Progress Along The Way: Week 5: Recovering A Sense Of Possibility

Recovering A Sense Of Possibility. Thus begins this week's chapter of The Artist's Way. I don't think that I have ever lacked a sense of possibility, although for most of life it seemed that the possibilities that I could envision had to be put on hold for more practical considerations - like paying bills. Maybe that was not the best thing to do, but I recall it being the only thing that I could consider doing at the time! My parents - mostly my Father, never supported the things that I wantd to do - study art or archaeology. Because of this however, I decided to not mention the things that I was doing or learning to themand, because I never mentioned the things I was learning - I never thought that I could not learn them! Makes sense right?! Ignorance can, in fact, be some kind of bliss! If I am not told that I can't do something than I always figure that I can.

There were some salient sub-topics in this week's chapter of the book; "limits" being one them. The pith of the topic is that, rather expecting the whole enchilada when we 'pray', wish or visualize something, we might consider being receptive to achieving ,or receiving, a part of the plan. Julia Cameron's analogy is apt:".. pray that we catch the bus, then run as fast as you can...". Makes perfect sense. My favorite quote in this chapter may well be "...we must learn to let the flow manifest itself where it will - not where we will it...".

Another well entitled sub chapter is "The Virtue Trap" .. maybe they all are -- traps that is!! The gist of this is that we often neglect what we, as artist's need in favor of promulgating the virtuous self that we are wont to present to the world. She even used the most perfect example possible - for me at least! That being, without enough time alone - one tends to resent anything & everything that one must do or has committed to do.... well, at least this is how I interpreted this part of the chapter anyway!! I know that I simply must have time alone - it has been a personality trait ever since I have memory of my self. I get rather irritable and wretched when I stretch myself too thin. I have learned this lesson and carve out time to be alone because of it. It took DH some time to realize that I was not rejecting him - but rather 'gathering' myself when I retreat.

It is odd to me that one of things that I have found I am enjoying the most about this book is something that I thought I would, indeed, dislike the most; the thought provoking questions that accompany the end of each chapter. I am even committed enough to write the answers in the book, albeit in pencil! I am not sure that I have been finding the things that I am supposed to be discovering thus far in the book's journey, but I am enjoying the journey - and this ,I believe, is perhaps the best lesson of all.

Namaste.