Week 8 Artist's Way

This chapter is about facing loss and being able to let it transform your work. Julia Cameron writes, "In order to recover our sense of hope and courage to create, we must acknowledge and mourn the scars that are blocking us." Not only do we have to grieve what has been done to us but the ways in which we sabotage our own chances to risk artistically. We have to ask ourselves how can this loss serve me creatively?
I don't have a lot of experience with this particular topic because my fear lies in getting started. However, I have experienced rejection in other ways and it can be hard to try again. To some degree I can understand why the wound of being rejected could cause an artist to be blocked.

Age is another barrier that she mentions as a creative block. I am 32 and I feel like I have used this line a time or two when it came to learning a foreign language or playing an instrument.

I think the reason you don't see a lot of adults trying new things is they have settled into a way of life that doesn't allow time to pursue the things they want.

I have a friend who says "Some people use their kids as a reason not to kick ass at life." I don't think this only applies to married people with children. I think for most people running after material things or simply status quo keeps us wrapped up with those around us and we have no time to figure out what we really want.  I think we also waste a lot of time on the Internet or watching t.v. . I am not anti these commodities but they can zap a lot of time quickly.

Cameron's solution to artistic wounds and age excuses is to take baby steps. She believes that taking too big of steps can create defeat, but baby steps help us stay motivated and encouraged.

I tell myself I don't currently (in Africa) have access to the things I would want to try but the truth is there are things I am interested in trying like: learning to knit, learning to weave a basket, or trying to write poetry to share at a poetry slam. I believe there are creative opportunities all around us, but we have to be willing to see them.

{the following ideas have been taken from The Artist's Way}