I just snagged a copy of Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way.” Then this came along, a TAW workshop taught by Wichita’s own Grant Overstake, author of “Maggie Vaults Over The Moon.” I found 750words.com this week so I can better accomplish the morning pages task. Then I shared on Facebook my photo of my copy of TAW and called it my “commitment to self.” In the comments, I found out about the workshop! So I’m joining it. I’m excited!
Writer Heather Larson 
I know this post is a little old, but I’d love to hear your comments on this workshop. Are you enjoying it so far? I’ve made it through nearly half of the book on my own and thoroughly enjoyed it, but can see how a group setting may be beneficial. If you have already passed the chapter on no reading for a week, I’d love to hear how you did. That is where I faltered…failed miserably at that assignment so I have yet to dig back in.
Hi Monica!
I am enjoying TAW very much so far. I think it’s just what I needed and came at the perfect time in my life. We’re on week 8 now. I think the group setting is great for the insight my fellow artists have for me. It’s funny too who this course has brought together. We are all matched up in ways that shows the Universe is at work with synchronicity. The group supports everyone’s growth. It’s amazing who has been brought together and how we all help each other.
I did OK on the reading deprivation. I violently opposed it at first because my job is reading. It doesn’t matter what job I’ve ever gotten paid to do — my job has always involved reading! I work at a recovery center, so there’s reading in that job. I am writing news for Inside.com, so I must read news. I decided the assignment pertained to my habit of reading for enjoyment, so I cut that out for most of the week. This made me realize I often read for escape. Reading has long been a coping skill of mine. I did OK with that until I got a fever on Good Friday. Then I decided I’d had enough reading deprivation and it would be perfectly OK to fail miserably at reading deprivation. Maybe I got sick from it! Ha!
I don’t think you failed at the assignment. I don’t think you have to do every assignment or exercise in TAW to receive the benefit of it — and I’m only 8 weeks into this. Keep going so you get to the chapter that discusses perfectionism! Never quit when you get uncomfortable. Learn to push through discomfort. I learned that through marathon running and through my recovery from alcoholism. Lean into the discomfort rather than run from it. Discomfort often means we are doing it right. (Now actual pain from marathon running is another story!)
Hope that helps, Monica. Don’t give up. Get back in there and forget about the reading deprivation. Move onto the next lesson. There are many! I’ll have to do a full post on TAW!
Heather
I was recently reading a book by Pema Chodron (I highly recommend anything she has written) and she talks about leaning into discomfort and the benefit of just feeling it, sitting with it. It’s a lesson I’m learning right now. So thanks. I will dive back in it. And thank you for posting an update. How inspiring! You are a beautiful soul.
I absolutely love Julia Cameron and I own several of her books. You might be interested in her book, The Right to Write, as well. 🙂
To be honest, I’ve missed the work I was doing in TAW and I’m pretty excited about getting back to it. 🙂 Along with the morning pages and artist dates.