“The quality of life is in proportion, always, to the capacity for delight. The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention.”

― Julia Cameron,

We entered week 2, a little braver, a little unsettled and shaken, going sane, while seeming insane..and with a huge dollop of  excitement over “Miracles” are real. Last entire week.. we have “MS” – Miracle Sighting and reporting.  Miracle in everyday stuff. Like finding an exact parking spot, getting an all paid stacation etc. What was nice was that there was excitement in sharing this, as well as pictures of artists dates, the joy of doing many things together, of being able to stick to a discipline and start to look forward to the morning pages. The realization that we are often our own “enemies” , crazymakers and the lightness of that realization, managed t shed a lot more light on what we thought of ourselves.

This week stirred the I-pot. The Identity question of who AM I, and the realization that, who I am changes based on who I think the other is. There was past life connections.. the discovery of the extremes.  We were left wondering. What is the quality of attention and healing, are we really  bringing to our lives and those around. Some of the experience were intense

I was in touch with intense anger, the kind I remembered feeling when I was in my early 20’s . Triggered by an unfair transport transaction.. “stuff” came up. And I found myself the activist, rebel wanting to fight. And the struggle t incorporate the “matured” reaction was difficult. And I was in no mood to quieten the fire so soon either. And I was left shaken by just how close, this other identity lived. It was at once relief and disconcerting. I was grateful for a sharing space that let it be. Without “coaching or therapizing me”

All in all.. there is energy catching up as the words in the book spring up and spoke to us in different ways.

We also discovery all the creative ways and places we journal our morning pages. Sometimes we write the morning pages in the evening.  

Week 2  is about the concept of recovering a Sense of identity. This week’s focus is on recognizing and dismantling the internal and external obstacles that obscure your true self, allowing your authentic creative identity to emerge.

Going Sane.

Trusting our creativity is a new behavior for many of us. It may feel threatening, not only to ourselves, but to our family, friends colleagues etc. We may feel and look erratic as we begin this process… it’s important to remember that at first flush, going sane feels just like going crazy. There is a normal ebb and flow to this work. As we gain strength and faith… so will some of the attacks of self doubt. This is normal, it’s a symptom of recovery.

Summary of Week 2: Recovering a Sense of Identity

1. Rediscovering Childhood Dreams: Reflecting on childhood interests and dreams can reconnect individuals with their core creative identity.
2. Facing Negative Beliefs: Identifying and challenging negative beliefs about creativity and one’s potential can free individuals to explore their artistic identity.
3. The Censor: Recognizing the internal critic, or “Censor,” that doubts and undermines creative efforts is essential for reclaiming artistic identity.
4. Cameron’s “Morning Pages”: This daily practice of free-writing helps clear the mind, process emotions, and tap into deeper creative thoughts.
5. Taking Creative Risks: Embracing small, manageable risks in creative endeavors can help build confidence and a stronger sense of identity as an artist.

The notions of “Poisonous Playmates,” “Crazymakers,” and “Attention” are key to understanding how external influences can negatively affect an artist’s creativity.

Recognizing the external influences and keeping they outside the circle, is crucial ,as we protect the is sapling of artists identity.

So that it’s easy to recognize them..they have names.

Poisonous Playmates

Poisonous Playmates are individuals who, knowingly or unknowingly, undermine your creative efforts and personal growth. These people might exhibit one or more of the following behaviors:

• Criticism, Negativity, Distraction: These individuals may consistently pull you away from your work with their own needs. These are often themselves BLOCKED . They literally may “poison” our minds against self expression and creativity

Crazymakers

Crazymakers  – A term that got used a lot in our sharing circle today. They area specific type of poisonous playmate who create chaos and confusion in the lives of those around them. They are often charismatic and demanding, pulling others into their orbit with a blend of charm and neediness. They often..

Create Drama, Sabotaging Your Efforts, Show inconsistent Behaviour,  Play the Victim and them blame you for doing so and so on… They literally “Make you go crazy”.

Attention.

Attention is energy finding a purpose. Attention is healing. Paying attention to the moment you are living, right now, right now. As the Bee once said maybe..for pondering. The question of “To Bee or Not to Bee” you have to BE in your attention.

“Regardless of whether we are experiencing success or failure, the truth of a life really has little to do with its quality. The quality of life is in proportion, always, to the capacity for delight. 

The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention.“

Each moment, taken alone, is always bearable. In the exact now, we are always alright. Each moment holds a beauty all its own, we are constantly adrift in a moment-to-moment experience of delight.

A re-Minder…

The Basic Principles.

1. Creativity is the natural order or life. Life is energy: pure creative energy.
2. There is an underlying, in-dwelling, creative force infusing all of life — including ourselves.
3. When we open ourselves to our creativity, we open ourselves to the creator’s creativity within us and our lives.
4. We are, ourselves, creations. And we, in turn, are meant to continue creativity by being creative ourselves.
5. Creativity is God’s gift to us. Using our creativity is our gift back to God.
6. The refusal to be creative is self-will and is counter to our true nature.
7. When we open ourselves to exploring our creativity, we open ourselves to God: Good Orderly Direction.
8. As we open our creative channel to the creator, many gentle but powerful changes are to be expected.
9. It is safe to open ourselves up to greater and greater creativity.
10. Our creative dreams and yearnings come from a divine source. As we move toward our dreams, we move toward our divinity.