Check-In - Week 8.

Is Amelia Coming Out to Play?
I don't know if this is a cheat, but when I started to write my check-in this morning (I know... I know... I've slipped a day behind again... ), I hadn't done my Artist Date. And then, writing about it, I realised I had the preparation done, I just hadn't done it yet, so I paused in the check-in, took an hour out, and had the best fun on my AD. - See the picture above? I sat on the couch to cut out my doll and dresses, and suddenly, I had pulled the cushions onto the floor, and was working there, and then, at some point, I found myself humming... Teddy Bears' Picnic! - So as I snipped and played, I sang all the children's songs I could remember - Ugly Duckling, Little White Bull. (My repertoire is sad, but I sang with gusto!) I got the dolls here. Anyone else coming out to play?

Back to Check-In

Morning Pages - Did the pages 7/7, not tempted to quit, too much of a habit now. How was it? I think I got to use them to work out a few issues, but can't remember quite what they were . I know I used them to tease out dream images and symbolism, and to begin the list (oh, hard, very hard) of things I love about myself. But I don't often know what I'm writing, so it surprises me to remember even this much about them.

Artist Date - See above!

Synchronicity - A few things related to colour, and a few times I felt "that fits", but nothing remarkable enough to relate here - I mean nothing that would be meaningful to anyone other than me. I think the point of synchronicity anyway is that it should be meaningful to the person experiencing it. No-one else needs to see it as synchronicity necessarily.

Other Significant Issues -
- It continued on from last week, but posting that "Precious Object" poster was very significant for me, and through the week, I found myself picking up flower petals, shiny ribbon bows, extra stickers, and further embellishing the poster. I showed it off to a visiting friend (blushing all the while). As I mentioned under Morning Pages, I did give time to writing a list of what I love about myself, and I know now where my blocks are in relation to this, I've been able to identify the affirmations I need to work with (Yeah... I decided on the affirmations to use last week, but didn't actually use them, either). It's around body-image I have insecurities, even though I say I like my body, I'm fine with my body. I don't love it.

- I feel it might be related to AW that twice this week things happened that might have been very disappointing, and I recovered from them, (eg the cancellation of our nurturing day due to snow) and found alternative ways to deal with the situation. I noticed that I said "Oh well, what else can I do instead?" and devised creative alternatives.

- As with the Jealousy Map, I'm a bit superstitious about the Goal Search exercise. This was also one of the most effective exercises when I did AW in 1998. The entire goal as I'd envisaged - and each of the steps towards it, came about within 6, not 5 years, but when I wrote it, I really felt it was an impossible dream. It relied on so much luck and happy accident, but they came about. When I say superstitious, I think I mean I don't want to say what it is, I want to "not give away the gold", not out of a fear of anyone taking the idea, but simply that I want to hold it in a secret, private, place. I will say that My actions this week towards the goal include holding the Vision, and ordering a special glass mushroom to be a tangible symbol of my goal.

Blogging the Artists Way - I was delighted with the outcome of the discussion on how/whether to continue as a group beyond the life of the Artist's Way. I really want to continue in community with all the people Kat has drawn together here, and to continue exploring creativity.

I had to put some thought into Kara's revelation about the source of much of Cameron's ideas, and decided that, wherever the ideas and exercises come from, I'm concentrating on the message, not the messenger. I compare it to liking a song, even if the tune was written by someone else.

And... I find myself wondering about bloggers who appear to disappear for a while (are they ill? on holiday? Simply bored with it all?), and concerned about people who feel low or out of sorts, and very inadequate at times to say anything helpful, and wishing I knew the right thing that would help. This element of the blogging experience I hadn't expected. In fact I didn't know what to expect 8 weeks ago when I started out on this journey.

It's some journey, and I am getting SO MUCH out of it. Here's to week 9!