Chapter 7: Recovering a Sense of Connection

 Ahhhhhhhh! Recovering a sense of connection. THAT is what this week's chapter is about and that explains all sorts of things that are happening in my life re: what's really really important to me and what are non-negotiables for my family, my relationships, my daily experience. It's so good. And yet so hard! There's the added bonus of doing The Artist's Way, friends! Eek!

So the great thing about doing these posts is not only that I actually do them (although a few days late) but that I actually reflect on the chapter. How does that saying go? It's not "You teach what you most need to learn, although that is true." It's more like teaching forces you to learn! ;P

I love what Julia says in this chapter about creativity NOT being about thinking something up as much as getting something down... dipping into the river of all this stuff just waiting to be written/drawn/painted/danced! Listening.

I experienced that this week. I gave myself a "minted-style" assignment to design an invitation and was totally and completely stuck. Until I stopped trying to think it up! Thinking was exactly the thing that was holding me back. When I get in my head, there's all sorts of chatter up there that tries to analyze why something is not good enough or calculating and analyzing a hundred different ways to do it that will protect myself from doing the wrong thing so that I end up not doing anything at all!!! You don't do that, do you?

I can totally see how being a Creative Director killed my creativity -- in the name of excellent client service! It's why the thought of being a corporate designer again makes me kinda want to puke in my mouth. This is why I really, really love my day job. It saves me from sabotaging my art. Does that make sense?

I don't want to turn that part of my brain on in that way. I have to hold this art thing so lightly -- like a little bird in my hand.

So here's the question for the week: what would you do if you didn't have to do it perfectly?
And my own litmus test, what feels like a good idea?

I really liked some of Julia's hit-and-run tasks too... things that you do quickly without much thought and then reflect on later. It's a fabulous way to unearth patterns and hidden drivers and I love stuff like that.
1. Getting a stack of random magazines and tearing out pictures that reflect your life and interests. Set a timer for 20 minutes and rip away, collecting things that you are drawn to intuitively.
2. Quick, list your 5 favorite movies. Your five favorite songs. Your five favorite books.
3. List your favorite topics to read about (what headlines do you click on online)? :)

Little exercises like this are ways that we connect with our intuition. It's nice to let our intuition drive the car once in awhile. For me, I hardly ever let that part get any air-time so when it happens, I'm actually a little surprised where she takes me.