Well hello, dear friends!
Can you believe we are nearly to the end of our journey through The Artist’s Way? We certainly can’t — it feels like we’ve only just started, and yet we’ve made so much progress in the last several weeks. How are your morning pages going? Have you taken yourself on an artist’s date lately?
I am cozily back in southern California, enjoying a truly perfect California Christmas-time — I had my fill of snow this past weekend in Salt Lake City visiting family, and while it was a delightful way to kick off the holiday season, I am not complaining about the fact that I am currently sitting in the sunshine, bundled up in a thick sweater because it’s only sixty-eight degrees (!!!).
Joy, in the meantime, is buckled in for a Scottish winter — as you will hear on today’s episode, I was simply floored to learn that she is currently receiving about five-ish hours of daylight right now.
Recovering Self-Protection & Autonomy
In chapters 10 and 11 of The Artist’s Way, we are instructed to rediscover and cultivate our senses of self-protection and autonomy — crucial for our recovering artists. Once again, these chapters feel as if they’re tailored to the particular moment I am in on my creative journey, in need of some protection for my inner artist.
Joy and I latched onto the deep practicality of these two chapters — while Julia often starts by presenting us with some more esoteric ideas, she always dives back down into the practical steps we can take in our daily lives to aid us on our way in our artistic recovery. These chapters were instrumental for us in identifying the major blocks that we have to our own creativity (and the blocks we identified were not at all what we thought they would be!).
However: Julia does also recommend we take up running in this chapter. Regretfully, we will not be obliging. More on that in the episode!
Morning Pages & Artist’s Dates
I am pleased to report that both Joy and I have been very consistent in our practice of morning pages. I did miss a day earlier this week — but, in fairness, it was a Monday, I was running on five hours of sleep from getting in on a late flight the night before, and the day did feel off without the practice of the pages. There’s a lesson in there somewhere!
Right now, Joy’s pages are less of an unburdening and more of a space to creatively work and write. My pages have veered back towards the processing of all kinds of emotions raised by the holidays — I am sure they will continue to ebb and flow in a cycle of productivity, processing, and productivity again.
However, we do both continue to struggle with our artist’s dates! I’m sure Julia would have some words for us. I have found that my success in setting aside time for an artist’s date skyrockets (by which I mean I actually complete the date) if I plan a date that can be accomplished within the boundaries of my own apartment.
For example: this week I watched Todd Haynes’ May December while making little bows to place on my Christmas tree (the picture below is from before the addition of the bows, so you can imagine how festive it is now!).
Time for your check-in!
How many days this week did you do your morning pages? Are you still allowing yourself to write them freely, without self-censorship?
Did you take your artist on a date this week? Where did you go? What did you see? Have you allowed yourself to play?
Next week: our final chapter!!!
Until then, we hope you’re having the most delightful start to your holiday season.
Much love,
Elena & Joy
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