The Artist’s Way – Week 4: Recovering a sense of integrity

What do you mean I can’t read all week?

This was the infamous week of the Reading Deprivation, and I’d love to say that I continued my “good student streak” and did a great job at it, but I really didn’t.

I did, however, learn a lot about why I read.

I just started writing my thesis, and I only have nine weeks to do it, so no, I was not willing to commit to the full reading deprivation. (Sure, valid reason, but how about the rest?)

I found out I often flood my brain with information. Article linked to a Facebook post? I’ll read it, and every other article linked within the first one. Five minutes to spare? Let me grab a book. Mildly interested in a new topic? Let me Google that! During the reading deprivation, I tried to cut down on these, and that was actually really nice.

I also have a few emotional support books that I read when I’m stressed. It was a tough week, so I let myself have those, but I did think twice: are they actually helping right now, or am I just trying to distract myself?

Artist Date

I am happy to report that I FINALLY planned a proper Artist Date for myself!

I saw something I thought would be fun, and I scheduled it, payed for it, got the materials required, told everybody around me that I wouldn’t be available during that time, and actually showed up for myself. It felt like a good step.

On Sunday, I did a vegan tapas making workshop online with Living the Green Life. The food was awesome, and I had a lot of fun! Scheduling it made it real, and this was the first time the Artist Date actually felt properly done!

You’ve been hearing my excitement about the morning pages for weeks, so I thought I’d give you a break. However, if this is the first reflection you’ve read from me, you can read more of my thoughts in previous weeks. Just click on a previous post below or go here for the overview.

If you’ve done this week too, I’d love to hear what you thought! How did the reading deprivation go? Are you noticing any changes?

Love,
Flora