Tag Archives: The Artist’s Way

Weekly Writing Prompt — April 25, 2012 Edition

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Writers:

Ah, the rains have return. Our sun sickness that has us fleeing from our desks into the light is now over. But hopefully not for long, yes?

I’ve attached (below) the Detective Work Exercise we did during the Sunday Workshop so you can catch up to the rest of us.
For those who attended Sunday, you will already have these next exercises (as well as the Detective Work). This is part of the work we’re trying to accomplish to obtain creative recovery via The Artist Way (2002). So, I implore you to actually do this work. It’s fun. It’s a self-discovery. And it works. So don’t be shy.
1.  Describe your childhood room. If you wish, you may sketch this room. What was your favorite thing about it? What’s your favorite thing about your right now? Nothing? Well, get something you like in there — maybe something from that old childhood room.
2.  Describe five traits you like in yourself as a child.
3.  List five childhood accomplishments, (straight A’s in seventh grade, trained the dog, punched out the class bully, short-sheeted the priest’s bed). And a treat:  list five favorite childhood foods.  Buy yourself one of them this week. Yes, Jell-O with bananas is okay.
Now, the below will be new for everyone, but this absolutely should be done before we meet next,  which may not be until June due to Mother’s Day and Memorial Day weekend (more on that later).
4.  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 liek? 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, 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.
5.  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?
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So, our workshop meetings in May:  The 13th and the the 27th are both holidays, Mothers Day and then the Memorial Day weekend. Historically both of those days are very low attendance. If you’re interested in still doing a workshop on those days, please let me know and we’ll make a decision based upon interest.
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And now for your moment of Writing Zen:
“Creative work is play. It is free speculation using the materials of one’s chosen form.” ~ Stephen Nachmanovitch
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DETECTIVE WORK, AN EXERCISE (From The Artist’s Way, 2002, pg 73-74)

 

“…A little sleuth work is in order to restore the persons we have abandoned – ourselves. When you complete the following phrases, you may feel strong emotions as you retrieve memories and misplaced fragments of yourself. Allow yourself to free-associate for a sentence or so with each phrase.”

  1. My favorite childhood toy was…
  2. My favorite childhood game was…
  3. The best movie I ever saw as a kid was…
  4. I don’t do it much but I enjoy…
  5. If I could lighten up a little, I’d let myself…
  6. If it weren’t too late, I’d…
  7. My favorite musical instrument is…
  8. The amount of money I spend on treating myself to entertainment each month is…
  9. If I weren’t so stingy with my artist, I’d buy him/her…
  10. Taking time out for myself is…
  11. I am afraid that if I start dreaming…
  12. I secretly enjoy reading…
  13. If I had had a perfect childhood, I’d have grown up to be…
  14. If it didn’t sound so crazy, I’d write or make a…
  15. My parents think artists are …
  16. My (spiritual center – God, Buddha, The Universe, etc.) thinks artists are…
  17. What makes me feel weird about this creative recovery is…
  18. Learning to trust myself is probably…
  19. My most cheer-me-up music is…
  20. My favorite way to dress is…

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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

Weekly Writing Prompt — April 11, 2012 Edition

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Greetings Writers!

We will depart, as they say, from our regularly schedule program today to allow those who participated in or attended Word Jazz to reflect on the experience and provide feed back. It will also give everyone a chance to actually catch up on work we’ve been doing on our creative recovery journey ala The Artist’s Way. There were a good chunk of exercises in last week’s prompt, so I hope everyone will go back and work on those exercises.
So today’s prompt is to do a check in:
1.  How many days this week did you do your morning pages? How as the experience for you? I’m bad this week — yes I have bad week’s, too. And I notice my creativity suffers for it. I’m 3/7 this week. I could blame illness (2/3 kids sick this week), crazy schedule (conference, Word Jazz), but they really aren’t barriers, when I think about it; I’m just being lazy. But today is a new day.
2.  Did you do your artist date this week? What did you do? How did it feel? I had three artist’s dates in a row, since I went to NorWesCon. I love conferences, it always fuels the creative fire, even if physically they wear me out.
3.  Affirmative reading? Were there any other issues this week that you consider significant for your recovery? Describe them. As for me, I’ve had two separate epiphanies as it were this week. I will blog about my thoughts later today and you can read them there, if you’re interested.
Now onto comments, questions, concerns, suggestions, etc. for Word Jazz.
Please tell us (via email here) what you liked. Please tell us any suggestions for improvement you may have. Those who keep blogs, I encourage you to write about your experience either as participant, volunteer or audience member.
Our next regular work session will be April 22 at the North Bend Library Meeting Room at 3 p.m.  Until then …
Friday:  DayTripper’s @ Toad’s in North Bend 9:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. (ish) (if you’re the first one there, please secure the large table in the very back).
Monday:  Midday Muse @ Toad’s in North Bend 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. (ish) (if you’re the first one there, please secure the large table in the very back).
Tuesday:  Writers’ Cafe @ Carriage Insurance House – 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. (byo-beverages and snacks)
Keep writing and send it out!

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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

Weekly Writing Prompt — March 28, 2012 Edition

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Writers:

Have your reservations for Boxley’s for SnoValley Writes! Word Jazz on April 10th at 7 p.m.? No? Well you can do it online here: http://www.boxleysplace.com/web/reservations.espx?reservations=on&cid=44b996ab751e19c2ed2babc48169b615
Do it now, this event fills up fast.
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As discussed in our last bimonthly writing work session…wait, you say you missed our work session? Well, be sure not to miss the next one on April 22 (we’re suspended for the Easter Holiday Sunday). On the 22nd we’ll be discussing all the exercises contained in the weekly writing prompts, so be sure to stay tuned.
SnoValley Writes! is in the midst of The Artist’s Way journey. We’ve been employing the tools of morning pages and artist’s dates and affirmative reading. Affirmative reading includes these basic principles, which I’ve attached in an effort to get you to print it and post it near your writing space or within your morning pages journal. (Please note the use of God, The Great Creator, Universe, etc. is used interchangeably to cover all spiritual preferences; because at the heart of creativity is an experience of the mystical. Ms. Cameron refers to “God” as ‘Good Orderly Direction,’ so you can look at it as an acronym if you so choose. The core of it is the same. Creativity is a spiritual thing at its foundation.)
So are you doing morning pages*? I’m 6/7 last week. This week may be a little lower because I was ill Monday afternoon through yesterday. But, I’ve got a better batting record than most Major League Baseball stars in that regard, so I’m happy. Today is a new day, you can get those pages, done, too.
What was your artist’s date** last week? Reply and tell me what you did!
And now you can do your weekly affirmative reading (see attached).
Today’s writing prompt is two fold. First:  pick one of the Basic Principles and write from that. It can be essay, poem, short-story, whatever. Just pick one that means something and write. Write until your hands cramps or every thing you have to say on it is on the page/screen.
Second:  look at the second attachment (contract) and print it, fill it out, sign and date it and keep it in your morning pages journal or near your desk/writing space. I have modified it slightly for our purposes because we will be doing this journey for more than 12 weeks, given our bimonthly (less holidays) work session schedule.
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Writing Dates This Week
Friday, March 30, DayTrippers Write-In Fall City Roadhouse 9:30 a.m. until Noon-ish (come when you can, leave when you must)
Monday, April 2, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Midday Muse, Toad’s (North Bend), Write-In (come when you can, leave when you must)
Tuesday, April 3, Word Jazz Dress Rehearsal, 6:30 p.m. Carriage Insurance House
Thursday, April 5, Open Mic Night, The Black Dog, 6:30 p.m. — An opportunity to read your stuff for an appreciative, receptive audience.
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And now your moment of Writing Zen:
“Man is asked to make of himself what he is supposed to become to fulfill his destiny.” ~Paul Tillich
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*Morning Pages are three pages of longhand writing, strictly stream-of-consciousness. I call them “mental debris collector.” They are not meant to be art. It’s simply menat to be the act of moving the hand across the page and writing down whatever comes to mind. Nothing is too petty, too silly, too stupid, or too weird to be included. The act of morning pages frees your mind for better creativity. 

**Artist Date is a block of time, perhaps two hours weekly, especially set aside and committed to nurturing your creative consciousness, your inner artists. In its most primary form, the artist date is an excursion, a play date that you pre-plan and defend against all interlopers. You do not take anyone on this artist date but you and your inner artist, aka your creative child. 
***If you’re reading this online and want the attachments, you just need to email us at:  snovalleywrites (at) gamil (dot) com.  We will send them your way.
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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

Weekly Writing Prompt — March 21, 2012 Edition

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Lots of ones and twos in that date. It probably means something, but I’m about two cups of coffee unprepared to relay it to you all.

Because it’s so early, I must resort to numbering what I need to express to you all:
1.  Get your reservations for Boxley’s now for April 10 at 7 p.m. (or a bit before or after if you’re so inclined) for the 3rd Word Jazz by SnoValley Writes! This is some of the best storytelling we have done so far and I don’t want you to miss it!
2.  Still looking for suggestions for our first guest for our literary salon. Please send any local authors, editors, agents, publishers, etc. that you would like to see featured at such an event. Thank you.
3.  As you know we’re working together as a group through The Artist’s Way, so I’m going to ask you each week if you’re doing your morning pages, if you’ve done your artist date, if there were any other issues this week that you consider significant to your artistic recovery? So? Are you 7/7 for morning pages? 5/7? Where was your artist date? What did it teach you or bring you?
4. This week’s prompt: Number the screen or paper 1 to 20. Then, list 20 things you enjoy doing (rock climbing, roller-skating, baking pies, making soup, making love, making love again, oh quit blushing, riding a bike, riding a horse, playing catch, shooting baskets, going for a run, reading poetry, and so forth). When was the last time you let yourself do these things? Next to each entry, place a date. Don’t be surprised if it’s been years for some of your favorites. That will change. This list is an excellent source for artist dates. Still not clear on what artists dates are? Let me explain:  Artist Date:  An artist date is a block of time, perhaps two hours weekly, especially set aside and committed to nurturing your creative consciousness, your inner artist. In its most primary form, the artist date is an excursion, a play date that you preplan and DEFEND against all interlopers. You do not take anyone on this artist date but you and your inner artist, aka, your creative child. That means no lovers, friends, spouse, children — no taggers-on of any stripe.
5.  Regular Writing Works Session/Workshop this Sunday (March 25)  at 3 p.m. at the North Bend Library. Please RSVP and let me know if you plan to attend.
6. Your moment of Writing Zen:  “The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.” ~C.G. Jung

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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