Tag Archives: Julia Cameron

Weekly Writing Prompt — March 6, 2013 Edition

March 6, 2013Weekly Writing Promptagatha hattie queen of the night, creativity notebook, jacquelyn fedyk, Julia Cameron, leslie nan moon, north bend, sense of autonomy, SnoValley Writes!, The Artist's Way, work session, writing work shopadmin

Writers:

Greetings to you. The frogs serenaded me last night; the birds awoke me with their songs.

Spring is here. It will fight an epic battle for the next few weeks with Old Man Winter. But she is here. There is a sense of newness in the air (I moved my winter greens to their Spring-time beds), and I saw a doe and fawn early this morning. It’s all right here in front of us. But, sometimes I think we let the world and all its troubles detract us from the goodness and beauty right in front of us. I hope you have a chance to pause and reflect and allow the goodness and beauty to seep into you.

Enjoying life doesn’t mean there isn’t work, however. But, when it’s writing work, creative work, it doesn’t feel like work, right?

Today we continue making our way through the very last of The Artist’s Way.

Today’s task is this:

Build yourself a special creativity notebook. Number pages one through seven. Give one page each to the following categories: health, possessions, leisure, relationships, creativity, career, and spirituality. With no thought as to practicality, list ten wishes in each area. All right, it’s a lot. Let yourself dream a little here.

That’s it. No other task this week from us. Just do that one. But you do have an opportunity tonight at the Writer’s Café at Sawdust Coffee in North Bend, beginning at 6 p.m. to complete this task/prompt/creative nudge.

If you don’t have an artist’s date planned this week, please consider supporting one of our fellow writers and artists in the valley by attending a book launch/signing in North Bend.

Agatha Hattie – Queen of the Night, written by our own Jacquelyn Fedyk and illustrated by local favorite artist, Leslie Nan Moon are being hosted by Selah Gifts on Saturday, March 9^th, at Noon until 2 p.m. There will be a reading, signing, and definitely a chance for you to acquire as many copies of this great children’s book. Please consider setting aside some time to support them. For more information, please visit http://agathahattie.wordpress.com/

Next work session for the group is March 12 at the North Bend Library at 6 p.m. Hope to see you all there.

And now your moment of Writing Zen:

“To keep the body in good health is a duty…Otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” ~Buddha

Weekly Writing Prompt — February 13, 2013 Edition

February 14, 2013Weekly Writing PromptDegas, Host, Julia Cameron, tasks, The Artist's Way, The Deadlies, Volunteer, writer's cafeadmin

Writers:

Greetings.

Quick administrative notes before we dive into this week’s writing tasks –

We need a “host” for the Write-Ins on Friday mornings and Mid-Day on Mondays.

Any volunteers?

Our Friday one is 9:30 a.m. to Noonish (currently at the Black Dog) and Mid-Day Muse is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (currently at Pioneer Café). Locations could be changed, but SnoValley Writes! needs someone to volunteer to make sure that a table of writers is started. Let me know if you’re interested in doing this.

Alright…now for our writerly workings for the week…

We’re working through the tasks of Week 10: Recovering a Sense of Self-Protection within The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.

Note: Many of you have come to me and said that this work we’ve been doing going through The Artist’s Way has been enlightening, difficult, helpful, hard, and oh, so, inspiring. I’m glad so many of you are getting so much out of it. Like I’ve told you in the past, this is my third time through it and I still gather benefit from the exercises, tasks and stories within its pages.

Now for this week’s Tasks:

The Deadlies: Take a piece of paper and cut seven small strips from it. On each strip write one of the following words: alcohol, sex, work, money, food, family/friends. Fold these strips of paper and place them in an envelope. We call these folded slips the deadlies. You’ll see why in a minute. Now draw one of the deadlies from the envelope and write five ways in which it has had a negative impact on your life. (If the one you choose seems difficult or inapplicable to you, consider this resistance.) You will do this seven times, each time putting back the previous slip of paper so that you are always drawing from seven possible choices. Yes, you may draw the same deadly repeatedly. Yes, this is significant. Very often, it is the last impact on the final list of an annoying, “Oh no, not again” that yields a break, through denial, into clarity.

This one is a lot of work and I really want you all to work on this one. So, be sure to get it done.

And now your moment of Writing Zen:

“Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.” ~Edgar Degas

Don’t forget, Writer’s Café tonight! 6 p.m. at Sawdust Café in North Bend.

Weekly Writing Prompt — May 10, 2012 Edition

May 10, 2012Weekly Writing PromptArtist Date, artistic recover, Julia Cameron, morning pages, people you admire, self traits, The Artist's Way, working as a group, writing lifecasz

Sorry we missed yesterday. You missed this, right?

Yesterday was one of those days you’re not really sure where you are, what you’re doing, or why you’re doing it. And I kept thinking it was Tuesday.

/blush.

So here’s the check in:

1. Morning pages? Doing them? Yes? No? If so, how often?

2. Artist date? What did you do? What did you discover?

3. Synchronicity? Did you have it? What happened?

4. Spiritual Reading? Doing it? What did you discover?

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Exercises as we push through chapter 3 in the Artist’s Date. If you’re actually doing these you will see progress.

A. List five people you admire. Now, list five people you secretly admire. What traits do these people have tht you can cultivate further in yourself?

B. List five people you wish you had met who are dead. Now, list five people who are dead whom you’d like to hang out with for a while in eternity. What traits do you find in these people that you can look for in your friends?

C. Compare the two sets of lists. Take a look at what you really like and really admire — and a look at what you think you should like and admire. Your shoulds might tell you to admire Edison while your heart belongs to Houdini. Go with the Houdini side of you for awhile.

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And now your moment of Writing Zen:

“Eliminate something superfluous from your life. Break a habit. Do something that makes you feel insecure.” ~ Piero Ferrucci

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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

March 21, 2012Weekly Writing PromptArtist Date, Julia Cameron, morning pages, Recovering the Creative Self, The Artist's Way, Top 20 lists, Working Togethercasz

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

“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