Putting a Tiger Back in Your Tank

When I learned that we would proceed from “The Artist’s Way” book for the Birth Art course of Içsel Doğum, instead of that, I started to read again “Walking In This World”, which was written by Julia Cameron as a continuation to The Artist’s Way. I’m glad that I did! This book is divided into 12 weeks, such as the Artist’s Way, with Julia Cameron’s articles on art and creation processes, and exercises with many writing practices. I am currently at the 10th week.

When we are in love, we find our partners fascinating and ourselves with them. When we are in a creative recovery, we find ourselves fascinating. We fall in love with our own ideas, insights, inspirations, and impulses. We are interested by what we have to say and think. We feel alive, alert, and vibrant – and, if we don’t feel that way, we know it and resent it. Admitting those who leave us cold, we warm our own interests.

Take pen in hand and finish the following phrases as rapidly as you can:

  1. Among my friends, a “fuse lighter” who makes me feel creative and powerful is ________.
  2. Among my friends, a “wet blanket” who drains and dampens me is ________.
  3. Historically, a relationship that left me depleted from overcaretaking was ________.
  4. Realistically, a current relationship that leaves me feeling neutered is ________.
  5. My most reciprocal, mutually nurturing creative friendship is with ________.

Once you have sorted through your acquaintances and intimates for those who allow you to be fiery, ask yourself the same question: “Do I allow myself to have passion?” Take pen in hand and write yourself a love letter. Be as specific and as affectionate as you can imagine.

When I sat to write the letter, #stayathome calls were started. While I was writing a love letter to myself, “… I am sending you this special package” poured out of my pen and I started to prepare a gift for myself. Meanwhile, I already started to prepare this website, and I intended to be close with each element for 10 days, before putting its page to the site. Thus I chose my gifts according to the elements:

  • For fire, books that I delayed reading. – I did not know that I was going to write these articles then.
  • For earth, activity packages with beads, similar to those I prepared for my nephew, so that I could play with my hands. – I made my first mala, thanks to this, and I love it.
  • For air, linoleum stamp making set. I mean, gathering all materials I need in a box, as a set. – I made four stamps. When I realized how much I loved it, I used the open check, which is the 17th year gift of my husband’s, “something you wanted but couldn’t buy as it is expensive”, for the linoleum engraving set.
  • For water, paper works that I bought one from Berlin and one from Amsterdam, a paper whale puppet and paper diorama of “The Great Wave off Kanagawa”Tatebanko is the name of the Japanese art of creating a paper diorama, a three-dimensional miniature scene out of paper. I completed a simplified example today. Although I haven’t been in Japan yet, it is very nice to bring the air of those places to my house.

Hope to be an inspiration to those who want to make themselves one or more favors. Enjoyable games, cheerful creations!

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