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We have been taught to believe that negative equals realistic and positive equals unrealistic. —Susan Jeffers
One of the most important things we as artists needs, says Julia Cameron, is support. We don't often get it. A child dreaming of being an actress is warned that she will more likely be a waitress; a child dreaming of being Jo Rowling is informed that there's very few of Jo Rowling.
However true these statements may be, they're the last thing this artist child needs to hear, whether from her parents or her friends or her entertainment (hi, every mention of Penny's artistic aspirations on The Big Bang Theory) or her self.
This week's task is to identify the negative beliefs we hold about our own creativity, and their sources if possible, and replace them with positive beliefs.
Some common negative beliefs:
1) Everyone will hate me.
2) I will hurt my friends and family.
3) I will lose touch with reality.
4) I can't spell.
5) I don't have good enough ideas.
6) I will have to be alone.
7) It will upset my family.
8) I will do bad work and not know it and look like a fool.
9) I will feel too angry.
10) I will never have any real money.
11) I will engage in self-destructive habits.
12) My lover will leave me.
13) I will feel bad because I don't deserve to be successful.
14) I will have only one good piece of work in me.
15) It's too late. If I haven't become a fully functioning artist yet, I never will.
Beliefs are not facts. Negative beliefs are attacks on whatever vulnerabilities you have, and the unconscious aim here is to keep you scared.
Cameron recommends the use of positive affirmations to counter the negative beliefs we hold about ourselves. Try saying some of these out loud: "I deserve love." "I deserve fair pay." "I deserve a rewarding creative life." "I am a brilliant and successful artist." "I have rich creative talents." "I am competent and confident in my creative life."
Or try writing this ten times in a row, with the appropriate noun substituted for 'artist' and your name in its place: "I, Name, am a brilliant and prolific artist."
I, Elizabeth, am a brilliant and prolific writer. I, Elizabeth, am a brilliant and prolific writer. I, Elizabeth, am a brilliant and prolific writer. I, Elizabeth, am a brilliant and prolific writer. I, Elizabeth, am a brilliant and prolific writer. I, Elizabeth, am a brilliant and prolific writer. I, Elizabeth, am a brilliant and prolific writer. I, Elizabeth, am a brilliant and prolific writer. I, Elizabeth, am a brilliant and prolific writer. I, Elizabeth, am a brilliant and prolific writer.
Hear that? That is the sound of your inner censor saying "no you're not". Listen for a few minutes. (I hear scoffing at the quantity of my creative output—anyone can write a few-hundred-word scene; what takes real talent is writing a novel, which I haven't done. I hear scoffing at the quality of my creative output—if it were any good I'd have a substantial audience, which I don't. I hear scoffing at the fact that everything I've written is fanfiction or self-published short stories—if I were a real writer I'd be traditionally published.)
Write down the things you're thinking: Cameron calls these 'blurts'. She suggests you try to figure out who in your life gave you those ideas; for me, it's my mother who said fanfiction and self-published works aren't real writing. I wouldn't worry too much about the sources (though perhaps I say that because I can't figure out what the other sources are).
Now, convert each blurt into a positive affirmation. 'I have no talent' becomes 'I am talented'. 'Self-published work is not real writing' becomes 'Self-published work is real writing'. Write or recite these when you're done your morning pages and any time a blurt pops into mind.
Don't forget to go on a date with your artist sometime this week, and do your morning pages every day!
One of the most important things we as artists needs, says Julia Cameron, is support. We don't often get it. A child dreaming of being an actress is warned that she will more likely be a waitress; a child dreaming of being Jo Rowling is informed that there's very few of Jo Rowling.
However true these statements may be, they're the last thing this artist child needs to hear, whether from her parents or her friends or her entertainment (hi, every mention of Penny's artistic aspirations on The Big Bang Theory) or her self.
This week's task is to identify the negative beliefs we hold about our own creativity, and their sources if possible, and replace them with positive beliefs.
Some common negative beliefs:
1) Everyone will hate me.
2) I will hurt my friends and family.
3) I will lose touch with reality.
4) I can't spell.
5) I don't have good enough ideas.
6) I will have to be alone.
7) It will upset my family.
8) I will do bad work and not know it and look like a fool.
9) I will feel too angry.
10) I will never have any real money.
11) I will engage in self-destructive habits.
12) My lover will leave me.
13) I will feel bad because I don't deserve to be successful.
14) I will have only one good piece of work in me.
15) It's too late. If I haven't become a fully functioning artist yet, I never will.
Beliefs are not facts. Negative beliefs are attacks on whatever vulnerabilities you have, and the unconscious aim here is to keep you scared.
Cameron recommends the use of positive affirmations to counter the negative beliefs we hold about ourselves. Try saying some of these out loud: "I deserve love." "I deserve fair pay." "I deserve a rewarding creative life." "I am a brilliant and successful artist." "I have rich creative talents." "I am competent and confident in my creative life."
Or try writing this ten times in a row, with the appropriate noun substituted for 'artist' and your name in its place: "I, Name, am a brilliant and prolific artist."
I, Elizabeth, am a brilliant and prolific writer. I, Elizabeth, am a brilliant and prolific writer. I, Elizabeth, am a brilliant and prolific writer. I, Elizabeth, am a brilliant and prolific writer. I, Elizabeth, am a brilliant and prolific writer. I, Elizabeth, am a brilliant and prolific writer. I, Elizabeth, am a brilliant and prolific writer. I, Elizabeth, am a brilliant and prolific writer. I, Elizabeth, am a brilliant and prolific writer. I, Elizabeth, am a brilliant and prolific writer.
Hear that? That is the sound of your inner censor saying "no you're not". Listen for a few minutes. (I hear scoffing at the quantity of my creative output—anyone can write a few-hundred-word scene; what takes real talent is writing a novel, which I haven't done. I hear scoffing at the quality of my creative output—if it were any good I'd have a substantial audience, which I don't. I hear scoffing at the fact that everything I've written is fanfiction or self-published short stories—if I were a real writer I'd be traditionally published.)
Write down the things you're thinking: Cameron calls these 'blurts'. She suggests you try to figure out who in your life gave you those ideas; for me, it's my mother who said fanfiction and self-published works aren't real writing. I wouldn't worry too much about the sources (though perhaps I say that because I can't figure out what the other sources are).
Now, convert each blurt into a positive affirmation. 'I have no talent' becomes 'I am talented'. 'Self-published work is not real writing' becomes 'Self-published work is real writing'. Write or recite these when you're done your morning pages and any time a blurt pops into mind.
Don't forget to go on a date with your artist sometime this week, and do your morning pages every day!
