Protect the Artist Child Within
Week 1, Day 2 of The Artist's Way
Today, let's find and protect our artist child by gently acknowledging enemies of our creative self-worth.
Protecting the Artist Child Within
The artist child must begin by crawling.
Baby steps will follow and there will be falls. Typically the recovering shadow artist will use these early efforts to discourage continued exploration.
In recovering from our creative blocks, it is necessary to go gently and slowly. What we are after here is the healing of old wounds—not the creation of new ones. No high jumping please! Mistakes are necessary! Stumbles are normal. These are baby steps. Progress, not perfection, is what we should be asking of ourselves.
Remember that in order to recover as an artist, you must be willing to be a bad artist. Give yourself permission to be a beginner. By being willing to be a bad artist, you have a chance to be an artist, and perhaps, over time, a very good one.
(The Artist's Way, p. 29-30)
My creativity heals myself and others.
download this printable affirmation card
Time Travel: Monster Hall of Fame
List three old enemies of your creative self-worth.
Please be as specific as possible in doing this exercise. Your historic monsters are the building blocks of your core negative beliefs. (Yes, rotten Sister Ann Rita from fifth grade does count, and the rotten thing she said to you does matter. Put her in.) This is your monster hall of fame. More monsters will come to you as you work through your recovery. It is always necessary to acknowledge creative injuries and grieve them. Otherwise, they become creative scar tissue and block your growth.
Make your own recovery the first priority in your life.
– Robin Norwood
What is one negative belief about your creative self-worth you are ready to let go of?
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