Artist's Way Check In

I am still not giving up on participating with this. I am struggling to do the daily pages and the exercises. But I am not giving up. I did do an Artist's date last weekend. I did some cleaning and purging, it felt good. I think I may repeat it again this weekend. I know that it isn't much of a date, but for me the need to declutter results in a renewed creative burst for me. It is so past time to purge and declutter and get the last of my studio moved and set up so that I can create without distraction or feeling guilty for everything being piled and unorganized.

But it is interesting how just making the commitment to participate puts you in a certain mindframe to be open to change and inspiration in your life. Since I have gone through this book a couple of times before, I have found, like some others, that many of the emotional issues have been dealt with. But that said, I have found that this time through the daily pages have been very productive in terms of working practical problems out, quieting the fears, making or trying on plans, and working though ideas for future pieces. Somehow just writing the ideas down makes it more real and I find that I "think on them" through out the day as I work or do other stuff. This is why I am feeling the pressure to finish up the last of the decluttering and moving the studio. It is the last little bit of jobs like these that are so challenging. It is the stuff you don't quite want to ditch, but don't quite want to keep and don't quite have a place to store them. Why am I such a pack rat? And why is it that the minute you throw something out you need it? Even after years of not even thinking about it or remembering that you had it in the first place? How neurotic is that?

But all in all things are moving along nicely. I know I am getting to the ending point because already I am wanting to rearrange furniture and stuff so that it is more "workable". I know this phase...I remember it from all those years of moving around when I was in theatre. This signals that I am almost finished and am feeling like it is home. But it still is the hardest part to stick to and get it finished. Completion! What a concept.