I’m at week 11 of ‘The Artist’s way’ and I am musing on how natural the process has been.
About 3 weeks ago I decided enough was enough and I was going to take better care of my body, with hopes that it would have a ricochet effect on my mind and creative process. I set out to be up at 3:30am every day to go to the gym. This is clearly ridiculously early, but it was what I needed for work days, and the best thing for new sleep patterns is consistency. I knew it would suck and the first few weeks would be tough, but I wanted to be able to get more out of my day and myself. So I just did it, no easing in or grace period. I just did it.
And, to my surprise, I did it. And it hasn’t been as horrible as I expected. It took me a week to figure out that I really did need at least 7 hours sleep to function, so had to get to bed earlier. The worst part has been my digestion getting messed up by the change in hours. Other than that, I have more energy and am getting so much out of my days. Time to paint, more awareness of what I need for my well being, a greater sense of my moment to moment experiences, time to watch the sunrise and smell the flowers, and free time in the evenings because I don’t have a looming sense of ‘have to work out or something’. I feel much more connected and alert and it has surprised me.
But through all this, I did worry that maybe I was focusing too much on my physical body and not enough on my creative life, until I came to week 11 of ‘The Artist’s Way’. This chapter looks at exercise and how committing the mind to dedicated physical pursuits can aid in freeing the active mind so that creative processes can come forward. The joy I felt when I realized that I had naturally gravitated to this discovery for myself was elating. I don’t need to be doubting my choices because, even subconsciously, I know what I need and I act. It has been a huge lifestyle change, but it has been surprisingly easy because the work I have been doing on myself has made me ready for it.
I’ll be writing a full blog on my journey with ‘The Artist’s Way’ after I finish week 12. At least I intend to, never know where my mood will take me!