This week was supposed to ground the artist back into themselves through something called “Reading Deprivation.” So, uh, first things first, I did not do this…
There’s a lot of chat online about this being more like “media deprivation” instead of just reading, because back when the book was written there was definitely less options for TV, no social media, and the all-consuming presence of global media through the internet was not…literally everywhere.
However, I work in marketing and therefore am adjacent to all of those things. Unfortunately, even if I wanted to take a break from those things, it would be insanely difficult. Reading? TV? Other “fun” freetime killers? Yeah, I could have taken a break from those. But, my current mental state demands some kind of coping mechanism and I chose reading fluffy romance novels as mine.
The morning pages have been super helpful for the current mental health/anxiety struggles I’m going through. It helps me tap into the rational thinking side rather than the highly-sensitive feeling-everything side. Like I said a few weeks ago, imposter syndrome is hounding me like a pack of wild dogs in the dead of winter. It’s preying on my every weakness and I’m still learning how to fight it off.
I’m getting there though! Little by little, I’m getting my confidence back.
Julia also makes a point to start weeding out bad habits or behaviors that don’t serve the person you want to be. Standard self-help book type stuff. That includes, getting rid of “low self worth” clothing, nurturing your health through good foods and movement, and looking at hobbies and activities you’ve always thought of trying but have been too scared to.
Luckily, this coincides with a lot of the spring cleaning we’re doing in the house. We’ve purged a lot of clothing from our closets and are bringing in new pieces. I’ve started taking Lagree classes (think reformer Pilates on steroids), so that’s been good for my moods as well. I definitely feel way better after the classes, even if they kick my butt every time. As for hobbies, I really need to dive back into some of the more maker-focused hobbies I have. Crocheting, charcoal drawings, maybe some water color or pastels? Even cooking has kind of fallen by the wayside — we tend to cook the same recipes every week because they’re fast and easy.
As recovering creatives, we often have to excavate our own pasts for the shards of buried dreams and delights. Do a little fast and furious digging. This is an exercise in spontaneity, write quickly—speed kills the censor.
Buried Dreams Exercise:
- 5 hobbies that sound fun
- Needle Felting
- Photography
- Rock Climbing
- Fiber arts – Weaving on a loom/making yarn
- Scuba diving
- 5 classes that sound fun
- Yoga
- Pottery
- Foraging
- Espresso making/barista skills
- Book binding
- 5 things you personally would NEVER do that sound fun
- Skydiving
- Urban spelunking
- Solo travel
- Ghost tours
- Seeing a psychic
- 5 skills that would be fun to have
- Foreign language – Spanish, French, Korean, Japanese, any really
- Ceramics/sculpting
- Pastry making
- Graphic design
- Tap dancing
- 5 things you used to enjoy doing
- Singing – musicals/karaoke
- Playing a sport – soccer or volleyball especially
- Mixed media art
- Coffee shop writing
- Window shopping
- 5 silly things you’d like to try once
- A zumba class
- Aerial yoga
- Cosplaying
- Drawing a cartoon
- Axe throwing
A lot of the things I think are “silly” really aren’t, they just make me feel silly. Also nothing is quite out of my reach if I really wanted to try it out. It’s all about finding a way to learn, which with the Internet shouldn’t be too hard.
I didn’t do my artist’s date this week either, which is a real shame. Other things came up before that, as they always tend to do. Maybe this week I’ll have to treat myself a little. I do think a media deprivation week could really help, but that might have to wait a bit till I’m less in my head about everything.
Happy creating!
Rachel
Subtle Stories 