Week 11, Day 2 of The Artist's Way

Today, let's receive our creativity as a gift that keeps on giving.

SELF-ACCEPTANCE

To be an artist is to recognize the particular.

To appreciate the peculiar. To allow a sense of play in your relationship to accepted standards. To ask the question “Why?” To be an artist is to risk admitting that much of what is money, property, and prestige strikes you as just a little silly.

To be an artist is to acknowledge the astonishing.

It is to allow the wrong piece in a room if we like it. It is to hang on to a weird coat that makes us happy. It is to not keep trying to be something that we aren’t.

If you are happier writing than not writing, painting than not painting, singing than not singing, acting than not acting, directing than not directing, for God’s sake (and I mean that literally) let yourself do it.

To kill your dreams because they are irresponsible is to be irresponsible to yourself Credibility lies with you and God—not with a vote of your friends and acquaintances.

The creator made us creative. Our creativity is our gift from God. Our use of it is our gift to God.

Accepting this bargain is the beginning of true self-acceptance.

(The Artist's Way, 2016, p. 181 – 182)

I accept myself as a uniquely gifted creative being.

I accept myself as a uniquely gifted creative being.

HONEST CHANGES EXERCISE

Tape your own voice reading the Basic Principles. 

Choose a favorite essay from this book and tape that as well. Use this tape for meditation.

BASIC PRINCIPLES:

1. Creativity is the natural order of life. Life is energy: pure creative energy.
2. There is an underlining, 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, I 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 towards our dreams, we move towards our divinity.

(Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way, p. 2-3)

“The function of the creative artist consists of making laws, not in following laws already made.”

– Ferruccio Busoni

What is one rule you can create for yourself that allows your creative child more room to play?

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