I did AW in the 12 weeks because the thought of it going on for 24 made me scream internally - so it's been a while since I finished it, but I recognise a lot of what you note here. It did feel like a bit of a slog for quite a lot of the time, with the odd flash of OH, I SEE! along the way.
I am dropping in and out of doing the morning pages, they do seem to help excavate the limiting beliefs and such (but I am doing other work around that as well, so it's hard to tell what's having the effect).
I remain absolutely AWFUL at doing artist dates, why? I don't know - I fell like I have the time, but then it slips away - it's most likely a commitment thing. However I too have gone back to reading (and listening to, which is new!) a lot of fiction and it is really fun.
What I did have a real problem with was every time Julia Cameron mentioned "God" it brought me up short and *out of the work* . I am very much not anti-spirituality and if God is your thing then go for it, but it's not for me (other things are for me). Even when I crossed out "God" and changed it to e.g. "The Universe", it got in the way.
I still don't get synchronicity!
I probably wouldn't do the whole AW again but I did come out of it thinking a regular examination of 'where I am and where I want to be headed' would be valuable, so I may use some of the exercises again, and keep up with some form of journalling.
The end of TAW could not come soon enough for me. I did finish the book and a large selection of the tasks.
I started off with excitement and the thought that I would happily complete every bit of the program and at the end my novel would be finished (or nearly finished) and I would have published multiple post to substack.
The reality
Morning pages, Artist dates, and tasks that challenged me to the core, left me wrung out. I felt anything but creative during this process. No Substack posts and minimal work on my novel.
Around Chapter 8- I went out one night (it was a full moon) and burned all of my morning pages. After that I just didn't religiously attend to them. I started to focus my energy more on artist dates. Doing watercolor painting and creative cooking both with others and on my own.
After an illness in April, and getting behind I nearly quite all together. I did a chapter a week in May and finished the book on May 28th
I'm happy I completed the book and the majority of the task. It was a full time job. I could not manage additional creativity while doing this program.
Now that I have finished TAW I feel I have additional tools for when my creative life gets stuck or sluggish.
I wrote an artist prayer and I read it nearly every day. I ask myself questions and hand write pages to see what answers appear. I play more. I'm being kinder to myself. Watching for negative self talk. I learned a lot about my creative self, what works and what definitely doesn't work.
I do know that had I not committed here in this group to participate I wouldn't have finished. At time peer pressure is a good thing 😂(even if that pressure is only in your own mind)
Helen I want to thank you once again for taking us along with you on this journey, even if at times we had tantrums.
I'm sure I will reflect on this adventure for years to come. I may even decide to repeat parts. For now I am rejoicing that it is finished.
Wow, it really sounds like you threw yourself into it. No wonder the end couldn’t come soon enough. And yes, I know what you mean about it feeling like a full time job and leaving little mental energy for anything else creative. Congratulations on finishing it.
I tried so hard to hang in but once I was out of the hospital, the pain during my home health visits was too much to focus on anything, much less read a book.
I don’t know if I will go back and finish things up or not. I will go back to the morning pages, with my own twist in them.
Sorry for your health issues and i hope you recover quickly. I was doing shoulder rehab in January when we started and it was challenging to be in physical pain while being challenged to look at emotional blocks.
I began the artist way 2 or 3 times before and this is the first time I have completed it. Because I was constantly running from the introspective work Because then I would nolonger be able to hide from the truth buried deep down inside. So therefore despite the hard throd the journey was worth it. I came I saw and conquered. And now a work in progress as I begin the processive journey to keep growing and staying on track. And I will continue with both the morning pages and artist day as they are worth the time and experience and the benefits are rewarding.
It took me two tries to get through TAW - fifteen or so years apart! - so extra gold stars to you for getting through it the first time! I think I did it in 2022 (? - yes, I'm almost sure it was then) and I remember being pretty wrung out by the end of it and glazed over...I think I'd got all the information that I needed and while a big fan of introspection (it's a bit of a hobby of mine, after all :)) I was pretty much ruminated out.
That said, I have persistently ignored much of what I discovered in my morning pages, as far as what I wanted to be doing, because I didn't (don't?)) trust that it was real and not some kind of weird wishful thinking or massive, convoluted form of resistance -- so there's that. 😫. I've considered going through it again to see if I can get myself properly sorted but, honestly, the idea of it overwhelms me and I know that the issue lies more in my weirdly wired brain than it does with anything like fear or confidence - though there's fear about the consequences, I suppose. Good times...good times 🥲
From the outside, looking in, it seems like you've had some pretty huge breakthroughs - and they may keep coming -- and I'm so glad to hear you're getting your creative mojo back. xo
Your experiences are really interesting, Mel. And yes - outside looking in I have made real progress. I think it just doesn’t feel how I expected it to feel.
I did AW in the 12 weeks because the thought of it going on for 24 made me scream internally - so it's been a while since I finished it, but I recognise a lot of what you note here. It did feel like a bit of a slog for quite a lot of the time, with the odd flash of OH, I SEE! along the way.
I am dropping in and out of doing the morning pages, they do seem to help excavate the limiting beliefs and such (but I am doing other work around that as well, so it's hard to tell what's having the effect).
I remain absolutely AWFUL at doing artist dates, why? I don't know - I fell like I have the time, but then it slips away - it's most likely a commitment thing. However I too have gone back to reading (and listening to, which is new!) a lot of fiction and it is really fun.
What I did have a real problem with was every time Julia Cameron mentioned "God" it brought me up short and *out of the work* . I am very much not anti-spirituality and if God is your thing then go for it, but it's not for me (other things are for me). Even when I crossed out "God" and changed it to e.g. "The Universe", it got in the way.
I still don't get synchronicity!
I probably wouldn't do the whole AW again but I did come out of it thinking a regular examination of 'where I am and where I want to be headed' would be valuable, so I may use some of the exercises again, and keep up with some form of journalling.
The end of TAW could not come soon enough for me. I did finish the book and a large selection of the tasks.
I started off with excitement and the thought that I would happily complete every bit of the program and at the end my novel would be finished (or nearly finished) and I would have published multiple post to substack.
The reality
Morning pages, Artist dates, and tasks that challenged me to the core, left me wrung out. I felt anything but creative during this process. No Substack posts and minimal work on my novel.
Around Chapter 8- I went out one night (it was a full moon) and burned all of my morning pages. After that I just didn't religiously attend to them. I started to focus my energy more on artist dates. Doing watercolor painting and creative cooking both with others and on my own.
After an illness in April, and getting behind I nearly quite all together. I did a chapter a week in May and finished the book on May 28th
I'm happy I completed the book and the majority of the task. It was a full time job. I could not manage additional creativity while doing this program.
Now that I have finished TAW I feel I have additional tools for when my creative life gets stuck or sluggish.
I wrote an artist prayer and I read it nearly every day. I ask myself questions and hand write pages to see what answers appear. I play more. I'm being kinder to myself. Watching for negative self talk. I learned a lot about my creative self, what works and what definitely doesn't work.
I do know that had I not committed here in this group to participate I wouldn't have finished. At time peer pressure is a good thing 😂(even if that pressure is only in your own mind)
Helen I want to thank you once again for taking us along with you on this journey, even if at times we had tantrums.
I'm sure I will reflect on this adventure for years to come. I may even decide to repeat parts. For now I am rejoicing that it is finished.
Wow, it really sounds like you threw yourself into it. No wonder the end couldn’t come soon enough. And yes, I know what you mean about it feeling like a full time job and leaving little mental energy for anything else creative. Congratulations on finishing it.
I tried so hard to hang in but once I was out of the hospital, the pain during my home health visits was too much to focus on anything, much less read a book.
I don’t know if I will go back and finish things up or not. I will go back to the morning pages, with my own twist in them.
Do we know what the next book will be?
Yes, it is going to be Bird by Bird for the month of July. A memoir about writing.
Sorry for your health issues and i hope you recover quickly. I was doing shoulder rehab in January when we started and it was challenging to be in physical pain while being challenged to look at emotional blocks.
Thanks! I still have one major surgery ahead of me in 3-6 months. Staying positive. I hope your rehab went well and you are back to life as usual.
Good for you!! I have never finished it. 😀
I began the artist way 2 or 3 times before and this is the first time I have completed it. Because I was constantly running from the introspective work Because then I would nolonger be able to hide from the truth buried deep down inside. So therefore despite the hard throd the journey was worth it. I came I saw and conquered. And now a work in progress as I begin the processive journey to keep growing and staying on track. And I will continue with both the morning pages and artist day as they are worth the time and experience and the benefits are rewarding.
It took me two tries to get through TAW - fifteen or so years apart! - so extra gold stars to you for getting through it the first time! I think I did it in 2022 (? - yes, I'm almost sure it was then) and I remember being pretty wrung out by the end of it and glazed over...I think I'd got all the information that I needed and while a big fan of introspection (it's a bit of a hobby of mine, after all :)) I was pretty much ruminated out.
That said, I have persistently ignored much of what I discovered in my morning pages, as far as what I wanted to be doing, because I didn't (don't?)) trust that it was real and not some kind of weird wishful thinking or massive, convoluted form of resistance -- so there's that. 😫. I've considered going through it again to see if I can get myself properly sorted but, honestly, the idea of it overwhelms me and I know that the issue lies more in my weirdly wired brain than it does with anything like fear or confidence - though there's fear about the consequences, I suppose. Good times...good times 🥲
From the outside, looking in, it seems like you've had some pretty huge breakthroughs - and they may keep coming -- and I'm so glad to hear you're getting your creative mojo back. xo
Your experiences are really interesting, Mel. And yes - outside looking in I have made real progress. I think it just doesn’t feel how I expected it to feel.