I started reading The Artist's Way. A lot of it makes sense. Some of it seems like some over-the-top New Age/Christian hybrid mumbo jumbo. I guess I have nothing to lose except the money I paid for the book and a new notebook. And a little time every week. That seems to be the best part--it shouldn't take more than a few hours a week.
The strangest thing she requires is a weekly Artist's Date. I'm supposed to go out, on my own, and treat my "inner child artist" to something fun. Okay. Seems ridiculous to me. I understand "filling the well" or "blowing up the balloon" as I called it. But why do I have to go by myself? And why is it mandated? If my well feels full, what good does it do to add more water to it? I realize I'm whining a bit. I will do it, at least for the duration of the course, but I don't have to like it.
Even though I have been doing what I thought were Morning Pages, I found that I wasn't writing them in the spirit of AW. I was thinking about what I wrote. You are supposed to just write. Stream of consciousness. That was different.
If nothing else, this will give me something to post about each week.
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3 comments:
You make me chuckle sometimes, DB.
You might want to check out "The Right to Write" by the same author. It's "The Artist's Way", but focused on writing. I think the exercises are a bit more useful, though I've only gotten through about half of it, so she could veer off at any moment. :)
I dig it. Embrace the solo dates, they're fun. You don't have to compromise with anybody about where you want to go, what you want to do, or when you want to do it.
Maybe think of it less as something the book is telling you to do and more as a chance to spend more time enjoying your own company :)
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