This chapter asks us to find abundance in two methods:
To trust that the great creator can give us an abundant amount. ie that we don’t have to starve or work by.
That we can treat ourselves to small and reasonable but meaningful pleasures, which will relax our scarcity mindset.
The first section is about the great creator:
We are introduced to the explicitly stated idea that returns at the very end of the chapter - which is that we have a self sabotaging deeply held belief that we should not have abundance/wealth.
We are told that we probably believe in a god which won’t and doesn’t want to bring us abundance. And instead we should every day in the morning pages write about a god that we wish did exist.
We are also told that we really deeply need to trust, and the trust and faith and change that AA members find is cited.
We are to treat ourselves to art - as a giving self care form of abundance. When we make art we give to ourselves - we treat ourselves (I add to truth, honesty, etc)
Luxury
We are told we must indulge in some luxuries. Responsible but real luxuries. We must be honest and selfish and indulgent. The restrictions we place on ourselves around our concepts of abundance are restrictions that and up preventing us from making art and moving out of shadow artistry.
We are given the instructions to treat ourselves to small and attainable but real luxuries.
She connects real luxury with the ability to have deep quality time with friends, and of course to make art. And they are connected.
We finally get a musician as an example!: a drummer, who starts by giving himself the luxury of purchasing a new recording every week - and he allows himself the freedom and pleasure of choosing any music and exploring many different kinds.
His harsh critic melts away, his spirit aligns with the music he enjoys and loves, and he eventually starts drumming again with a positive and encouraging self talk going on.
Luxury is called a ‘shift in consciousness’.
To be creative requires a luxury of time. This is a power powerful important statement and rule for us to learn.
Week project: every day wrote down everything we spend, calculate it at the end of the day, and just notice - don’t criticize. But We are told to notice what spending brings pleasure and what doesn’t and how much it was.
The tasks involve: exercises to find luxury in simple and cheap things:
a. collecting beautiful natural objects, simple baking, reaching out to friends
b. cleaning and purging things that aren't luxurious
c. reflecting on prosperity, the basic principles from this book
Check In:
I did the morning pages, and I made tons of time for practicing. I didn't do the tasks, I didn't add up my spending, and I didn't do my artist date.
The idea that I need to be kind of "selfish" for my art, is very effective for me to carve out the space and time to do it. I have had wonderful concentration - and have a deep feeling of trust and satisfaction with the method of practicing that I'm doing right now. I continue to try to counter my innner pessimism with the idea that I will "trust the universe" to bring me the good things I need.
Check in:
The morning pages were great this week and done every day. I did indulge and buy some smoked salmon, which I will eat tonight.
For my artist's date this week, I went and saw a big band play that my friend is in. It was super fun. It showcased some highschool bands too, and I was totally impressed and encouraged to see the younger generation doing it. This has been my best artist's date.
No synchronicity this week.
This week I learned about a thing called radical acceptance. It has me questioning and challenging anxieties and fears. It is something that I want to learn more about and make more use of.
Week 6 Check in. I kept up with the writing and tasks. For my artist date I went over to my artist friend’s house and talked about art and other things generally. The abundance and luxury I hope to receive is in terms of friendship, awareness and musicianship, like that. I did not do much music playing this week but finished “throwing” all the pottery for this session. I look forward to glazing and finishing to free up my mind for intentional accordion improvement.
My weekly check in. I wish I could say I accomplished everything but I did not! I did do the morning pages each day and accomplished most of the tasks I had lined up. There was no artist's date but I'm not writing that off and hope to get at least another one in. I have been devoting a lot of time to playing and practicing my accordion.
This is not my real check in, but I want to share that I have been prioritizing my art more - I have been waking up super early (4a, sometimes 3a) which is atually natural out here because it's so rural. And after I have an espresso or two, I start practicing, and it feels really wonderful. I have had a few days where I did it that way, yesterday I deferred my practice for reasons Julia Cameron describes - and it was not good feeling. So today I gave myself permission again to practice early, and I hit two wonderul practice periods all before 830a! And I feel so good - kinda like a boxer who is training regularly. It's really nice. Also, I have an excellent practice flow (identical to what I described in the livestream on Daphne) and it is working so so so well for me. : )
I'm excited for this week. I love sweet things, and my indulgance is going to be going to the store to buy something. I've been thinking about buying an apple pie for weeks. I have food fantasies like this. I want the universe to take me to my goals too, but I have so many doubts about being successful in life. I need to work on that positive self talk: i.e. you will get there! Trust in the process! You work hard and are doing everything right to reach your goals! Here's my plan for this week. I'm super excited about my artist's date. I'm going to see a friend play in a jazz big band tonight.
wednesday: artist's date
Thurday: no 3, throw away ratty clothes
Friday: no. 4, bake something
Saturday: no.6, list your favorites
Sunday: no. 7, reread the basic principles
Monday: no. 8, make changes in environtment... maybe hang a picture
My plans for the week include the morning pages each day and the following daily tasks which might not be this exact order.
Tuesday - Read chapter six
Wednesday - cleaning
Thursday - creation
Friday - favorites
Saturday - Reread the basic principles
Sunday - Clearing
Monday - Prosperity
Artist's Date TBD
I think artist's way is right on where it frames making time for our art, as time to be 'selfish'. This is probably my own restating and refeeling the actual words she uses, but it does feel accurate in terms of the Virtue Trap (oh I gotta do all this shit for myself like my morning list of stuff, answer all my emails, do all the responsible stuff on my list, do my other work (even teaching stuff) BEFORE I can practice.) This morning I did practice some, in between my morning wake up list and my first appointment of the day. And it feels great, and I really notice this internal self talk, and I'm interested in changing it like she suggests! Universe take it away! Give me all the abundance I'm meant to have : )