The Big Peace

Week 1 is up and I’m delighted to introduce guest blogger Deb Macaulay on how she found the first week:

“Week one of the Aritist’s Way and I am enjoying the journey although I must admit I have had a little bit of travel sickness.

I love doing my morning pages, although I am not too sure that there is any content in them that anyone else would find of any value or inspiration .  I can easily fill 3 pages and 3 A4 sizes at that.  I had a bit of a heart sink moment when I realised that I hadn’t been writing enough as to begin with warm up week I had been writing in my nice posh moleskine not the right size journal – little miss perfect had a moment where I was ready to throw it all in as I thought shit I can’t even get the page size right (“my inner pessimist shouting why did you sign up for this course, what artistic talents do you have,  you can’t even do the mp’s right, give up” ) , !!!! Now I am writing on my A4 writing pad from the pound shop.I’m saving my moleskine for the tasks. The tasks have been an eye opener , stiring up lots of memories and emotions.  Im not too keen at looking at the monsters.   Pretty Scary !!!! Then moving on to the champions I wasn’t too sure that there were any.  So did that mean I am a crap writer and should give up now on week 1 or does that mean that I’m just choosing not to acknowledge them. ?    I am getting up a little earlier than I normally would and I have told everyone not to disturb me .  That is if they happen to get up at the crack of dawn.

My reason for doing the Artists Way is I have a gut feeling that there is a book in here somewhere, something that I need to get out there in the big wide world . Although my inner critic doesn’t seem to think so and I have had lots of moments this week where I have questioned why I am actually doing it, lots of I’m not good enough, nothing to say that is any different from what has already been said blahblahblah.   I’m writing a self-help book/programmes etc and listening to me I need to hurry up and write and get published as I could do with reading it.

I have already been on one Artist’s Date this week, Julia says that if you feel blocked in anyway then it is good to double up on the dates. Is there anyone out there that feels like me and is worried that they could be in danger of becoming an Artist’s date junkie.    I only went to Starbucks for a coffee and to pretend to be a published author (only pretending to myself, I managed to contain myself and didn’t ask the girl behind the counter if she had read my book) lots of authors have a spot in Starbucks or so I’ve heard.  Anyway Starbucks wasn’t filled with inspiration in fact I’ve realised I write better at home and can sprawl out more . I wonder what the rest of you do.  Are you all neat and tidy or do you sprawl like me, do you have a particular pen/pencil , do you have a writer’s desk, have you got a ritual, a lucky crystal, do you meditate before hand, what are you inspired by?, what gets your creative juices flowing?.. Share please any tips are welcomed.    This is all new to me , I have always wanted to write but somehow never did (or rather never showed anyone my writing) it was interesting to realise Julia would say I’m a shadow artist.   Well I have now decided to step out of the shadows and into the sun ready to shine and share my work with the world .  So hello everyone , great to meet you I’m the one in Starbucks pretending to be an author .  See you next in Waterstone’s under Self Help.”

Here is a tip for you all – Turn off the word count, have some fun, Come out to play, Let yourself Shine.

I love this quote  Every Child is an artist .  The problem is having to remain an artist when he grows up.  Pablo Picasso.

5 things that I have learnt from the AW this week .
1.  No matter how many times I have told myself that I have nothing to say.  The morning pages have proven otherwise.  I    have filled 3 pages each day.  I may well class those pages as drivel.  yet that drivel has been useful.

2.  I have got way too many things going on in my mind.   I could do with making my life more relaxed.  The mp’s have helped me to gain some clarity.  (note point 1, there you go useless drivel isn’t so useless)

3.  I could do with some TLC – I am full of blurts and there I was thinking I had done so much work on myself and I wasn’t writing because I just wasn’t a writer.

4.  Artist dates , although I am going to need to juggle lots around in order to go on my dates deep down I am really looking forward to them as I will be doing something different which will be great writing material .

5.  I like the thought of doing the Artist’s Way as part of a group – We are all in this together.  I’m rooting for you rooting for me feels good.

Here is a quote for all the parents out there that may feel guilty and self indulgent.

Nothing has a stronger influence psychologically on their environment and especially on their children
than the unlived life of the parent.
Carl G. Jung

And one for all of us with the need to follow our dream/our intuition.

Inside you there’s an artist you don’t know about…….say yes quickly,
if you know, if you’ve known it from before the beginning of the universe.
Rumi

Deb Macaulay

I have done The Artist’s Way a few times now and every time I seem to learn something new about myself – and become more creative. Last year, with the Artist’s Way bubbling away in the background, I wrote and finished writing my Big Peace book in 3 months.  Without The Artist’s Way, I’m not sure I would have made it intact.

I was joined by over 250 of you last year – and it was a brilliant, challenging and creative time. Not all of us finished, many of us resisted, all of us laughed, cried, and some of us punched through some old thinking in order to become more creative, (others melted resistance with a gentle sigh.)

Last year, we communicated via my blog but this year I have invested in a new membership site where we will able to communicate better together, support each other, share our thoughts and journey. Because of the investment, I’m charging a small fee of £3 a week. (Think of it as your bus fare to your class)

But be assured, you’re paying for the room, you’re not paying for me as your ‘self-appointed’ guru. I’m going to facilitate, invite guest bloggers, interview a few artists about their processes but I’m not going to be the expert here.

Cameron says: “If there is any emissary, it is the work itself, as a collective composed of all who take the course, at home or otherwise. Each person is equally a part of the collective, no one more than another. While there may be ‘teachers’, facilitators (that’s me!) who are relied on during the 12 week period to guide others down the path, such facilitators need to be prepared to share their own material and take their own creative risks.”

Be assured, I intend to do that.

I was lucky enough to go and see Julia Cameron live in London last year and got to interview her too. Here’s the interview:
http://www.bigleaplife.com/audios/juliacameron.mp3

If you wish to take part in the Artist’s Way, click here:

The warm-up week starts March 1st. You need to buy The Artist’s Way, if you haven’t already got it. We start week 1 on March 8th.

I look forward to walking this 12 week journey with you,

Suzy x

Join The Artist’s Way now:

We all did Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way last year, with me championing and cheering from the sidelines. I want to do it again in 2010 starting week 1 on March 8th (warm up week 1st March) – via my lovely new membership site. If you’re interested in receiving more information, sign up here.

I ended up at the kind Dr David’s book launch last night at Alchemy, in Camden. (the best venue ever – do check it out if you’re in London)

Once again, he was inspirational, fabulous and rather gorgeous. He also explained how kindness affects the body – makes you look young, thin and makes you feel happy.

I’m now on day 14 of the 21 day kindness challenge that I’m writing about for the Daily Mail on the concept of being kind for 21 days – and although I’m not sure if I look younger, or thinner – I’m definitely feeling rather ecstastically happy. Maybe because I’ve been doing the loving kindness meditation every day that he recommends on page 21 (strangely enough). I’ve just launched The Big Love Experiment (do join us!) and I’ve made it a basic tool of the programme, I’m so impressed with it.

If you’re still not convinced meditation is for you -  listen to the interview I did with David on how and why meditating – especially on loving/kindness will build a citadel of feel-good in your brain and get rid of your wrinkles (better than botox, says David!).

Here’s the interview:

www.bigleaplife.com/audios/davidhamiltonlove.mp3

And here’s how to do it:

HOW TO DO A LOVING KINDNESS MEDITATION (From David’s book)

Start by sitting or lying comfortably. Relax and pay attention to your breathing, breathing in a slow and comfortable rhythm.

Now bring your attention to your heart and say, either out loud or mentally, ‘May I be well. May I be happy. May I be loved.’

Now think of someone you love or care about. This time say, either out loud or mentally. ‘May you be well. May you be happy. May you be loved.

Do this for all of your loved ones. You can name them individually if you like by inserting their name in place of ‘you’.

Now move to other people in your life – friends, work colleagues, people whom you see from time to time and repeat the same process, inserting their name.

The move on to people you don’t get on with.

Keep going in an ever widening circle until you wish wellbeing, happiness, and ease for the whole world, including people you consider to be your enemies.

You don’t have to do all the circles in one go. A shortened version is just to wish wellbeing, happiness and love for your loved ones. You can take the circle as wide as you wish.

At the beginning of this year, I was devastated by an email that someone sent to my Big Peace blog. A keyworker at a charity that I had been championing (but who we no longer support) via Big Peace had been accused of child abuse charges.

It would be an underestimation to say that I have been devastated and at a loss of how to process this.

It felt that my Big Peace work had been duped by some kind of evil force. That something so pure and loving that I had created (that had been such a massive part of my own self healing process) had been corrupted and defiled by the darkest of forces. It’s taken me a while to process this all. And I’m not there yet.

But what I do know is that there are people in the world that do terrible, terrible things – but there are others who don’t.

I refuse to lose faith in people that do good.

Love and healing needs to win.

I will always champion love over hate and abuse.

This is all I know for now.