My process....update....

Week 3 is well under way and I have yet to finish reading the chapter. There are many things I can appreciate about the Artist's Way and there are a zillion things I can appreciate about the bloggers' blogging the Artist's Way. But I just have to say this up front - this week Julia Cameron's tone is making me sick. UGH!! I think this is progress though so I'm not going to dwell on it. It seems like resistance and fussiness and all the things that come up with change are making an appearance. I'm not liking my own tone????? huh... did I just write that? Well, like I said I think there is some kind of progress going on so I am not going to let myself get stuck here. Just noticing......

I have done the morning pages since January 5. Wow. Not a day missed. It's had it's ups and downs. There have been some days I was tempted to skip. I'm lucky in that my schedule allows me a lot of flexibility so I'm not pressed to punch into a time card at an early hour. That alone makes it easier to do the pages every morning. I started on the computer (breaking Cameron's rule of handwriting). I had a few days that I handwrote them instead of typing.
Then, about 4 days ago, it occurred to me that I'd prefer to sit in my studio. My computer isn't in there so I'm back to handwriting the pages. I also discovered that I could drink my coffee in one hand and move the pen in the other. With the keyboard, in order to keep my fingers moving, I have to wait for my coffee. That reason alone is probably why I am now handwriting the pages. Although I still assert that writing the pages on the computer was just as valuable to me as handwriting them.
For the handwritten pages to be even better I need help - I need a smooth flowing pen to write these pages with - if anyone has a recommendation for a pen with ink that just glides without a lot of pressure needed let me know. A cheap wide ruled school notebook is all I'm using for the pages.

So, I got to thinking about the morning pages. They have helped me wake up before I start taking in a lot of outside information. I used to get up, get my coffee, and surf on the computer. By taking the time to write my pages first I have found that it gives me a chance to wake up and be grounded in myself and find out where I am at before I start reading what everyone else has to say. I have also found that the pages warm up my words so that my writing itch seems to continue throughout the day. All of this is helpful for blogging or writing or just my general attitude about the day.

Then it occurred to me that what would be really challenging is to do a "morning page" like exercise with clay. So I think I am going to add to my daily tasks with this exercise for now I'm calling it my daily lumps. I may change the title of it because it sounds like I'm being whacked over the head. I won't do it first thing like the morning pages. I will continue with the morning pages. But depending on my schedule I will try to do it as soon as possible in the day. That may mean right after breakfast. I want to take 15-20 minutes and shape a piece of clay. Make something. I'll extend the time to 30 minutes if I'm on a roll and time allows.
It will simply be to establish a daily attention to clay. I can make ugly clay works and I can make beautiful things, but it won't be to show anyone else. In fact, I am just going to use the same guidelines as the morning pages and put them away not to be looked at for 8 weeks. They may not ever be fired, but I'll wait until I've done it awhile to decide. I am just curious what will happen. And the hardest part for me is getting started. I just don't have the resistance to writing morning pages that I have with getting out the clay and facing the unformed lump. And the weird thing is I really enjoy working with clay and creating all kinds of things I just procrastinate with it so much. So I think this exercise will be a real challenge but one I hope might teach me something about showing up. I actually got the idea from a friend. A very wonderful artist who works in clay and painting and one year did 365 clay pieces making one a day. She lives in another state and I never got to see them - but her project is the seed of what I'm about to undertake here. Since I am blogging about this and you all will be coming to check on me I guess that means I am committing to it. I am committing to it and I hope to hold myself accountable. I begin tomorrow January 23. Oh, and I better get week's 3 chapter read huh?