Happy Friday AW Cohort! Michelle, I really appreciated the notion of paying attention as a part of our artist practice. Artists always seem to capture something that most would miss and represent it in words, painting, music. I have been intentionally trying to take more notice of things as well, mainly about how I feel about moving through life. Thank you for sharing your ten practices.
I did 6/7 days of morning pages this week and even carried my journal to Catalina island (where my pen ran out of ink and a nice person gave me one so I could write each day) where I backpacked and hiked with my two sons. This was my Father’s Day gift to myself. I spent a day in a hammock reading and napping, which I’m counting as my artist date for the week. I felt, at moments, that I should be doing something more, but allowed myself to take notice of the breeze, the crash of ocean waves, and the various bird songs, which led me to adding an orange-crowned warbler to my bird sightings. Bird watching is something that I re-started a couple years ago and was a passion of my youth. I have been using the apps to identify birds and snap photos when I can. This has allowed me to take more notice of my walks and everywhere I go and notice something that others may not. It feels like a secret between me and my feathered friends. I haven’t done the challenges yet, but may try one this weekend.
It sounds like we had similar artist's dates this week both in the what (taking in the nature around us) but more so in the feeling that "I should be doing more" or what counts as an artist's date. Perhaps the dates are more about the intentionality of noticing than whatever it is we "do" with the time. And rock on with reuniting with your feathered friends!
Michelle, one of the many reasons I love you is your depth. Your gifted and sensitive soul deeply resonates with me.
I was thinking of you again yesterday, because my husband and I are on vacation this week visiting friends in Tennessee. A friend of mine has a castor plant growing outside, but I didn't know what it was until I asked. It's not native here, but its gorgeous leaves spoke to me.
I also saw an Eastern fence lizard yesterday and he skirted away from me but poked his head out from under the rock - skittish but curious.
The reason I think of you is that your book opened my world to see how much we are all a part of nature and has deepened my love abs respect for it. ❤️❤️❤️
Bummer, I missed morning pages today (but completed the rest of the week) – our family is visiting family in Boston, so harder to protect my time.
My Artist's date was such a gift. I attended a Poetry Slam at the Central Anaheim Library -- and the poets were downright incredible. I love our human experience brought to life through the spoken word. So powerful. They shared of their inner turmoil of people-pleasing, and anxiety, and body shame. They also shared deeply personal and honest stories of growing up in domestic violence. They mentioned Obsidian Tongue in Pomona – if you know when/where they perform, please share!
Otherwise, I am impatiently patiently waiting for my inner-child /inner-artist to really come alive and let loose (I know, I know, it's only been two weeks, lol!).
You're so wonderfully impatient! I love that about you. And I love your choice of an artist date!!! Glorious. Remember, it often takes a commitment of 6-8 weeks before you start freeing yourself, and sometimes longer. Keep showing up for yourself. Keep getting out of your comfort zone. You are becoming. I feel it.
I love your rules, and they inspire me to build the ritual around my practice. At present, my only rule (which is really more just a guideline) is to remind myself that making the space and taking the time is not indulgent but rejuvenating.
Completed the pages this week not always in the morning, but more often so this week.
My primary artist date was simple in that last night I spent time on my balcony at sunset exploring a suitcase of stuff my mom saved across her life. Found signature books from the 40s and 50s, letters to her from my her parents and great aunt, her high school yearbook, and dog tags from every pet we had ever had. It was sweet and touching to connect across the years. There was also an unexpected bit of humor as my daughter joined me and I had to explain why my mom had a printed out list of every Perry Mason episode (because there was no Internet to speak of in the early 90s) or explain how to use a TV Guide.
My accidental somewhat of an artist date was doing some restoration and repair work to a wooden memory box of my daughter’s. I forget how much fun it can be to work with my hands, solve a problem, and repair beauty.
Not a lot of progress on tasks or affirmations, but that will be part of my practice this week.
Tom! I appreciate you. And you made me laugh when you called them rules. What a beautiful date to sit with your late mother, and also to share with your daughter. Generational bonding.
All of this is a practice. Thank you for practicing with us.
Hi Michelle — I just finished up a couple of programs that weren’t writing-focused, but will inform and influence my writing. I became a certified life coach and a certified grief educator. But, now I dive back into writing my memoir and am very excited about that. Reading your newsletter this morning (and, as always, thank you for what you share!) has been the inspiration and motivation I needed today to return to my notebook & keyboard. Thank you, Michelle. It’s wonderful to be back in your space! 💗
So lovely to have you here, Tess! So grateful to have you as part of our community, and to share support. Congratulations on your certifications! Your clients (current and future) are very, very fortunate to be working with you.
This was one of those weeks when it was hard to find time amongst the many scheduled things. Yet, I was able to get in all of the morning pages. The process is becoming easier, partially because I had a breakthrough on my approach to the pages and how I write.
I had trouble identifying what I was going to do for my artist’s date and how to squeeze it in. I got caught in the idea that I had to go out and do, which felt like a lot in a week of so much doing. Finally, I landed on spending time in my garden observing, being, and reading. It was glorious. Watching the hooded orioles, wrens, and monarchs mind their business as the hummingbirds, with their freakishly loud wing beats, brunched on nectars’ offerings was precisely what my artist’s mind and spirit needed.
I did a few of the tasks around how time is spent, how I enjoy aspects of life, and small changes I’d like to make. These were fine. In writing up the small changes, I realized that my preparation for my summer off-work time, I had essentially crafted this list under a different heading. Now, it is putting those changes into motion.
putting anything into motion takes so much more energy than staying in old routines...I love that you had a breakthrough in how you approach your pages...that was quick!!!
"Even when it’s uncomfortable, and especially when I can’t yet say it out loud. Especially then. The more I write the truth, the more my voice becomes a home I can live in."
It is comforting to know that even a great writer like you writes through discomfort and fear of saying new hard things aloud. 🤎
I have been doing early morning writing exercises since before The Artist’s Way was published. I got the idea from Dorothea Brande, who came up with it in the early 20th century. I read about her practice in Writing Fiction, by Janet Burroway.
Morning writing was a great help when I was still working for a daily newspaper. I used to write little stories; they came out of nowhere. Then I started writing about feelings. But now, what I write I often end up expanding on for my weekly Substack posting. Because the writing was getting so rich, I stopped doing exers on weekends.
As for artist’s dates, I take my wheelchair into nature or I ride the bus. I’m working on a book called Bus Therapy, about how riding can complete you.
Sometimes I visit a hardware or crafts store. This week I visited a volunteer operation that recycles craft supplies. It’s called Scrap. I bought a roll of register tape to use for paper-piecing pieces of fabric into strips.
Your post is one of my favorite Substack posts ever. I’m going to print and post those rules.
Thank you, Fran! I love this so much. What a fabulous name for a store, btw. Scrap! Perfection. I love the name of your book, Bus Therapy. Looking forward to hearing more about that! And I'm so happy these rules are useful for you. What an honor.
Happy Friday AW Cohort! Michelle, I really appreciated the notion of paying attention as a part of our artist practice. Artists always seem to capture something that most would miss and represent it in words, painting, music. I have been intentionally trying to take more notice of things as well, mainly about how I feel about moving through life. Thank you for sharing your ten practices.
I did 6/7 days of morning pages this week and even carried my journal to Catalina island (where my pen ran out of ink and a nice person gave me one so I could write each day) where I backpacked and hiked with my two sons. This was my Father’s Day gift to myself. I spent a day in a hammock reading and napping, which I’m counting as my artist date for the week. I felt, at moments, that I should be doing something more, but allowed myself to take notice of the breeze, the crash of ocean waves, and the various bird songs, which led me to adding an orange-crowned warbler to my bird sightings. Bird watching is something that I re-started a couple years ago and was a passion of my youth. I have been using the apps to identify birds and snap photos when I can. This has allowed me to take more notice of my walks and everywhere I go and notice something that others may not. It feels like a secret between me and my feathered friends. I haven’t done the challenges yet, but may try one this weekend.
It sounds like we had similar artist's dates this week both in the what (taking in the nature around us) but more so in the feeling that "I should be doing more" or what counts as an artist's date. Perhaps the dates are more about the intentionality of noticing than whatever it is we "do" with the time. And rock on with reuniting with your feathered friends!
Michelle, one of the many reasons I love you is your depth. Your gifted and sensitive soul deeply resonates with me.
I was thinking of you again yesterday, because my husband and I are on vacation this week visiting friends in Tennessee. A friend of mine has a castor plant growing outside, but I didn't know what it was until I asked. It's not native here, but its gorgeous leaves spoke to me.
I also saw an Eastern fence lizard yesterday and he skirted away from me but poked his head out from under the rock - skittish but curious.
The reason I think of you is that your book opened my world to see how much we are all a part of nature and has deepened my love abs respect for it. ❤️❤️❤️
We are nature, yes! Thank you for sharing this, Jeannie. Thank you for this gorgeous connection.
Bummer, I missed morning pages today (but completed the rest of the week) – our family is visiting family in Boston, so harder to protect my time.
My Artist's date was such a gift. I attended a Poetry Slam at the Central Anaheim Library -- and the poets were downright incredible. I love our human experience brought to life through the spoken word. So powerful. They shared of their inner turmoil of people-pleasing, and anxiety, and body shame. They also shared deeply personal and honest stories of growing up in domestic violence. They mentioned Obsidian Tongue in Pomona – if you know when/where they perform, please share!
Otherwise, I am impatiently patiently waiting for my inner-child /inner-artist to really come alive and let loose (I know, I know, it's only been two weeks, lol!).
You're so wonderfully impatient! I love that about you. And I love your choice of an artist date!!! Glorious. Remember, it often takes a commitment of 6-8 weeks before you start freeing yourself, and sometimes longer. Keep showing up for yourself. Keep getting out of your comfort zone. You are becoming. I feel it.
Impatient patience really is a thing. Feel it so often throughout life forgetting that sometimes the journey is the magical part. You got this!!!
I love your rules, and they inspire me to build the ritual around my practice. At present, my only rule (which is really more just a guideline) is to remind myself that making the space and taking the time is not indulgent but rejuvenating.
Completed the pages this week not always in the morning, but more often so this week.
My primary artist date was simple in that last night I spent time on my balcony at sunset exploring a suitcase of stuff my mom saved across her life. Found signature books from the 40s and 50s, letters to her from my her parents and great aunt, her high school yearbook, and dog tags from every pet we had ever had. It was sweet and touching to connect across the years. There was also an unexpected bit of humor as my daughter joined me and I had to explain why my mom had a printed out list of every Perry Mason episode (because there was no Internet to speak of in the early 90s) or explain how to use a TV Guide.
My accidental somewhat of an artist date was doing some restoration and repair work to a wooden memory box of my daughter’s. I forget how much fun it can be to work with my hands, solve a problem, and repair beauty.
Not a lot of progress on tasks or affirmations, but that will be part of my practice this week.
Tom! I appreciate you. And you made me laugh when you called them rules. What a beautiful date to sit with your late mother, and also to share with your daughter. Generational bonding.
All of this is a practice. Thank you for practicing with us.
Hi Michelle — I just finished up a couple of programs that weren’t writing-focused, but will inform and influence my writing. I became a certified life coach and a certified grief educator. But, now I dive back into writing my memoir and am very excited about that. Reading your newsletter this morning (and, as always, thank you for what you share!) has been the inspiration and motivation I needed today to return to my notebook & keyboard. Thank you, Michelle. It’s wonderful to be back in your space! 💗
So lovely to have you here, Tess! So grateful to have you as part of our community, and to share support. Congratulations on your certifications! Your clients (current and future) are very, very fortunate to be working with you.
Thank you so much, Michelle. I appreciate your very kind and generous words. Sending a hug!
This was one of those weeks when it was hard to find time amongst the many scheduled things. Yet, I was able to get in all of the morning pages. The process is becoming easier, partially because I had a breakthrough on my approach to the pages and how I write.
I had trouble identifying what I was going to do for my artist’s date and how to squeeze it in. I got caught in the idea that I had to go out and do, which felt like a lot in a week of so much doing. Finally, I landed on spending time in my garden observing, being, and reading. It was glorious. Watching the hooded orioles, wrens, and monarchs mind their business as the hummingbirds, with their freakishly loud wing beats, brunched on nectars’ offerings was precisely what my artist’s mind and spirit needed.
I did a few of the tasks around how time is spent, how I enjoy aspects of life, and small changes I’d like to make. These were fine. In writing up the small changes, I realized that my preparation for my summer off-work time, I had essentially crafted this list under a different heading. Now, it is putting those changes into motion.
putting anything into motion takes so much more energy than staying in old routines...I love that you had a breakthrough in how you approach your pages...that was quick!!!
"Even when it’s uncomfortable, and especially when I can’t yet say it out loud. Especially then. The more I write the truth, the more my voice becomes a home I can live in."
It is comforting to know that even a great writer like you writes through discomfort and fear of saying new hard things aloud. 🤎
I have been doing early morning writing exercises since before The Artist’s Way was published. I got the idea from Dorothea Brande, who came up with it in the early 20th century. I read about her practice in Writing Fiction, by Janet Burroway.
Morning writing was a great help when I was still working for a daily newspaper. I used to write little stories; they came out of nowhere. Then I started writing about feelings. But now, what I write I often end up expanding on for my weekly Substack posting. Because the writing was getting so rich, I stopped doing exers on weekends.
As for artist’s dates, I take my wheelchair into nature or I ride the bus. I’m working on a book called Bus Therapy, about how riding can complete you.
Sometimes I visit a hardware or crafts store. This week I visited a volunteer operation that recycles craft supplies. It’s called Scrap. I bought a roll of register tape to use for paper-piecing pieces of fabric into strips.
Your post is one of my favorite Substack posts ever. I’m going to print and post those rules.
Thank you, Fran! I love this so much. What a fabulous name for a store, btw. Scrap! Perfection. I love the name of your book, Bus Therapy. Looking forward to hearing more about that! And I'm so happy these rules are useful for you. What an honor.
I’m going to volunteer at Scrap, helping with the faric and yarn donations.
The Irish! Long live the underdogs!
☘️