Kimberly O'Connor

Here we are, nearly done with The Artist’s Way! I love week 11, “Recovering a Sense of Autonomy.” It’s all about being true to yourself, especially your inner child/artist self, and about putting that self first. I’ve been getting a lot of messages about putting myself first from various sources (eg. my amazing therapist! A fun tarot reading!) and it’s been interesting to consider the ways I do and don’t put myself first. Daughters, mothers, and women in general are generally pretty self-sacrificing in our society, so it’s been exciting for me have a sort of rebirth in this area.

There are so many gems in this chapter I thought I’d do something a little different and pull out some of my favorite passages, some highlights to remember as we wrap up the book.

Put Your Artist Self First: A Top Ten List

10. “Write badly, draw badly, perform badly. Creativity is its own reward.” (Remember that creating is a form of play!)

9. “Learn that as an artist, my credibility lies with me.” (And not with critics, naysayers, or the editors of literary magazines.)

8. “Surround myself with people who nurture my inner artist.” (See #9.)

7. “Creativity is oxygen for our souls.” (Breathe! You have to breath to live.)

6.”To be an artist is to acknowledge the astonishing.” (What astonishes you?)

5. “Creativity requires action, and part of that action must be physical.” (Go for a walk!)

4. The artist child speaks the language of the soul: music, dance, scent, shells. (Collect things that delight you and put them on an altar.)

3. Remember that “I can literally die from boredom” and “ignoring my artist means a grinding depression.” (Do something new and different.)

2. “As artists, we are spiritual sharks. If we don’t keep moving, we sink to the bottom and die.”

Photo by Gerald Schömbs on Unsplash

1. “Create what wants to be created.” (Honor the ideas that come to you!)