No reading? Then what am I going to do?
I am into week 4 of the Artist's Way course by Julia Cameron, a course to help me in unblocking and discovering my natural creativity.
This week I am not to read. What? Not read? Admittedly, I do spend a large amount of time reading, mostly mysteries and detective novels, knocking them out at a rate of five or six a week. If I didn't have obligations of four hours of work and the time preparing and eating a civilized dinner with my husband each day, I'd probably spend even more time with my nose in a book. Besides the occasional really great book, I get hooked on series of novels in which each mystery stands alone, but the secondary story of the life of the main sleuth is ongoing, with new permanent characters being introduced in each succeeding book. I'm especially susceptible to alphabetical series.
According to the creator of this course, reading is one of the ways we blocked creatives try to avoid our own thoughts and feelings and the expression of them. If we are not reading, we will have to find something else to do, and she lists a number of things people might do when they are not reading. On the list are even some of the things I've been meaning to do whenever I get around to it: make curtains, rearrange the kitchen, repot some plants, sort closets, have friends to dinner, paint the bedroom...
I recall a time several years ago when I seemed to have a kind of "reader's block". That is, for some reason, I just couldn't get interested in a book, even a new novel by a favorite author. It was a troubled time in my marriage, and possibly I had thoughts and feelings that were too overpowering to be avoided. It was during this time that I first started blogging. I didn't write about my marital problems, at least not directly, but the stories I told, the memories I shared, and the issues I addressed all helped me to sort things out in my mind.
So I can understand how the reading deprivation may tend to jump start something else, and I'm even a little excited about it. Luckily I only checked out two books at the library the other day, and have just finished the first, so I'm not caught in the middle of one. I can experiment with this for a week.
The Task I've chosen to do, in case anyone is interested in doing it also, is Time Travel. I'm to describe myself at eighty years old, and what I've been doing since fifty that I have enjoyed. Then I'm to write a letter from myself at eighty to myself at my current age with advice and encouragement to follow my dreams.
A Task that intrigues me, but which I'm not sure I'm ready to tackle, is to examine one situation in my life that I feel I should change, but continue to ignore. And answer the question: What is the payoff for you in staying stuck?
I am into week 4 of the Artist's Way course by Julia Cameron, a course to help me in unblocking and discovering my natural creativity.
This week I am not to read. What? Not read? Admittedly, I do spend a large amount of time reading, mostly mysteries and detective novels, knocking them out at a rate of five or six a week. If I didn't have obligations of four hours of work and the time preparing and eating a civilized dinner with my husband each day, I'd probably spend even more time with my nose in a book. Besides the occasional really great book, I get hooked on series of novels in which each mystery stands alone, but the secondary story of the life of the main sleuth is ongoing, with new permanent characters being introduced in each succeeding book. I'm especially susceptible to alphabetical series.
According to the creator of this course, reading is one of the ways we blocked creatives try to avoid our own thoughts and feelings and the expression of them. If we are not reading, we will have to find something else to do, and she lists a number of things people might do when they are not reading. On the list are even some of the things I've been meaning to do whenever I get around to it: make curtains, rearrange the kitchen, repot some plants, sort closets, have friends to dinner, paint the bedroom...
I recall a time several years ago when I seemed to have a kind of "reader's block". That is, for some reason, I just couldn't get interested in a book, even a new novel by a favorite author. It was a troubled time in my marriage, and possibly I had thoughts and feelings that were too overpowering to be avoided. It was during this time that I first started blogging. I didn't write about my marital problems, at least not directly, but the stories I told, the memories I shared, and the issues I addressed all helped me to sort things out in my mind.
So I can understand how the reading deprivation may tend to jump start something else, and I'm even a little excited about it. Luckily I only checked out two books at the library the other day, and have just finished the first, so I'm not caught in the middle of one. I can experiment with this for a week.
The Task I've chosen to do, in case anyone is interested in doing it also, is Time Travel. I'm to describe myself at eighty years old, and what I've been doing since fifty that I have enjoyed. Then I'm to write a letter from myself at eighty to myself at my current age with advice and encouragement to follow my dreams.
A Task that intrigues me, but which I'm not sure I'm ready to tackle, is to examine one situation in my life that I feel I should change, but continue to ignore. And answer the question: What is the payoff for you in staying stuck?
I often wonder the same thing... I pray constantly, and forgive constantly.
ReplyDeleteI have an empty journal sitting beside me waiting for my thoughts, and I try to keep very quiet. I think "Words can never hurt me", but they do.
I think, "What kind of life is this really".
Be honest with yourself. Brutually honest.
The garden is how I'm surviving now.. before that, television. I've read thousands upon thousands of books, but can't force myself to use my Nook.
You can do this. Perhaps you'll find some answers. I'll be you on your journey.
God bless you,
Joey
I greatly appreciate your comments, Joey. I believe it is meant to be a good life, and most of us have a choice to look for the good, the joy. A garden is a joy. I have one in my mind - maybe next season the weather will cooperate to help me make it happen.
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