trying to find a spot to lie down.

Divining Rod

List ten small actions or purchase that make you feel spoiled..

Working 4

There is nothing that makes an artist happier than a good day spent working.   Facing things and deciding to stop waiting for it to get easier its call to duty and to just do it.  The minute we do that of course it becomes easier.

Learning to work which we may prefer to be fresh with but we have to learn to work no matter what. Take a few artists dates to keep image fresh. 

The feeling of forward motion in our art brings us a deep and abiding happiness, carrying with it feelings of self-esteem. When we are procrastination-“waiting for it to become easier” –we inevitably feel bad about ourselves.

So much of being an artist boils down to: Just doing it.

When we make our work small, humble, and doable, the Censor doesn’t know how to fight us.

As artists we must remember that our work is about “the play of ideas.” When we become too serious about our work, when we demand perfections, our work rebels.

Divining Rod
Finish the phrase “I am doing better at________________” five times..

Consistency 5

Julia shares-Every day when I listen for right action-the message is the same. “Be consistent. Stick to your grid” Obedient, Write, draw, print or paint, walk, and listen for the further instruction.  Listen for the insight and write it down. Keep the morning pages going the help miniaturize the Censor and train it to stand aside.

When artists are working regularly, they are spiritually centered. The act of making art is a spiritual act and our daily exposure to this realm does have an impact on our personality. It does not matter what language we use to describe it. Art puts us in touch with a power greater than us. This conscious contact brings us a sense of optimism and grace.  A Higher force is at our side and we are not alone.

A Gentle consistency is Key.

Divining Rod

Choose an artist way tool that will work with consistence in your life.

Just do it 6

As artists, we, too, need to work through many kinds of weather.

Repeat…so much of being an artist involves that Nike slogan. “Just do it” So much good comes from our just showing up.

Our art moves through us despite us.

Sit quietly and ask for Guidance. Stay steady as she goes. 

The best, most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, or even touched. They must be felt with the Heart. – Helen Keller.

Soldiering on, putting in a day at time a page at a time or brush stroke at a time.

Julia shares about her experience through the dark times in this last book and but she also shares her hope and how she did it.

Divining Rod

Choose a symbolic something-art is a language of symbols. Gift yourself with a symbolic something that speaks to you of your identity as an artist.  Choose a symbol that suits you and share that. Select the symbol that speaks most clearly to your heart.