I love books. I love the texture of paper in my hands, I love the sound of opening a brand new hardcover and hearing that satisfying crack of the spine, like it’s waking up and saying, ‘Oh, hello there!’ I love words, I love that we can take 26 letters and arrange them in such a way they make words, and words can be strung together to make a sentence.

The author’s name is Julia Cameron, and she’s got a whole mess of books out that teach about being in touch with your Creative side. Her books, ‘The Artist’s Way’ and ‘The Morning Pages Journal,’ were what got me started on this adventure, and even opened the lines of communication between myself and my inspiration again. Had I not found her books when I did, I can pretty much guarantee you my own two books, ‘Writer vs Muse: The Struggle is Real!’ and ‘The Catnip Chronicles: How I (Accidentally) Became a Cat Lady’ would never have been written. I’d likely still be moping about, wondering what to do about my lack of creative voice.

I was just telling my Mom, I need to sit down and write a tracker out of what books I already own of hers so I don’t end up getting duplicates (although I kinda fail to see how that’d be a problem, really…).
While yes, I confess I’ve not been diligent about Morning Pages writing, I have resolved (yet again) to get back into it. With NaNoWriMo coming up, it needs to happen: me buckling down and taking my writing seriously again. And now that things’ve arranged the way they have in my life (even though it stung the way some of it happened), I now have z e r o excuses why I can’t dive back in.
I’ve been debating on how I want to do this blog. I’ve wanted to do so many different things with it, and perhaps this decision came from grieving the events of this past weekend, perhaps it came from grieving the events of the past almost seven months, I don’t know. But, I am going to, today before I do my transcription job, I’m going to map out some things for this blog that might be a bit more helpful on the front of taking my career a lot more seriously than I have been. I need to stop being so damn lazy about things.
Julia Cameron talks in her book, ‘The Artist’s Way,’ about what Creative Block really is. It’s fear. She says,
Julia Cameron talks in her book, ‘The Artist’s Way,’ about what Creative Block really is. It’s fear. She says,
“Blocked writers are not lazy. They are blocked. Do not call procrastination laziness. Call it fear.”
She isn’t wrong. At all. Once I recognized it for what it was, gave it the name it was, then it made things easier to recognize. And now, here I am, evaluating more thoroughly than I have ever in my adult life, and I’m realizing that I’ve been entirely too neglectful of my own self and entirely too lenient about people mowing me down.
THAT STOPS NOW.

This is me, recommitting myself to my Creative Voice. This is me, recommitting to taking care of ME and focusing on MY dreams of writing and photography.
On 6 October 2015 (holy crap, three years ago almost!), I signed two contracts with myself. Have I adhered to either? Not entirely. Why? Some of it’s been largely my fault, but the bulk of it, it’s been what she calls ‘Crazymakers.’ A ‘Crazymaker’ is one whose personality that creates a storm centre. This person is often charismatic, frequently charming, highly inventive, and powerfully persuasive. And for the creative person in their vicinity, they are enormously destructive. In short, charismatic but out of control, long on problems but short on solutions.

As of this moment, I’m recommitting myself to my art and my career.

I, Rea, further understand that this course will raise issues and emotions for me to deal with. I, Rea, commit myself to excellent self-care – adequate sleep, diet, exercise, and pampering – for the duration of the course.
T. Rea Okerberg
7 September 2018
Friday
16.08 EST
Additionally…
I, Rea, commit myself to the daily process of morning pages. Additionally, I commit to a weekly artist date. I understand that these two tools are most powerful when used in conjunction, and I commit myself to using both together.
I, Rea, further understand that working with these tools may create deep change, some of it turbulent. I commit myself to excellent self-care – adequate sleep, diet, exercise, and self-valuing. Above all, I commit to honouring the validity for me of my own unique perceptions – for the duration of the twelve weeks ahead and hopefully long after.
T. Rea Okerberg
7 September 2018
Friday
16.08 EST
If you, yourself, want to partake in such a commitment, feel free to fill this out for yourself!
Creativity Contract
Can you give yourself the gift of commiting to work the course? Say yes by means of some small ceremony by buying a nice notebook for your morning pages, completing the tasks, and the artist dates and printing and signing the contract below. You can amend it, if you like...and come back to it when you need encouragement to go on.
***************************************************************************************
I, ___________________________________, understand that I am undertaking an intensive, guided encounter with my own creativity. I commit myself to the twelve-week duration of the course. I, ________________________________, commit to weekly reading, daily morning pages, a weekly artist date, and the fulfillment of each week's tasks.
I, ___________________________________, further understand that this course will raise issues and emotions for me to deal with. I, ______________________________, commit myself to excellent self-care--adequate sleep, diet, exercise and pampering--for the duration of the course.
______________________________
Signature
______________________________
Date
To further cement the proverbial deal, and as a way of formal accountability, I am going to check in weekly after the Artist’s Date is over, and I’ll share with how it went. I’ll share what I did for the date, and I’ll share my progress each week, as well, the exercises she has in the book. I will not be sharing my Morning Pages, those are personal. ;)
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