Week 2- Recovering a Sense of Identity

The Artist’s Way --

Recovering a Sense of Identity


This week addresses self-definition as a major component of creative recovery. You may find yourself drawing new boundaries and staking out new territories as your personal needs, desires, and interests announce themselves. The essays and tools are aimed at moving you into your personal identity, a self-defined you.


KEY IDEAS:

Going Sane -- Going sane may feel, at first, like going crazy

-- Making changes and accepting those changes

Poisonous Playmates -- Friends giving negative feedback may also be blocked

-- Blocked friends may find your recovery disturbing

-- Be careful to safeguard the newly recovering artist

Crazymakers -- These are personalities that are enormously destructive

-- Crazymakers sabotage you – destroy schedules, expect special treatment, discount your reality, spend your time/money, triangulate, blame, prioritize only their schedules, hate order, deny they’re crazymakers

Skepticism -- The secret doubt – “I can’t believe_____________________”

-- We keep our own thoughts about what’s possible and what’s not

-- Accept “coincidences” and flow with them

Attention -- Attention, not aimlessness, is a way to connect & survive your unfolding creative energies

-- The quality of life is in proportion to the capacity for delight


Read Chapter Two and do Tasks at the end
Read “Rules of the Road”, page 55.
Read “Basic Principles” daily
Read created Affirmations daily
Write Morning Pages daily
Go on an Artist’s Date this week