Discovering a Sense of Boundaries: Walking in This World — Week 6
This week focused on self-nurturing by counteracting and neutralizing toxic inflow. It also explored the importance of not sharing your work too soon—or with the wrong people.
This can be tricky for all of us, especially when we’re excited about a new project or idea and want to share it with the people around us. The tasks in this week’s chapter focused on setting boundaries that allow our ideas to flourish rather than letting other people’s opinions take hold too early.
I will say, the task load this week felt lighter to me than usual, which allowed for a much-needed spark after the last few weeks had left me feeling a little drained.
Tasks
Rescue and Recall — This task asked me to review projects I had abandoned too soon because I allowed outside feedback into the process before the ideas had a chance to fully develop. It was an interesting exercise and brought a few past ideas to light that may be in need of some resurrection.
A Room of Your Own — This task was more of a thought-provoker than anything else. It asked me to continue challenging myself to make time for creativity while also keeping that creative space private. The chapter compares this to having a secret romance with your craft, which I actually really liked. There is something special about allowing an idea to exist just for you before inviting anyone else into it.
Commune with Your Community — For the final task of the week, we were asked to think about counterbalancing our need for solitude with our need for community. As artists, we often want time alone to create and spend time with our ideas, but it is equally important to be part of a creative community.
This task felt particularly important for me. After moving to a new city during a pandemic, I found myself in a pretty small bubble. I still have a tendency to retreat into that bubble, so exercises that encourage me to think about how I can become more involved in my community are helpful reminders.
views from my studio space this week
Artist’s Date
For my Artist’s Date this week, I took myself on another thrifting expedition. Usually, my thrifting journeys are about exploring my personal style and finding interesting pieces that feel like the truest version of myself.
This time, I set out with a different intention.
There is a new project I’m working on with my partner, Pete, and without talking too much about it (this week does encourage keeping some things to myself, after all), I’ll just say that I’m searching for items that can be given new life.
As always, the alone time for reflection and inspiration was much needed. There is something about wandering through a thrift store without a specific agenda that allows my mind to make connections in unexpected ways.
Weekly Walk
We are in the peak of the heat here in Phoenix, so my morning walks have been staying close to home in my neighborhood lately, allowing me to get outside as early in the day as possible.
I still try to do them in silence, observe something different each day, and set an intention when I can. I often think of them as walking meditations. I’ll continue whatever I was contemplating during meditation and my morning pages into my walk, letting the thoughts unfold a little more as I move.
This helps keep them feeling like sacred time instead of simply morning exercise.
morning walks in a heat wave
This week also marks the halfway point of the book. I’ve admitted in the past that I’m not sure I’m getting as much out of it as I did the original Artist’s Way, but it continues to be a helpful guide throughout this creative journey I’m on.
Maybe that’s part of the point. Not every book, exercise, or creative practice needs to completely transform us. Sometimes it simply gives us something to think about, a new question to sit with, or a gentle nudge in a direction we may not have considered.
I’m curious to see what the second half uncovers.
