“I don’t think I can do it”, “It’s too ambitious for me”, “I’m not ready (yet)”… Ever had similar kind of thoughts running through your mind? You’ve probably seen this on a fancy board images: “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid”. Fun fact: apparently, there is no substantive evidence of this being Einstein’s quote.
Why is it so important to look at yourself in the mirror and repeat to yourself positive affirmations (e.g.: “You’ve got this!”, “You’re worthy”, “You’re beautiful”)? It’s basically to reprogram the subconscious mind. Think about it: if you encourage yourself to believe certain things about yourself or about your surrounding, it’ll help create the reality you long for and attract happiness. It’s a powerful tool to release yourself from negative thoughts and behaviors. It slowly changes your thought patterns and your approach to life.
This is exactly why having a sense of faith in oneself is so important. Faith is what nourishes the soul. It is just as important as the body needs air. Therefore, recovering a sense of faith is a fundamental part in the journey of recovering your creative self. You are the one who has the power to achieve whatever you’d like to achieve. You’re the one holding the paintbrush in front of a blank canvas. With faith and a little bit of determination and perseverance, you’d be dusting your shoulders of like the legend, Robert Norman Ross, himself.
Welcome to the final week of The Artist’s Way. Acknowledge the inner inherently mysterious and spiritual heart of creativity. Trust the inner guide by nurturing and accepting yourself as an artist. Value ‘Imagination at Play’ by exploring behaviors that can strengthen the spiritual base and creative power within oneself. Achieve ‘Escape Velocity’ by looking at ways in which success must be handled to prevent self-sabotaging freedom.
Before We Start: Week 11 Checklist
Last week, we focused on recovering a sense of autonomy, wherein we learn to nurture and accept ourselves as an artist. What is your take on ‘success’? Did you consider ‘The Zen of Sports’? And how’s your ‘Artist’s Altar’ looking? Remember to count your blessings, to acknowledge the gift of the day, and to celebrate your artistic autonomy. Because you are worth every second of it.
- How many days did you do your Morning Pages? How did that feel? Did you recommend this task to anyone?
- 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? If so, describe in detail.
- Describe the other things that are relevant to your recovery (if any).
Trust Your Inner Guide
Creativity requires faith and faith requires the relinquishment of control. “I don’t think I should do it .. This is a bad idea .. I don’t know..”.Oftentimes, one feels extreme resistance (e.g.: anxiety, anger, depression, and other negative emotions), because it is frightening to relinquish control. This resistance is a form of self-destruction to the creative artist. The truth is that you do know. It is a matter of having faith in yourself, trusting your inner guide, and have the courage to admit to whatever it is that you truly dream of doing.
The use of clearing affirmation (e.g.: “I trust my own inner guide”, “I know the things I know”) will give a sense of direction and helps open oneself up to the acknowledgment of inner dreams. The commitment to be true and to trust oneself in following inner dreams is what triggers the support of the Universe. Trigger an internal ‘yes’ by affirming your truest goals and desires and the Universe will mirror and expand that ‘yes’. True faith in oneself can surprise oneself in so many beautiful ways.
Embrace the Mystery in Life
Mystery is at the heart of creativity. It’s one of the most beautiful things one can experience. Creativity, like human life itself, begins in darkness. Too often, we think only in terms of light (i.e.: light bulb went on, Eureka!). Insights come to us as flashed, but such bright ideas are preceded by a gestation period that is interior, murky, and completely necessary.
Ideas don’t just pop up as fast as switching on the light. Ideas need to be handled with patience as it develops in the creative mind. When people say they want to be creative, most of the times it means that they want to be productive. Being creative is being productive. However, one must cooperate with the creative process, not force it. To allow mystery in life, it requires patience and cooperation.
Value Imagination at Play
The paradox of creative recovery: we must get serious about taking ourselves lightly. We live amongst an ambitious society that oftentimes makes it difficult to cultivate forms of creativity that are not related to career goals or whatever directly serves to oneself. Value imagination at play. Imaginative play basically refers to act of experimenting with various experiences that interest you.
One must turn to hobbies, as these are essential to joyful life. The hidden benefit is that hobbies involve a form of a mulling artist that could lead to creative breakthroughs. Also, spiritual beliefs accompany the practice of hobbies. Doing something by rote frees us from our ego’s demands and gives room for humility and clarity. This will help us merge with a greater source and affords us the perspectives needed to solve vexing personal or creative conundrums.
Escape Velocity
Escape velocity is referred to as the minimum speed needed for a moving body to escape from the gravitational influence of a massive body. When you’re just about to blast off into a new chapter in life, you’re drawn to the test. Just when everything seems to be so good, bad things happen. Or when you blurt out your dream to those around you, there’s at least one skeptical person we know that could awaken doubt within yourself.
In order to achieve escape velocity, learn to keep your own council to move silently among the skeptics and voice your plans among your allies. Remember the first rule of magic: self-containment. Hold your intention within yourself to manifest your desire and share this when you’re strong enough to those you can trust and who believe in you. Make a list of friends who support you and another list of those who don’t.
Week 12 Exercises to Recover a Sense of Faith
- Resistance, Anger, and Fear
Write down any resistances, angers, and fears you have about going on from here. - Procrastination Ruled by Hidden Fears
Look at current areas of procrastination. What are the payoffs in your waiting? Locate the hidden fears. - Throwback to ‘Core Negative Beliefs’ (Week 1)
Note your progress and read yourself the affirmations that you invented to counter some of those core negative beliefs. Write new ones about your continuing creative nurturance after this course is completed. - Mend any Mending
Repot any plants you have that are pinched, reach out to a lost friend, mend any mending. - Select Your “Universe Jar”
A “Universe Jar” is a jar in which you place your fears, hopes, dreams, and worries into. Use your jar and start with your fear list from task 1 (above). When worried, remind yourself it’s in the jar “The Universe’s got it”. - Honesty, Open-Mindedness, and Willingness
Honesty: What would you most like to create? Open-mindedness: What oddball paths would you dare to try? Willingness: What appearances are you willing to shed to pursue your dreams? - Build Your Support Network
List 5 people you can talk to about your dreams and with whom you feel supported to dream and then plan. - The Magic of Sharing Knowledge & Creativity
Reread this book and share it. Remember that the magic lies in one artist sharing knowledge and creativity with another.
Next: Reflection – The Artist’s Way
Thanks for reading!
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Cameron, J. (2017). The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity (12th Edition ed.). New York: J.P. Tarcher/Putnam.
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