The Artist’s Way

My mom was obsessed with The Artist’s Way when I was a kid. I remember this book having such an effect on her that it always lingered in the back of my mind as something that I should read. Now that Jessie and I have created this space to nurture our own creativity, the time is definitely right to delve into this quintessential book on creativity.

This book is bomb, y’all.

The Artist’s Way is a 12-week course meant to “discover and recover your creative self.” This course includes a ton of tools and exercises. One of these tools is the “morning pages.” “Morning pages” are three pages of longhand writing, written each day. The point of these pages is to get to the other side “of our fear, of our negativity, of our moods.” I have been doing my morning pages for nearly a week now. It feels great to brain dump the bullshit before I start my day!

In the first week of exercises, we are supposed to use part of our morning pages to turn negative self-talk (i.e. “blurts”) into positive affirmations.

Some of my “blurts” are:

• It’s too late! You should have started when you were five!
• You don’t have time for all that! You have a house to clean! A business to run! Law to do!
• You will never reach the skill level you aspire to!

Even if I am not consciously thinking these things, these damaging thoughts are lurking in the background and seeping into everything I do. So, here are my “blurts” turned into positive affirmations!

• It’s too late! You should have started when you were five!

I am starting my creative journey at the perfect time! I have a fully developed brain, awesome ideas, and hella precise fine motor skills!

• You don’t have time for all that! You have a house to clean! A business to run! Law to do!

I have time! I can make time! My creative endeavors will only enrich the other areas of my life!

• You will never reach the skill level you aspire to.

My skills are going to be dope AF. I have already improved so much in the areas I have been working on and I will only get better!

 It’s just been a few days since I have started reading this book and doing the exercises and I am already seeing a difference in my thinking. I am excited to see where this goes!