Synchronicity

The signs are all there. They’ve been building up, showing me something, and today the last one appeared.

(are you ok, Linda?, I hear you say- in one of those moods again?) Yes, absolutely fine. Excited, scared, apprehensive perhaps.

I’ve just chosen to notice some things and connect up all the dots. Random things have been happening to me recently, and I’m considering them to be not so random.

 

First, “shadow artists”.

“Artists love other artists.  Shadow artists are gravitating to their rightful tribe but cannot yet claim their birthright.  Very often audacity, not talent, makes one person an artist and another a shadow artist–hiding in the shadows, afraid to step out and expose the dream to the light, fearful that it will disintegrate to the touch.”

Read more at:http://skinnyartist.com/an-artists-bookshelf-the-artists-way-by-julia-cameron/

Second, these people followed me on Twitter.

Third, this TED talk. I’ve heard of this person, but always glanced on by.

Fourth, today: A reading deprivation exercise. (The Artist's way, page 87)

"Reading deprivation is a very powerful tool - and a very frightening one. Even thinking about it can bring up enormous rage. For most blocked creatives, reading is an addiction"

"In my teaching, the week that I assign reading deprivation is always a tough one. I go to the podium knowing that I will be the enemy"

 

A what? Yep, I was as surprised as you might be now. Deprive yourself of reading material for a whole week. Watch out for all the fillers too, radio, TV, mindless consumption of information.

 

Reading material? Deprive myself? No way.

 

Yes way.

I’m choosing now to stop ignoring the signs. I’m not religious by the way. I am spiritual though. Yep, there’s a difference, but I digress.

It felt right to move on to the next chapter of the Artist’s way. I’ll tell you more about that one day.

And on the first page came a warning: “Do not ignore the reading deprivation tool”. The author knows us human beings and how we shy away from challenges, things that might seem too hard or impossible. She knows. She says “even at the safe remove of the written word, I can feel the shock waves of antagonism about trying this tool" Too right, you can. Twenty odd years later (the book is that old).

Out came the excuses, (as predicted by the author) :

- how will I get through my day without reading?

- all the blog posts I can’t read

- the magazines

- the news

- how will I occupy myself?

-I can’t do this! I will die of boredom!

- and so on...

I had in mind to delay this, but the signs are too strong. I start now, or not at all.

 

I’ve made a plan.

-All my favourite blogs are in an aptly named “Favourites” folder in my Reader, and they will conveniently still be there next week for me to catch up on. There will be 30-40 articles in there. Yikes.

- Social media is limited to posting links to my blog (as I’m definitely allowed to write/create).

- No TV, radio or news

- No reading books.

 

What I can do:

- I can read patterns to make things (I’m currently crocheting something awesome).

- I respond to emails as part of my job, so I still need to do that.

- I can check my email twice per day, once in the morning, once in the evening. Anything that is a newsletter, blog update or other “no-reply” item, will be put in a folder to read later. I can read comments on my posts and respond.

- The author gives us permission to read the chapter in the book, and the tasks for the week.

 

 

Why on earth am I doing this??????

- Because my mind feels saturated, full to bursting, and there is little room for me to come up with my own ideas.

- I mindlessly consume my favourite blogs, the amazingly inspiring articles, and they don’t have a chance to impact me in the way that they could if I had space to take in their message.

- Reading is my addiction because I think that if I read enough, I will eventually have the courage to write.

- Because the signs are there, random or otherwise, and I’m choosing to notice them. I could safely ignore them, but I’d always wonder what if. I’d also be forsaking/limiting any benefits of this challenge.

 

Yet another challenge????

- I love challenges. They are fun/scary (at the same time). They are educational. They inspire growth. They encourage reflection. They take us out of our comfort zone, and that is only a good thing.

- I could speculate on the benefits of this challenge, I could take it with a pinch of salt, I could do it half-heartedly. Sure. But then I won’t discover the full benefits, and may end up considering it pointless.

 

How do you feel about this???

-Scared

-Apprehensive

-Excited

-Surprised

-Anxious

-Doubtful

- Worried

 

These feelings are all good signs of growth. Personal growth is scary, induces anxiety, and uncertainty. And as Brene Brown said in her talk, it makes us vulnerable (in a good way - I invite you to watch the video).

 

I’m going cold turkey on my addiction to information, blogs, articles, facebook, twitter, books and other reading material.

 

Flippin heck. Why do I do these things to myself??

 

The challenge starts now, and runs until 10pm Thursday 18th April.

 

p.s. you might see more posts from me in the next week. If I don’t die of boredom first ;)

 

What do you think? Have you done anything similar before? I'd love to hear from you in the comments.