The Artist’s Way – Week 9 – Recovering a Sense of Compassion

Resist ‘Creative U-turns’, face your fears, and blast through internal conflicts. This week focuses on facing internal blocks to creativity and resisting the temptation to abandon ship by exploring and acknowledging emotional difficulties that beset us in the past. Week 9 is all about self-compassion. 

Before We Start: Week 8 Checklist

• How many days did you do your Morning Pages? How did that feel?
• Did you take yourself out on an Artist Date? What did you do and how did that feel? 
• Did you experience any form of synchronicity?
  
   

Resist Creative U-Turns

Cameron mentions ‘Creative U-turns’ to explain the temptation to abandon ship when one experiences internal conflicts or emotional difficulties that beset us in the past. Creative U-turns give us a double dose of shame: first we are ashamed by our fear, followed by the shame of our reaction to it (i.e.: I’d love to do that, but I’m afraid that … what’s the point? In the end it’s just nothing..”). Threatened by change and addicted by sympathy: we tend to sabotage ourselves when we become threatened by the potential loss of that crippled ego, convincing ourselves that it’s best to just crawl back to the more familiar comfort zone of being unhappy and stuck. The block feels safer: we make little progress, feel the change, and immediately scurry back to the broken but familiar cave that creates a sudden wave of indifference. 

To deal with these creative U-Turns, we must extend ourselves sympathy. The trick is to recover from these U-Turns, not succumb to them despite the great force of resistance. Acknowledge the fear and admit to the need for help by checking in with people who inspire you. Remember that synchronicity is key: once we make a habit out of being self-sufficient and reaching out for help, things will happen to your benefit. 

Face Your Fears

You’d be surprised how much time and energy one spends on self-doubt, regret, grief, and self-hatred. Especially in this digital age wherein we are constantly reminded of picture perfect lives, left and right. We chew on our own hearts with criticism, comparison, and abuse that only feeds this dark cloud of fear. Fear of exposing your true self, fear of not being loved for who you truly are. Believe it or not, there is a cure. Fear is cured by compassion and love. Be compassionate and love your inner creative child as much as you love the ones beside you. YOU are the one who knows best what you feel. YOU are the one who know best what you need. And YOU are the one who can give yourself what you need to feel great. 

Also, setting impossible goals creates insurmountable fear, leading to procrastination and leaving the blocked creative to call oneself lazy. Accuracy and compassion serve us far better. Stop calling yourself lazy or someone who lacks talent. Instead, be nice and call it by its real name: fear. Fear of not being good enough, fear of losing interest, fear of being or doing something that didn’t turn out to live up to expectations, fear of success. The need to become great and produce perfect results makes it hard to get into the barn at all. Having difficulties doesn’t mean you’re not capable of doing it. It means you need support from yourself and those around you. Start by allowing yourself to start over, take baby steps to grow, and reward yourself for every step you take. Face your fears by starting with love and compassion.

The Power of Enthousiasmos

Tapping into the creative inner voice requires enthusiasm rather than discipline. When importance shifts over to discipline instead of the creative act, the inner creative child will be neglected. Enthusiasm comes from the Greek word “enthousiasmos”, which means “divine inspiration, possessed by a God”. It’s a spiritual commitment whereby you surrender to creativity by focusing on an on going energy in play, not work. In other words, it’s joy – not duty – that answers to the inner creative child. 

Blast through Internal Conflicts

Internal conflicts are tough creative block that don’t go away with a one-time exercise. Freeing oneself of resentment (anger) and resistance (fear) is like going to the gym: one must exercise everyday to lose fat and continue exercising in order to build muscle. Internal conflicts, or creative blocks, are recognizable defenses against what is perceived to be right or wrong in a hostile environment. The following exercise helps remove the bugaboos between your inner child and the obstructed flow of creative energy:

1. List any resentment (anger) you have in connection with this project, no matter how petty or nit-picky. 
   To the inner child, these are grudges that make a really big deal. 
2. Ask you inner artist self to list any resistance (fear) about the project and anyone connected with it. 
3. Is there anything that you could have left out? Any other resentment (anger) or resistance (fear)?
4. Ask yourself what you stand to gain by not doing this piece of work (i.e.: “.. If I don’t pursue …. , I can’t fail at it or I can always blame something or someone else for my loss instead of myself..”).
5. Make the following deal with yourself, date and sign it: “I’ll take care of showing up and doing the work and the Creative Force takes care of the quality of the work.” 
   
   

Week 9 Exercises to Recover a Sense of Compassion

Morning Pages
Take two colored markers: one to highlight insights, one to highlight actions that need to be taken. DO NOT JUDGE your pages, your writing, or yourself. No matter how boring or painful, consider them as a map and consider them as useful info, not an indictment.

• Take Stock: Who have you been most complaining about? What have you been procrastinating on? What have you allowed yourself to change or accept? 
• Take Heart: Many of us notice an alarming tendency toward black and white thinking (i.e.: he’s terrible, she’s wonderful, I love him, I hate him, etc.).
• Acknowledge Thyself: The pages have allowed us to vent without self-destruction. Give yourself credit for undertaking them. And give them credit for the changes and growth they’ve fostered.  
  
  

Visualize your True North
You’ve already done work with naming your goal and identifying it’s true north. The following exercise asks you to fully imagine having your goal accomplished. Please spend enough time to fill in the juicy details that would make the experience truly wonderful for you.

• Name your goal. I am ______ .
• In the present tense. Describe yourself doing this at the height of your powers. This is your ideal scene.
• Read this aloud to yourself. 
• Post it above your work area.
• Read this aloud daily: “I am _______ and (the above mentioned description)”.
• For the next week, collect pictures of yourself and magazine pictures to collage your ideal scene. Seeing is believing; the added visual cue of your own face in with the ideal scenario makes it more real. 
  
  

Prioritize
List yourself your creative goals for the year, month, week.

Creative U-Turns

• Name five of them.
• Forgive yourself for all failures of nerve timing, faith, or initiative. Devise a personalized set of affirmations to make this work better when you’re up against it next time. 
• Very gently consider whether any aborted, abandoned, savaged, or sabotaged brain children can be rescued. Remember: You’re not alone! All of us have taken creative U-turns. 
• Choose one. Retrieve it and mend it.
• Do not take a creative U-turn now. Instead, notice you resistance. Morning pages seem too difficult, too time-consuming, pointless, stupid, just one more meaningless task in a sea of meaningless tasks? Do them anyway.
• What creative dreams are lurching toward possibility? Admit they frighten you. 
• Choose a creative totem (i.e. a doll, stuffed animal, carved figure, etc.). Choose something you feel a protective fondness toward. Give your totem a place of honor and honor it by not beating up on your creative child. 
  
  

Next: [ Lesson 10 ] – Recovering a Sense of Self-Protection

Thanks for reading!
This article captures what I consider to be the highlights of the book and articles that helped me gain understanding of the subject matter, and should only be treated as such. If you enjoyed this article, hit the follow button for more articles and summaries.

Cameron, J. (2017). The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity(12th Edition ed.). New York: J.P. Tarcher/Putnam.