Blurts
Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 9:39 AM 
Do you ever find yourself caught between the premises of living in the present moment and planning for the future? It is a constant balancing act for me. Today I am trying to put some order to the creative projects that are percolating in my brain. Yesterday I started reading a book which will help me with a couples workshop on which I am collaborating. I realized that if I do a chapter a day, I will be finished in 10 days which seems quite manageable.
The bigger theme(s) that are stirring around is my desire to write something more tangible (whatever that means) than daily ponderings like those you read here. So, this morning I decided to start traveling through my journals that I began nearly four years ago when I was introduced to The Artist's Way. I can see this is going to be a long process, because I only got four pages into it before I found something I wanted to share here.
One of the early exercises is to write the "blurts" that come into your head when you think about being creative. So, to kick off my venture backwards into not-so-distant time, here are my blurts:
1) I'm too old to start something new.
2) I don't know anything about writing.
3) People will think I'm crazy.
4) Where will I find the time?
5) I don't have the right computer to write on or the right place to write.
6) No one will want to hear what I have to say.
7) I don't know how to get started.
8) This may be a waste of time. I should do something more productive.
9) Smart girls aren't artistic/creative & artistic girls are definitely airheads.
Those are my blurts. What are yours today?
photo by janey
Reader Comments (20)
Interesting, I bought The Artist's Way a few months back, and am planning to start working through it in January when I go part-time.
That was a statement by the way, not a blurt ;-). Here are the blurts:
1) It's got to be perfect
2) It's got to be damned impressive
3) It's got to make people envious
4) I'm talking about product, not myself.
5) I don't know what to write about.
6) I don't know how to be original
7) I'll sound pretentious
8) I'll make a fool of myself
9) What if I want to do something in addition to writing? How can I do that?
10) Does craftwork count as being creative?
11) I can't draw as well as many people.
12) Am I too competitive to do this well?
Blimey, this is good, isn't it? I could go on for hours, but I won't.
oh, tess. i love you dearly. you are a woman after my own heart! the good news is that after the "blurts" you get to do the same thing with affirmations :-)
Thanks for that, Lucy. Very helpful!
1 I have better things to do with my time.
2 I'm too tired.
3 People will think it's rubbish.
4 There's something I want to watch on the TV.
5 It doesn't have any real meaning/value.
6 I probably won't be very good at it.
7 I don't have the right equipment/facilities to do it properly.
8 What if things go wrong?
9 I'm not a very creative person.
10 It's got to be perfect.
11 I'll look stupid.
12 Someone's probably done it before (and better.)
13 What if no one likes it?
14 I'll just do my blog instead - that's creative enough, isn't it?
Lucy,
I'd forgotten about Blurts. I read THE ARTIST'S WAY in hardback when it was first published and gave more paperback copies to creative friends & family members than I can remember. I'm working my way through WALKING IN THE WORLD currently and have VEIN OF GOLD ready to tackle next. I also turn to TRANSITIONS daily and find the messages useful.
1. I'm a writer, not an author.
2. No one cares what I think.
3. It's all drivel anyway ... the meanderings of a repressed soul striving obsessively to understand everything .. endlessly.
4. It's just not good enough yet to share and I can't make it perfect.
5. Anything that's worth sharing has been written by others already so why bother.
6. People will discover I'm crazy (and perhaps lock me up as subversive and/or dangerous) if I let them read what I write.
7. I'm having too much fun blogging :)
8. I like my life the way it is and don't want to be famous.
9. I've done my bit for humanity already (teaching for 34+ years) and deserve some down time to do whatever I choose.
10. I'm too old and set in my ways to tackle this.
Exhaling as I decide whether or not to press publish and share or simply close the window without sharing ... hesitating but trying to relax. OK ... once I publish this I'm going to revisit YOUR list and see what others might have said already in comments. I wonder if we have anything in common?
lins--thanks for stopping by! so glad you found this helpful(and found my site)...that gives me a start on the affirmations side of things that 1)someone is reading; 2) finds some value in what i have to say with the bonus of 3) helping others to add more creativity to the world. yea!
storyteller--i am so glad you decided to 'press publish'. your blurts are my blurts!! i think we "artists" (that's a stretch for me) have much in common!!!
"the sound of paper" is another julia cameron is refer to when i get stuck.
Fantastic post, Lucy!
...I will give this some thought and be back...Affirmations are So important as well. thanks for the positive! :)
Lucy, Confirm that your blurts were from 4 years ago and not from recent history - right? Much too dismal for your current state of accomplished writing!
We suspend the GWCC pledge here when we do blurts?...otherwise you're back to day 1 - much too much self criticism and doubt:)!
O.k. blurts -
1. why in the world do I think I can handcraft jewelry
2. My handmade jewelry will look like handmade jewelry
3. It will cost too much money
4. It's sort of silly anyway
5. No one will tell me it looks awful
6. No one will want to wear it
7. No one will ever want to buy it
8. I don't really even know how to get started
9. It sounds very selfish to consider this, doesn't it
You see the good thing about these blurts is that I've already been doing the affirmations for a while...so we'll see.
hgf--look forward to your list :-)
SS--yes the list is from 4 years ago...i hope there has been a bit of progress :-)
GWCC?? Great Western Casualty Co.?
hand-crafted jewelry??? i had no idea, but i would certainly be all for trying it out. i make a great jewelry model :-)
1) There's nothing new under the sun
2) This isn't "literary" enough
3) This is too literary
4) My mind is too cluttered to write
5) I'm too bored to write
6) I really need to clean the fridge out right now
7) Why should I think I have anything worthwhile to say?
8) That first word - "the" - should I rewrite that?
9) I'd rather smoke a joint
10) I really need one more cup of tea and then I'll start
11) Hey, look, I've written two paragraphs! That's enough for today
12) Hey, look, I've written two paragraphs! Let's go back and edit them
Etcetera etcetera ad infnitum and other Latin phrases
Lucy - you have the greatest set of readers! Their blurts are as insecure as mine!!!:)
I can't wait to see the affirmations - way too much talent shows up in your readers for there to be anything but academy award winning affirmations. Get ready, set, .....
I really enjoyed this post and the comments. Seems we're all a bit fucked up one way or another hehehe.
I have just been reading The Creative Call, which is like the Christian version of The Artist's Way but not, in my opinion, as good. Funny, I was thinking the other day I was gonna get going on The Artist's Way again. I need SOMETHING to get me back in the mode!
yep...it's quite a great little bunch that gather here at lucy's place. storyteller has some great quotes this morning http://sacredruminations.blogspot.com/
i love "we take no step unpartnered."
cheers!
Well, here I go...but it seems safe here, as this wonderful group of people are so honest, and together in sharing our "perceived" weaknesses, we are stronger!! :)
1. I'm too old to start something new, I should have done it when I was younger, it's too late.
2. This is a waste of time, why start it, I should be doing something more important/productive
3. I've no writing or journalistic training, my effort will be thought mediocre at best; I want it perfect.
4. The house is too chaotic, I can't concentrate nor can I change the atmosphere
5. People will think I'm crazy, they already think I'm eccentric, this will just encourage them
6. I'm too tired
7. I'm feeling too stressed with things to concentrate/be creative
8. I feel deeply about things, but no one will care what I feel or think, or worse, they'll think me crazy
9. I've got too much on my plate already to start yet another project
10. Boys in my family were valued more, what I have to say will just be discounted
WRITE ON, my friend!
You can do whatever you choose to do. Your talents just may be more evident to others than to yourself. After all, we ARE our own worst critics!
I'll get back to this list once I get more coffee in my system.
Blurts and the battle to rise above them:
1. My Art sucks (why? because your own extended family doesn't buy any of it? Well, other people do ... and really, it's not about the money.)
2. People will be pissed off if about what I write, because they will see themselves in the characters. Maybe I should wait until certain people die or create a new name (just freakin' DO IT and stop making excuses!)
3. I will never amount to anything (just because you came from the land of: money defines a person's worth, doesn't mean you have to continually take this trip!)
4. What I write/create is trite and boring (maybe, but DO IT ANYWAY! It's your VOICE and you only live once!)
5. Everyone will know that I am a whack job (yeah, ok, like they don't know already)
Insecure, People-Pleasing Perfectionism ... grrrr
"Humbly Asked Him to Remove Our Shortcomings" ...
his girl friday & dream--
thanks for the new additions to this list. it seems like we all have much in common especially when it comes to that inner critic!
I was so inspired by your mention of TAW that I ordered a copy online (secondhand, of course) Yay :)
I have contemplated writing and want to move in that direction. Many feeling have kept me from moving in that direction. These blurts indicate those feelings.
1. Driving my car during the many hours of commute I have I let my thoughts sail with the wind and tide and another car cuts me off, that's my lane; thoughts lost in the moment! What was I just thinking about?
2. People don’t consider my experience of value.
3. I don’t have enough time left to do all I want; I’m too old.
4. While talking to a new hire I was asked “Are there any young people in your office.”
5. What do I have to contribute?
6. Fame only brings attacks.
7. Taking chances!
8. People don’t like the way I look.
9. If I open my mouth will I confirm my stupidity?
10. Did I just do #9?
Here goes.
Once I deposit this wealth of what-evers, I am moving on to more positive thoughts. I know of the Pacific Institute’s positive affirmations that "His Girl Friday" mentioned in another part of this blog and believe in their process. They are out of Seattle, WA (www.pac-inst.com).
welcome, anthony. i hope you will continue to process and post your own positives (blurts turned upside down) at the post called "affirmations!"
i'll have to check out the pacific institute. thanks!