My first and favourite creativity book, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, has tasks I go back to once in a while. Checking in with the artist writer creator inside of me.
Where am I right now? What am I thinking about? What am I realizing? What am I letting go? This is what I am asking myself, but these questions sound a bit dull. Julia has questions that are much more fun and go just as deep, deeper if I let them.
Here is where the artist writer creator me is right now. The questions are from ‘Detective Work’ on pages 73 and 74.
- My favourite childhood toy was: crayons, skipping rope, roller skates, Spirograph, paper dolls, chemistry set (so many things to love; re the chemistry set, only 2 minor explosions and/or smoke)
- My favourite childhood game was: hopscotch, skipping, tree-climbing, chinese skipping (again, so many things to love)
- The best movie I ever saw as a child was: Japanese anime movie of Pinocchio, The Wizard of Oz, Herbie the Love Bug (I wonder where someone found a Japanese anime movie in the late 1960’s?)
- I don’t do it much but I enjoy: rollerskating (the old 4-wheel skates, not those inline ones), swimming (lake, not ocean, not swimming pool)
- If I could lighten up a little, I’d let myself: throw out ALL my clocks and never buy new ones, well, maybe a sun dial
- If it weren’t too late I’d: live in Europe and be artist-writer all the time (I have the second bit down, now I just need the first bit)
- My favourite musical instrument is: piano
- The amount of money I spend on treating myself to entertainment each month is: not enough!
- If I weren’t so stingy with my artist, I’d buy her: six months living in Amsterdam, Florence, and Venice
- Taking time out for myself is: necessary, not always easy
- I am afraid that if I start dreaming: I’ll do whatever I want without consulting anyone
- I secretly enjoy reading: trashy magazines
- If I had a perfect childhood I’d have grown up to be: artist and writer (oh, look, I did)
- If it didn’t sound so crazy, I’d write or make a: drawing the full length of a roll of Fabriano paper (coooooolllll!)
- My parents think artists are: not them
- My God thinks artists are: everyone (no exceptions) and essential
- What makes me feel weird about recovering my creative self is: my creativity keeps expanding and I am sure it has no outer limit (ooo, interesting, what do I want to create next?)
- Learning to trust myself is: perfect and sometimes difficult
- My most cheer-me-up music is: 70’s radio rock songs and Vince Guaraldi Charlie Brown music
- My favourite way to dress is: comfortable, colourful, funky, decorated
Yes, I like where I am and who I am right now (mostly). You just keep goin’, grrl! (Grrl is not a typo.) Go, Cat, Go, XO!
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Mentioned in this post:
Julia Cameron, book The Artist’s Way, http://juliacameronlive.com/
Vince Guaraldi, 1928-1976, awesome jazz musician and composer of music for the Charlie Brown cartoon tv specials (eg A Charlie Brown Christmas)
