I’m currently working through a 12 week program to help me tap back into my creativity and inspiration via the book: The Artist’s Way at Work: 12 Weeks to Creative Freedom by Julia Cameron, Mark Bryan, and Catherine Allen.
This is the business version of the very famous original book, The Artist’s Way also by Julia Cameron.
I started this project after feeling like I’ve been in a bit of a rut when it comes to working on my own, non-client-related work.
You can read more about this in my intro post right here.
I’m going week by week and reporting on the tools that were most effective for me from the book. There are always way more exercises and information in the book, so please get a copy and follow along!
Week 11: The Ledge of Authenticity
Tool: Name your poison
Exercise
- Find 15 minutes of time to yourself
- Get your pen and paper/journal
- Start to list out the toxic behaviors or ways you sabotage and block yourself
- Decide if you need outside/therapeutic/additional support with these behaviors and move forward from there
My Experience
These came to me easily. I feel I will need some additional support, but not therapeutic support. I’ve put some things in place to help already. I’ve added apps to block social media sites if I’m on at certain times of day or for longer periods of time, because scrolling is a big way I waste my time and sabotage myself. I think this tool is so important to consider. If you need professional support for your blocking behaviors, please do seek that out!
Tool: 10-minute Time-outs
This tool is to help you stay grounded, especially if your profile was to raise in your work. Whether you’re in a more visible role or not, it is a good idea to practice these mini daily breaks now.
Exercise
- Make a list of mini Artist Dates/Time-Outs you might enjoy
- Carve out 10 minutes in your day
- Pick one and practice it
Twelve 10-Minute Time-Out/Mini Break Ideas
- Guided Visualization
- Meditation Break
- Breathwork
- Go for a short walk
- Read poetry or a short story
- Write in your journal
- Create a collage
- Do one of these Artist Way exercises!
- Make one small step towards one of your goals
- Make a cup of tea and enjoy it mindfully
- Do some EFT (tapping)
- Use a Gua Sha tool to release tension from your face, jaw, neck, and hairline (this helps me soo much with preventing migraines!)
My Experience
Ummm… I of course loved this one. Any excuse to try to jam my day full of things I love is one I welcome.
I do some short (even shorter than 10 minutes sometimes – like even 5 minutes) breaks like breathwork or stepping away from my screen to stretch. The more I do these and the more I try new things, the better I feel about my day. I do struggle to stay consistent, but it is a practice.
Tool: Exercising Our Options
Exercise
Pick a physical activity to do regularly – it is recommended to pick something that engages you in an identity – something fun you used to like to do as a kid or something you feel proud to be
My Experience
I bought a mini trampoline! I loved jumping on a trampoline when I was a kid whenever I had the chance. 🙂
Tool: Creativity Center
Exercise
Create a personal touchstone/Creativity Center for yourself
It can be as small as a windowsill or shelf or it can be a nook or an office
Fill it with things you love or have some meaning to you and will inspire you to feel more creative and connected
My Experience
I went a little crazy with this and ended up rearranging my whole office. There is more I’d love to do here, but I’ve got a cozy corner with a loveseat, fuzzy blanks, a little table covered in a pretty scarf, and a basket filled with books, journals, a hot water bottle, coloring supplies. I’ve also got a good view of my most favorite piece of furniture, a waterfall vanity some friends all got together and gifted me for my 27th birthday! And on my vanity, I’ve got roses and peonies I’ve been drying, stones, and some other lovely things.
And it feels really good. Too soon to tell if it will inspire me to be more creative on a regular basis.
Check In
Morning Pages:
Keeping up with them daily if not completely writing for 3 pages each morning. I’m still as slow with them as ever.
Artist Dates/Time Outs:
I’ve noticed that these are the first things to get kicked off my calendar when I get busy and I really want to figure out how to change that in the next couple of weeks.
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