Quick! Go outside right now. Yes, go right now. Go get some sun and vitamin D. Just stand our in the fresh air and breathe. I’ll wait here. Don’t come back for at least 10 minutes. Really, this email will still be here. Go, now. Make it happen.

What are you still doing here? …..

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Oh? You’re back? That was a quick 10 minutes. Wasn’t that grand? Did you hear the birds? Feel the cool Spring air on your face? I know you smiled. Whether because you’re in awe of the sun and nature or because you maybe felt a little silly. Regardless you smiled and new endorphins and hormones and all kinds of positive energy went through your body. And that’s a good thing.  Ever stuck in your creativity? A scene have you stuck? Try smiling. It’s amazing what epic waves of new energy follows that simple physical act.

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So, it is clear that the Month of May will put us on Hiatus as far as workshop sessions go. It’s hard to compete with Mother’s Day and the first long weekend of good weather. There may be a less formal gathering, but I will announce for sure next week.

But do stay engaged in the writers cafes and your own personal writing life. Keep working on the exercises I provide through these weekly emails — without a workshop they will become even more critical.

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Now for the fun part:

We continue our work via The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.

Check in: (these are good morning pages prompts, if you like)

1.  How many days this week did you do your morning pages? How was the experience for you? If you skipped a day, why did you skip it? (For me I hit 5/7, which seems to be my average. I’m having trouble rising early enough before the drums of family life awake everyone else to get these in; I may have to forgo some sleep to get them in on Saturday and Sunday).

2.  Did you do your artist date this week? What did you do? How did it feel? (I did some treasure hunting this week – and found some things that I will turn into art over the summer. I also took myself to lunch.)

3.  Did you experience any synchronicity this week? What was it? (I decided to add “Celebrate Beltane in Edinburgh, Scotland to my bucket list. My son posted a video from his favorite free-style BMX’r who hails from there and he said he wanted to go. Plans to get there before he’s 21 are afoot.)

4.  Were there any other issues this week that you consider significant for your {creative} recovery? Describe them. (I am struggling with contentment, meaning I feel, like many Americans, that it’s all not happening fast enough. Mindfulness of right now is a focus for me this week.)

Now to your tasks/exercises for this week:

A.  Habits:  Take a look at your habits. Many of them may interfere with your self-nurturing and cause shame. Some of the oddest things are self-destructive. Do you have a habit of watching TV you don’t like? Do you have a habit of hanging out with a really boring friend and just killing time (there’s an expression!)? Some rotten habits are obvious, overt (drinking too much, smoking, eating instead of writing). List three obvious rotten habits.What’s the payoff in continuing them?

Some rotten habits are more subtle (no time to exercise, little time to pray (meditate), always helping others, not getting any self-nurturing, hanging out with people who belittle your dreams). List three of your subtle foes. What use do these forms of sabotage have? Be specific.

B.  Make a list of friends who nurture you — that’s nurture (give you a sense of your own competency and possibility), not enable (give you the message that you will never get it straight without their help). There is a big difference between being helped and being treated as though we are helpless. List three nurturing friends. Which of their traits, particularly, serve you well?

C.  Call a friend who treats you like you are really good and bright person who can accomplish things. Part of your recovery is reaching out for support. This support will be critical as you undertake new risks.

D.  Inner Compass:  Each of us has an inner compass. This is an instinct that points us toward health. It warns us when we are on dangerous ground, and it tells us when something is safe and good for us. Morning pages are one way to contact it. So are some other artist-brain activities — painting, driving, walking, scrubbing, running. This week, take an hour to follow your inner compass by doing an artist-brain activity and listening to what insights bubble up.

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That’s a lot to keep you busy this week. But since you’ve got an extra few hours this month because of no workshops, we’re going to get moving forward on recovering your sense of artistic power.

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And now your moment of Writing Zen:

“Creative work is play. It is free speculation using the materials of one’s chosen form.” ~Stephen Nachmanovitch.

—
What did you Write today?
~Casz

Casondra Brewster
Moderator/Founder
Sno Valley Writes!
Helping Writers Reach New Literary Peaks Since 2008
http://www.snovalleywrites.org
Check us out on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/SnoValleyWrites

“But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling, like dew upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.” ~ Lord Byron