Motivation for Mondays: The Artist's Way check-in for Week 10

We've made it to Week 10. After this, there's just two more weeks to go before we finish the book and can see how well we've unblocked our creativity. If there's still more work to be done, we may have to start all over again.

I hope that doesn't scare you.

Whatever the case, I'm sure we will see positive results. Sometimes, the first time around doesn't net us quite what we may have expected, and a do-over is a good thing. Especially if we wait it out and see what happens when we're NOT doing the Morning Pages regularly, or NOT scheduling those Artist Dates, and NOT focusing on healing.

But first, let me ask you: What did you focus on with Chapter 9?

More synchronicity for me, I tell you! The chapter was about compassion. So appropriate for me this week as I waited for the birth of my first grandson. He arrived midweek, during that first hour of December 2. Everything went smoothly. My daughter did so well. Her husband was a great coach. And the baby was born healthy and near perfect. It was a great week to focus on compassion. Compassion for self and for others. Could there be a better way to spend a week? I don't think so.

The event that unfolded last week turned out to be a nice twist to what had been happening in my life the month before. It brought about relief.

And offered time to reflect on what it means to be healthy, live healthy, and think healthy thoughts. All of this matters if we are to succeed in growing our creative selves.

WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?
In Chapter 9, Julia Cameron writes about FEAR and how that can affect how blocked we may feel. It may actually give us an excuse for NOT doing something. I can admit that fear played a large part in my early career. It also creeped in early last week. I was fearful that my daughter would have a difficult labor. I wanted the baby to arrive a healthy human being. I didn't want my daughter to experience pain. So a writer friend suggested I focus on seeing the baby born healthy, seeing the delivery go smoothly. I did that. And I prayed. I prayed a lot that day. And all went well.

Cameron talks about calling things as they are, not using cop-outs or lying to ourselves. We are not lazy if we procrastinate doing our work. We are merely afraid of the outcome. So we need to practice looking at the reality of any situation and assessing the truth. What is getting in the way? Write those things down. What are we gaining by letting those things get in the way? Be honest. Let them go. And move on to complete the work.

HOW ENTHUSIASTIC ARE YOU?
Cameron also looks at enthusiasm versus discipline. Basically, she says we won't get far if we try to rely on discipline to do the job. Creatives can't work that way for long. We need to be enthusiastic about what we're doing. If we're not, maybe it's okay to move on and try something else. That's what drives writers to be able to complete book-length projects. Enthusiasm. Discipline will not last long enough. Enthusiasm is what will keep you going. I agree with this 100 percent. Do you?

WHAT ABOUT CREATIVE U-TURNS?
I so related to this! Creative u-turns. The things that take all of your progress and squash it into a pile of doo-doo on the floor you never want to touch. That's a bit dramatic-sounding, but I confess I have done things to sabotage my very own career. I have missed deadlines, not without advance warning, but I have done that. I have failed to turn in invoices. I have ignored signing contracts till the very end. I have done those things and more. I have let fear get in the way. Both of success and of failure.

Sometimes, I still have these moments. When I am in the midst of too much stuff to deal with, I take my time. I purposely slow down. I don't know if that's good or bad, but it's what I've done in order to be able to muddle through. I have learned to access that self-compassion and focus on doing the best I can. Sometimes, the best may not be good enough for others, but it has to be good enough for me. Working alone sometimes means I get overwhelmed. And rather than letting that get the best of me, I work on accepting my weaknesses and doing the best I can. Thank goodness we're allowed failures before we can reach the successes. If we weren't allowed to fail at all, I'm not sure where I'd be. I'm grateful for my vulnerabilities. They allow me to embrace my strengths. And one of my strengths is that I am not afraid to ask for help when I need it. Sometimes, I've delayed asking, but I will always ask. How about you?

BLASTING THROUGH THE BLOCKS EXERCISE
To me, this part of the chapter was even better than the exercises at the end of Chapter 9. To me, it's the single most helpful part of this chapter. Although I didn't do it this week, I have done this before. You list out your resentments or anger that you may feel toward a project. You list out any related fears toward the project. You ask yourself if that's all there is. You ask yourself what might happen if you didn't the do the project at all. And then you make a deal with yourself about completing the project. It makes so much sense to get all of the negative thoughts that might show up out of the way at the beginning, or when you start to feel blocked. Then, you can carry on. It's like any relationship. If there's stuff getting in the way, you need to move it. You need to hash it out, so you can move on. Have you ever tried this when you were feeling resistant to a project? Maybe you discovered the answer was to drop the project. I find this exercise to be a very wise one, and one I hope to utilize more readily in the future.

CHAPTER CHECK-IN
Since work was not on top of mind this past week, I did not write many Morning Pages. Six or seven at most. Pages. Not days. As for an Artist Date, would it count that I shopped for a special gift after the baby was born? I spent 20 minutes in the hospital gift shop and found the new baby's initials: W.O.W. His name is Wyatt Owen Waddington, which makes him a WOW baby. And he is exactly that. I also had my book signing at Costco, and though it felt like a hectic thing to do in the midst of the new baby's arrival, I did manage to pull some creative stuff together and haul it over to the stores with me. I did manage to interact with a lot of people. And I did manage to sell some books, despite it all.

I'm sure there are other things, but I can't think of them at the moment. So now it's your turn. Post your chapter thoughts below. And next week, we read about "Recovering a Sense of Self-Protection."

Motivation for Mondays is a part of a weekly Twitter party called #MotivatedMondays initiated by Lorrie Shaw, a professional pet sitter, a regular pets contributor at annarbor.com, and pet blogger in Dexter Township, MI. Together, we post a combination of inspirational notes, links to motivational blog posts, and tips to help kickstart your week ahead. Look for us online every Monday morning--and throughout the day--if you need to kick start your week or want to share your own motivational thoughts.

Motivation for Mondays: The Artist's Way check-in for Week 9

We were working on "Recovering a Sense of Strength" last week. So, how did it go?

Feeling stronger?

Chapter 8 visited the concept of strength in various ways: survival, being able to affirm your talents, dealing with loss, understanding early childhood patterns that could undermine your progress. It was also about taking action to regain your sense of self -- the ability and willingness to stand up for your creative self, and to write despite yourself. Thank goodness after all that difficult introspection, chapter 9 will show you the way to self-compassion. You should look forward to this week's chapter.

But for now, we must revisit last week's work.

So, are you feeling stronger, or are you feeling like you'd just like to throw in the towel. TAW may seem like it puts you through the wringer, but it's good work, this deep digging we're doing.

I encourage you to go on. Even if you've set the book aside because of distractions, get it back out. Open the book up and read. Do some of the exercises. Remember, you don't have to do them all. That might be too much. Save some of them for later, or save them for the next time you read the book. You don't have to overdo it or try to impress anyone. There's only one person who matters in this exercise, and that's you.

MORNING PAGES
I will tell you that I'm not feeling the need to go to the page as much as I have in the past. I'm drawn more to write on the computer. And I'm not liking that pull. So I'm going to focus on that more this week. I will tell you that my Morning Pages are starting to look like idea books. Every time I write and read another chapter, I come up with more ideas about the work I'm presently researching. I find that to be an empowering result and hope it continues.

ARTIST'S DATE
I spent most of the week waiting for my daughter to have her baby, which she didn't, so I've been so preoccupied and have not scheduled a date at all with my artist self. I'm not really sure if I did anything particularly creative this past week; however, I did splurge on a bottle of wine for the holiday and spend some time picking it out, admiring the labels. Doubt that it counts, but I suppose if I were stretching, I could make it. But I'll let you be the judge of that.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CHAPTER
I found this statement interesting:

"Intellectualism seems counter to the creative impulse."

EXERCISES
I did a few of them:

My perfect world five years from now. I want to own an oceanfront cottage in Maine, and now I've decided to be okay with San Diego (closer to family?). That's where I see myself working. I'll still be writing, only then with the crashing waves near my doorstep, the music in the background. I have a studio, brightly lit with natural sunlight through huge windows. I have a comfy area where I read by firelight. My family can visit, so there must be rooms for them as well. The BF is probably off running down the shoreline. He would love that!

I probably still have my home in Arizona, but I don't know if it's this one. If it is, it better have new carpet and be painted. My HOA is requiring that four-five years from now. I probably earn a handsome half a million dollars a year or more. So I'll be living very comfortably. I've probably sold my BIKE book by then, that's why. I'm probably speaking internationally, though not too much. I like my home life too much. Who wouldn't, on the beach, in Arizona, whatever works???

All of this is probably why I've been so focused on writing more book proposals lately. ;-)

My color scheme It's blue, of course. My eyes are blue. I like the song, "Jackie Blue." I look good dressed in blue. My office is half painted blue. It fits my astrological sign, which is Pisces. And it's my favorite color. Here's the list of few quick sentences that describe my blue self:

I am blue.
I am the color of an Arizona clear summer sky.
I blend well with whites, pinks, purples.
I am happy and serene.
I make others laugh.
I give off high energy.
I am bright and cheerful.
I am the color blue.

I cannot recall any specific issues that occured last week, but I think that's only because I was a bit caught up with other things: my daughter, the holiday, work.

How about you? How did your week with Chapter 8 go? Please report your progress here. We're moving on to Chapter 9 now, where, as I mentioned before, we recover a sense of compassion. You're going to like this one, I hope.

Motivation for Mondays is a part of a weekly Twitter party called #MotivatedMondays initiated by Lorrie Shaw, a professional pet sitter, a regular pets contributor at annarbor.com, and pet blogger in Dexter Township, MI. Together, we post a combination of inspirational notes, links to motivational blog posts, and tips to help kickstart your week ahead. Look for us online every Monday morning--and throughout the day--if you need to kick start your week or want to share your own motivational thoughts.

What's On Your Reverse Bucket List?

I got the idea from Jennifer Lawler, who got the idea from Diane Silver who got the idea from a friend of hers. So this is definitely a borrowed idea.

But I like it. So here goes: the REVERSE bucket list compilation.

What is that, you ask? Simply put: It's the opposite of the checklist of things you swear you're going to do before you die. It's the checklist of things you've already done. To me, there's more to be thankful about when you focus on what you've already accomplished than what you have not or have yet to do.

So, like the ladies before me have already done, here's my list -- the shortened version, of course:

-Raised two children mostly as a single parent who happily live on their own.
_Am a grandmother who doesn't meddle.
_Have splurged on the penthouse suite with my own money.
_Have taken the week-long writer's workshop just because I wanted to.
_Spent more than $10,000 on a vacation abroad -- just for myself. It was a learning vacation in Kenya, with lessons still coming my way even three and four years later.
_Have already chosen to live a creative life.
_Say yes to the wine whenever I choose.
_Appreciate the outdoors.
_Hiked a slot canyon, even though I was petrified at the start.
_Am a travel writer by choice.
_Took the improvisation class I once only dreamed of taking.
_Buy books that interest me, no matter the topic, and take time to read them.
_Hired the landscaper so I could cut back on the work I have to do myself.
_Signed up for the conference I didn't think I could afford.
_Wrote my first book.
_Bought my own house.
_Have learned to trust my instincts.
_Have made a ton of writer friends I really care about.
_Have made a ton of speaker friends I really care about.
_Have built an irrigation system.
_Have made mortar and laid brick.
_Have trimmed a prickly bush almost as big as my house and survived.
_Have spoiled a dog.
_Made a failing freelance career flourish.
_Travel solo frequently.
_Go on trips that interest me.
_Sell stories so that I can go on trips that interest me.
_Been a published poet.
_Have written short stories and a novel.
_Have had my photos published in a book.
_Have been interviewed by other journalists.
_Have given presentations to large audiences.
_Have helped women in transition make the transition.
_Have mentored other women.
_Am learning how to juggle and ride a unicycle (not easy!)

And the list goes on.

What's on your REVERSE bucket list? Post it here so you'll have something to be grateful for this holiday season, aside from your family and job.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, my friends!

(The above photo of the fountain was taken by me in Quebec City this past summer, when I attended one of those conferences I wasn't sure I could afford. It was a leap of faith.)

Motivation for Mondays: The Artist's Way check-in for Week 8

"Oops, I did it again..." Clearly, I'm feeling a little Britney Spears-like today.

Imagine that. Me, a superstar...Nah, it's just me being late -- again! It's Tuesday. And, yet, here I am posting that "Motivation for Mondays" thing. Well, with all that's going on in my life right now, I gotta be consistent in some way. So, today, we'll work with the title. Next week, back on track, I hope, unless my daughter's baby arrives. Then, Monday might turn into Wednesday or Thursday, or...

The point is: please be patient. Remember, we're all about no judgment here. We're all about growth at our own pace. Which reminds me, although we're all that, I still want you to post. Keep us updated. You can get behind, but remember to get back on track, even if you're a little off-track or even off-off track. It's okay. Just stay with the program. So you don't read on Monday mornings. Tuesdays are good. Two chapters at a time are good. Shorter updates are good. The point is, we're all here for the full ride, to complete the full book. I'm hoping you'll love it enough to want to do it all over again.

So, please. Stick with it. I know you're going to see the change you need.

Now, on with my update...

CHAPTER 8

Chapter 8 saw me slowing way down on the TAW exercises and activities. Seriously, I wrote the Morning Pages only once this week, and I can't recall that I actually scheduled or did an Artist Date. (So, see? You don't have to do it all, all the time.)

And I know that's okay because I always bounce back, sometimes at a slower pace than others. But I'm still hanging in there. I'm still strong. I am producing work, and I'm marketing like crazy. I am feeling successful, regardless. I'm feeling strong.

STRENGTH

It's a good word. I wrote that in my Morning Pages without even thinking of the purpose of this chapter. It's on Recovering a Sense of Strength. It had been an entire week since I read the chapter, or even wrote in the journal, and, yet, I connected. I really liked that. It made me feel good to know I can and do acknowledge my own strength, seemingly without the need for a book to remind me. I can do this on my own. How are you feeling about this in your world?

LOSS

Chapter 8 talked about losses. Again, another serendipitous moment for me. Remember, I lost Clooney two weeks ago. And I'm now preparing for a gain -- the birth of my grandson. It's a miracle how life continues to even things out for us, even when we least expect it. It's like Yin and Yang are discussing things behind our back, making plans we don't know about, and then, poof!

I believe there's definitely a spiritual connection to what we must give up in order to make room for something new. It seems like a natural balance occurs when you begin to realize how the universe works with you. If you don't think this way, if things don't seem to be going your way, try making a request out loud. Ask for what you need -- if for no other reason than to acknowledge the need for yourself.

And always expect the best. I don't know what that means. It means whatever you need it to mean at any given moment. But I write this now in nearly every e-mail I send out. So I'm not only giving the message to myself, I'm also giving it to others. Expect the best! There, now it's yours to use.

And if you're feeling any resistance, any resistance at all, pay attention to that. I find when I'm feeling resistance, it more than likely means I'm not ready for whatever change I thought I wanted. I take a step back and evaluate the pause. It's probably not yet time for me to make that call or do that thing, whatever it is. I have learned to respect the pause.

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS

I highlighted several things in this chapter that I'll note here, to see if these had any special meaning for you as well:

_"Every end is a beginning." I highlighted this in yellow several years ago, and I still believe this today. It puts a positive spin on things, doesn't it?

_"The key to career resiliency is self-empowerment and choice." I also highlighted this several years ago. Yes, indeed! This is still true for me. What's next? the chapter asks you. Action, it says. Take action. Always take action. I think I'm very good at this.

_"Most of the time, the next right thing is something small." I love this. It's about baby steps. It reminds you that you don't have to take big, expansive leaps to make a difference. You can move at your own pace. And no one can tell you what that is. For writers who need to send out pitches, you can send out one a week and be okay with that, if that's all you have time for. Or you can send out hundreds. Whatever works. The key here is to be honest with yourself. If what you're doing isn't working, then maybe you do need to take more baby steps or push yourself to the leap level. But it's still your choice. Just listen to your gut. Wasn't that the message of chapters past? It's still a good one.

THE ODDS

This part of the chapter I need to re-read. "Stop thinking about the odds and you'll stop procrastinating." Really? I didn't get that. I need to re-read this and consider the meaning, to see how I might be manifesting my own procrastination. Because I can do that very well. I can be the superstar after all, when it comes to procrastination.

What about you? How did this chapter hit you? Any lessons that were particularly jolting or eye-opening? Let's hear it. Post your comments below.

Motivation for Mondays is a part of a weekly Twitter party called #MotivatedMondays initiated by Lorrie Shaw, a professional pet sitter, a regular pets contributor at annarbor.com, and pet blogger in Dexter Township, MI. Together, we post a combination of inspirational notes, links to motivational blog posts, and tips to help kickstart your week ahead. Look for us online every Monday morning--and throughout the day--if you need to kick start your week or want to share your own motivational thoughts.

Motivation on Mondays: The Artist Way check-in for week 7

I know. I know. It's Tuesday. Why did I still title the post "Motivation on Mondays"?

I did that because I want to keep the column consistent, so you can find back posts should you care to review them in the future.

Of course, now you'll want to know why I failed to post yesterday, right? Easy answer. Yesterday, Monday, I spent six hours in the Emergency Room with my BF. He'd been sent there because he'd been having a back pain that had escalated and a very high blood pressure reading, and was thought to be having heart attack.

Yes, it was another stressful day, and I wasn't anywhere near a computer nor was I thinking about being anywhere near a computer once I took the call just before the lunch hour. Of course, he told me I didn't need to go. But what do you do? Sit around and wait? I'm not good at waiting. So I went over to meet him and stay with him--to make sure he was going to be okay. The words "heart" and "attack" are not words that roll lightly off the tongue, as you can imagine. So I wanted to be there with him, in case this was that serious.

After having every kind of test imaginable--EKG, Cat Scan, X-rays (but no MRI)--the ER doc determined it wasn't a heart attack, but he does have a heart issue he needs to see a cardiologist about later, which I don't see as unusual after 55 years of organ operation. But, whew...it was a scare until we knew. It seems he's somehow pulled a muscle in the top mid-section of his back, and he can't figure out where or when. They gave him some meds for that and follow up instructions. But it's good to know that if you ever have such a pain in the back that doesn't go away and, in fact, escalates, it could be a heart problem. You should see your doctor or visit the ER.

So that was my day yesterday. No work to speak of. All stress. And finally relief.

Now, to the actual check-in...

These chapters are really sending a lot of serendipity my way. With Chapter 7 being all about connection, and my losing my dog that same week, there was a lot of that going on. It began with the eulogy, and then moved on to the assignment I had that was due last week. It involved connecting with an historic event. Even after a really short trip there, I was able to feel very connected to this place and time--the Civil Rights Movement.

In fact, I was able to use an actual event that I discovered occurred on my 1-year-old birthday in the story itself. I was able to connect with the gospel music of the times. I was able to put myself in the place of the protesters because of the interactive elements involved in the tour I was on. It was all very experiential. And that really helped me write a story my editor had little to edit away.

Later in the week, I was able to find more connection to my dog, after I picked up her ashes. I went back to that pile of pictures I'd been sorting through on the day I had to take her to the vet hospital (and where she subsequently died), and I found several pictures of her. Pictures I hadn't seen since we'd first gotten her. So I gathered them all and shared them with friends. I miss her. Last week was all about finding some kind of connection with her. I didn't have to work too hard at it. I am still finding this in every room of my house. I very much feel her presence in my office, as this is where we both spent the bulk of our lives together. I haven't yet picked up her toys or removed her bed from the floor. It's all very comforting to me.

And this week, the connections are extending to the human beings in my life. My BF, for example, and the visit to the ER. There was nothing else I could have done but be with him during that scary moment in his life. It was good for him. It was good for me. It was good for us to feel a connected during such a scare. It's what helps bring two people together, when you know you can count on each other. That's the point of connection, I believe, and that's not always easy to do when trying to protect your own time and space and your Artist Self (which is mentioned in this week's chapter).

Further understanding of "connection" occurred this past week when I wrote a short story that involved lost connections. Though it wasn't an animal-based story, I'm sure it was a cathartic release, and also a sign that I am definitely giving my Artist Self the time it needs to explore and grow. I like that. Are you seeing any similar events/experiences unfold in your own TAW work?

Of course, the chapter is further realized in the way I'm reading my daughter's phone calls. Every time I hear her ring on my cell phone, my first question before "hello" is: "Is it time yet?" She's about to give birth any day now, and I'm so in tune with that and preparing for the big moment that I can't help myself but jump at her every call. It could be the one. Ah, yes, connections. I'm glad so many exist in my life, and truly, I've been touched by this chapter.

As you can imagine, however, I only wrote Morning Pages two times last week and am counting my picture sorting as my Artist Date. If I took another one, I can no longer recall it, as I spent the bulk of the week too busy stressing about finishing my story for an editor when all I really wanted to do was grieve my dog. I managed to do both. I suppose writing a short story could count...

I did highlight a few things in the chapter and was surprised to see so much that still matters to me, as it did in previous readings, things such as this (paraphrased):

_Listen to your intuitive voice (This came out in my short story, and I needed it in order to manage the health of my dog).

_Letting go is a normal part of creativity.

_I have been that person who wouldn't do something unless I was sure I could do it perfectly. I have learned over the years to take the risk and do it anyway. Some of the things I've taken the risk to try: improvisation classes, reading my poetry in public, a spontaneous vacation. Things I'd like to try that were on her list: whitewater river rafting, figure drawing or watercolor painting and trapeze classes.

_I come up with book ideas and write them in the margins of my TAW book. It's fun to see what I've written in the past. I added two more to the margins in this chapter this year. One I'm working on already, but I like the title I came up with this past week better than the one I already had.

_I liked what the chapter says about jealousy, that it's a mask behind the fear of doing something you're not yet brave enough to try. That's a good point and something to be reminded of when that green monster rears his ugly head.

As far as exercises, I didn't take much time to do them this week and only did one or two.

I'm really glad to be in "Chapter 8 -- Recovering a Sense of Strength." Perfect timing, if I do say so myself.

Be sure to post your progress here, and tell us how you're relating to the last few chapters. Are you seeing the growth you might expect? Are you surprised at what you're experiencing all because of this one little book and the time you are choosing to give your Artist Self? Share your thoughts here.

Motivation for Mondays is a part of a weekly Twitter party called #MotivatedMondays initiated by Lorrie Shaw, a professional pet sitter, a regular pets contributor at annarbor.com, and pet blogger in Dexter Township, MI. Together, we post a combination of inspirational notes, links to motivational blog posts, and tips to help kickstart your week ahead. Look for us online every Monday morning--and throughout the day--if you need to kick start your week or want to share your own motivational thoughts.