The Artist’s Way – Week 0: The Basic Tools

Morning Pages and Artist Dates, the two major tools of The Artist’s Way.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve heard these terms thrown around here and there, you may have been intrigued, but you’ve never actually committed to them.

In the coming twelve weeks, I want to change that, and I’m going to share my journey with you.

First things first: here are the tools I’ll be using every week over the next 12 weeks.

1. Morning Pages

Before the book arrived, I tried out the Morning Pages on my laptop. I know, I know… there are pretty explicit instructions to write them by hand, but hey, don’t judge. I’m busy, and I wanted to make it as easy as possible to get started.

Once I had the book in my hands, and signed the contract, I decided to fully commit and got myself a notebook.

Is it worth it?

That’s the question I asked myself. The short answer is yes. I thought I’d be better off with a laptop (because I can type just about fast enough to catch my thoughts), but it turns out writing by hand is actually quite meditative.

I slow down just enough to really hear myself, and I suppose I’m a little more honest on paper. I can’t bullshit my way out of this one. It does hurt my arm though. At this point I’m not sure if there’s something wrong with the way I hold a pen, or if I’m just out of practice, but the hand cramp is real!

After breakfast (let’s be honest – I’m not doing anything if I’m hungry!), I clear the table, make some tea (I currently love the Rituals tea that our friend Jordi brought us), light too many candles, and bring a blanket and a notebook + pen to my little urban jungle.

I’ve been enjoying it. It’s a nice way to connect with myself, and figure out what I really want. It helps me set priorities too. (Honestly, if you’re self-employed, I highly recommend using the pages to work through the noise and figure out what to do next.)

In short: I’m pleasantly surprised. I was very resistant, but I’m actually enjoying this little ritual now!

2. Artist Date

I initially liked the concept of Artist Dates the most, but being in lockdown has made it feel a little more daunting.

I want to challenge myself to get creative, and keep doing these (consciously!). Right now, it is what it is. I am really curious to see how this progresses when (if?) the world starts moving again.

The ideas are plenty, but many will have to be reserved for later. (Read: when we’re not in lockdown.)

The information in the book really resonated with me, and made me feel like this kind of quality time might have a positive impact on all relationships. For the duration of the course, I want to challenge myself to schedule two fun / inspiring / creative dates each week: one with myself and my Artist, and one with my partner.

I’ll keep you posted! Click here to see all the weeks.

Love,
Flora