UNEARTHING UNSEEN TREASURES | ARTISTS WAY WEEK TWO & THREE

"Just as a recovering alcoholic must avoid the first drink,

the recovering artist must avoid the first think."

Hello hello! welcome to week 2 & 3 of my journey with The Artist's Way. Please be sure to read how week 1 went for me here :)

These two weeks required a lot more journaling and reading rather than physical activities, so i thought i'd give you a scoop of the events of the two weeks together.

So, here's the deal: I may have planned for these two weeks to be super structured, but life had other ideas and i found myself overshooting the tasks by a day or two. Sometimes, it felt like my week was actually 10 days long – but hey, who's counting?

Now, let's talk about the guilt. Guilt is like that unwanted guest at a party - but if there's anything I've learnt during these past five weeks of morning pages (yes, I'm on week four as I spill the beans) it's that it's all about being kinder to myself. Sure, I might not be a stickler for schedules, but that doesn't mean I'm slacking off. I've got my tasks lined up, and I tackle them with gusto. The twist is, I savour each moment a little longer. I reminded myself that i would rather have my tasks done to completion the correct way, than have them rushed to fit a schedule.

And guess what? I do aim to finish that chapter within a week, but if it stretches a tad long er, it's not the end of the world. i can allow myself that permission - everyone's journey is different, and we're all exploring it in our own, quirky ways.

"In creative recovery, it is not necessary that we change any of our beliefs. It is important that we examine them."

my favourite part from the week 2 chapter was "attention" after reading through this bit i had to close the book and take a moment to myself. Julia Cameron, the author of this book, paints a vivid picture of the importance of living in the now- relishing those tiny magical moments that often pass us by.

Too often i've caught myself living in fear of the past or with anxiety about the future. But Julia, the genius wordsmith that she is, manages to articulate something profound: In this very moment, right here, right now, I'm perfectly okay.

She gently reminds us that life might throw curveballs, and things may not always go as planned. There's a chance of bumps in the road, but in this very instant, we have the power to bask in the beauty of the present. If we miss that, well - that's a regret we don't want to carry with us, no matter how bright the future might seem.

the task that followed the learnings from this chapter was the "life-pie" - imagine a delicious pie chart divided into six scrumptious slices, each representing a different aspect of your life.

Julia's message here? It's okay if your life-pie looks like a tarantula, with uneven slices galore. The key is to sprinkle just a tad of attention to each section to bring that sweet, sweet sense of fulfilment.

that has been my goal ever since reading this chapter. its pushed me to truly nurture different aspects of my life, and i can surely say, there is sense of fulfilment slowly making its way to me.

One of the biggest things that came out of this chapter was my reconnection with my favourite activities. the task was to list out 20 things that make your heart do a happy dance - the things you truly enjoy, note when you last indulged in these activities, and then go and do some of them now. and i did that!

While there were a bunch of old favourites to revisit, there was one that tugged at my heartstrings – baking. i used to bake a lot a few years ago, but the college grind put that passion on the back burner. Well, guess who's back in the kitchen, flour flying and oven timer beeping?

Revisiting that phase of my life has been deeply healing, and i've found

myself a lovely new hobby.

making garlic bread, cinnamon buns, banana cake

this part of chapter 3 was a fascinating one. I've always believed in manifestation and the law of attraction, but as I delved into this chapter, it felt like the universe had cranked up its telepathic hotline just for me.

i've always called these weird instances "signs", or the "universe listening to me", But you know what? I've got a new favourite term for them now – "moments of synchronicity." and its crazy how things just felt like they were lining up, once i decided to pay attention to this synchronicity.

I'd have a brilliant idea pop into my noggin, and before I could even utter a word, someone would suggest it. I'd think about doing something in the coming days, and boom! The opportunity would waltz right into my life. Or I'd dream up an idea, and just like that, I'd stumble upon an online sign that screamed, "Bring this idea to life!" its such a refreshing and fulfilling task to notice these small moments of synchronicity.

"Shaming someone is an attempt to prevent the person from behaving

in a way that embarrasses us."

this was not one of the main tasks for this chapter, but it was a beautiful one nonetheless. Chapter 3 unveiled a little treasure trove of questions that sent me on an adventure back to my childhood, secret wishes, and deepest beliefs. Let me tell you, it was like a rollercoaster for the soul. These questions, some as easy as pie and others that required a little soul searching, led me down a path of reflection that was both exhilarating and, at times, a tad uncomfortable.

literally the first question on this list asked me to list my favourite childhood toy.. this I did not have to think twice. i wrote down 3 names - Rudolf, Chutki, and Jojo.

These weren't just toys; they were my trusty companions, my security blankets. Right after jotting down those names, I felt an almost primal urge to hold them again. So, I did what any intrepid explorer would do – I went on a treasure hunt! Thirty minutes of excavation later, there they were, resting in my hands like old friends reunited after years apart. (And yes, I did eventually return to that list, but not before admiring my favourite childhood treasures.)

now these 3 live alongside Ice Bear on my bed. And every night as I tuck myself in, I do so with a profound sense of calm. It's like I've created a protective fortress for my inner child.

oh i loved this activity. describing and drawing my childhood bedroom was deeply healing. ive always been that artsy kid. During my teen years, I was the DIY master, especially when it came to jazzing up my room with unique decor pieces. It was like sprinkling pieces of my soul all around my space, making it truly my own. i loved using my hands.

as i was drawing out each of the highlights i remembered from my room i had a profound realization - That 13-year-old spark of creativity, the one that made my room a masterpiece, is still very much alive in me. I realized that I'm constantly crafting and creating, just like I did back then.

honestly, whether you are reading The Artist's Way or not, everyone's gotta give this activity a try. Full disclosure, this activity did bring a tear to my eye, but hey, I'm the type to tear up at just about anything. But let me assure you, it's totally worth it.

So, that's where we are in our journey – currently cruising through Week 4 of the course, and it's been an absolute blast. I can't wait to see what exciting paths unfold in the chapters to come, and I'm thrilled to have you right there with me, experiencing it all :)

see you in week 5!

"The reward for attention is always healing."