Living Creatively - Money

Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way is changing my life. It’s a book about re-discovering one’s creativity, giving it room to breathe. Cameron demands activities and self-reflection that daily challenge me. For example, this week’s chapter asks me to investigate my views of money - whether they inhibit creative living. I’ve found that I’ve not yet lived independently enough to have developed really negative views of money, but when reflecting over money and my future, I do allow money to inhibit my dreams.

I have never been a procrastinator. I’ve disciplined myself to live by delayed gratification – if I labor now, I will be able to enjoy more peacefully later. This outlook heavily clouds my view of money: if I work hard and earn enough now, then later I’ll be able to do what I want. And while at times, that must be done (for me, the next year will be asi), I acknowledge that it is possible to live one’s life in such a manner. I don’t want that. I want to live creatively and fully, being totally alive and letting God work beauty through me. If I love climbing mountains, I want to do it yearly and make sure that is a priority with money. If I love a certain kind of more expensive tea, I should treat myself to it.

This chapter really is about treating myself to things/activities that let God work through me, that make my life more colorful and exciting. It’s about taking the time and necessary resources to be good to myself. My treats for the week are:

**Clean bedsheets – whether or not they needed to be switched, I love the feeling of clean bedsheets.
**Ask myself the question: If money weren't an issue, what would I do with my life? Then seriously consider the answers.
**Make a list of materials needed to create this structure I have been dreaming about – regardless the cost of the materials, I’m going to do it!
**Homemade hummus. It went so well!
**I need to find a new artist, and buy an album that gives me energy.
**Re-arranging my room. I need change in life, so this is a small road to differences.
**Going out dancing this weekend.
**Finding images of things I would buy/do/create if money were not an issue – then add them to my image-file!

Yay for life. Yay for Cameron. Yay for being a creative being.