This is a longer podcast than normal because whilst Gina & Sam are very passionate about their own daily journals, they realise that not everyone will be as excited or comfortable with the idea

… so they start by exploring some tips for people who might experience strong resistance to the idea of writing down their thoughts every day. The process of writing in this way can skyrocket your success and happiness: and alongside discussing the many benefits of journaling, they also explore some of the ways to make it work best for you.

[Gina & Sam both use a form of journaling from The Artist's Way called Morning Pages - for more info have a look here.]

I was lucky enough to attend a workshop of Julia’s here in London recently. Her amazing way of engaging the subconscious and allowing it full expression, despite the ego’s resistance was a wonderful exercise in giving my creativity full reign. I remembered long forgotten dreams of photography, art and dance. Working in pairs we blasted through self-doubt and internal critics to discover what we would truly love to create. And the best thing? It doesn’t have to be perfect.

I have listed below some of the questions that helped us reach this awareness. And I hope that you find them equally challenging and enlightening. And that this self-questioning will take you closer to your heartfelt desires to create – each and every day of your life. Just keep it simple.

1. Family
What did your mother think about artists and creativity?
What did your father think about artists and creativity?

2. What was the art form you practised as a child?

3. What’s the art form you lust after RIGHT NOW?

4. If you had 5 ‘other’ lives what would they be? And what small action can you take right now to taste some of those lives. eg dancer – take dance classes.

5. List 15 things/activities you absolutely love.

6. List 7 artistic U-turns. e.g. I started piano but gave up when I started dating…

7. If you didn’t have to do it perfectly, what would you try right now?  e.g. learn to ride a motorbike, play piano etc

8. List 5 Ways You are Mean to Yourself

9. List 5 Ways You are Loving to Yourself

10. List 5 adventures you’d like to have

11. What Do You Need To Try?

12. What Do You Need to Know?

13. What Do You Need to Accept?

14. Write a letter from your 8-year-old self to your current self.

15. Write a letter from your 80-year-old self to your current self.

Just a few examples of a little creative archaeology! And keep asking yourself, ‘What Do I Love’ You might be surprised at the answer.

HAPPY CREATING!

“Let us be silent, that we may hear the whispers of the gods.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Silence. Silenzio. Silence. Silêncio. Schweigen. Šutnja. Stilte.
Whatever language you speak, the word silence means the same thing. More than just quietness, it also signifies a certain peace.

Simon & Garfunkel’s seminal The Sound of Silence was written the year I was born, and has always been one of my all time favourite songs. Listening to it as a child I would wonder aloud, what was the sound that silence made? Did it actually have a sound, a vibration to it? I think it does… it whispers things for sure.

If you live in a busy city then noise is a part of life. Even if you live in the country you have the noise of your incessant thoughts to keep you agitated. Peace is not that easy to come by it seems. TV, mobile phones, planes, trains, automobiles, screaming kids, screaming adults. No wonder we choose to self medicate so often: drink, drugs, sex – all ways of drowning out the roar and going into a quieter zone. It’s a self-medicating way of meditating; one of the few times when our minds actually stop.

So how can we get this longed for peace without Class A, a dried up liver, or chanting with the llamas? How can we find the silence in ourselves? For it’s in the silence that we find all the answers we seek. Inspiration and ideas come to us quite loudly – in silence.

So to clear the extraneous sounds – inside and out – here are some suggestions to access and enjoy your own Sounds of Silence:

1. Take a walk on the wild side and get into the country. Or find out where your nearest park or beach or forest or hill or nature trail or ocean is – and go explore! Breathe in some fresh air and feel your whole body relax and your mind switch off. Nature has a beautiful way of healing us, just like that.

2. Just S.T.O.P what you’re doing. Now! Seriously, just sit, stand and stare at the sky for at least 5 minutes. Do nothing. Stop standing there and do nothing.

4. Get up very early one morning. Take a walk around your neighbourhood and savour it before the morning rush. It’s a beautiful time of the day to be alive!

5. Or if you’re a night bird, wait until everyone else is asleep and sit in the dark. Switch off the TV, take time out from alcohol and simply enjoy the night time. For many parents this is the ONLY time you’ll get some peace and quiet. Be still with your own thoughts.

6. Meditate. The western idea of meditating is sitting quietly not moving in some draughty monastery. No! You can meditate while you’re washing up. Driving a car can be meditative. Sure, its better if you can sit cross legged in front of a candle but not everyone can do that. Just take time out to watch your thoughts is a good start. Watch them like clouds passing across the sky and don’t attach yourself to them.

7. Listen to some classical music or just ambient background noise. Music is a great healer and calms the nervous system. I’m talking more Mozart here than thrash metal, obviously. Violins, harp and flute are all wonderful sounds to take you out of your head and into your heart.

8. If you’re at work, turn off the mobile phone, step away from the computer, walk out of the building and have a minimum 5-minute break. Being stuck in front of your desk all day without moving is nuts.

9.  If you’re not much into nature, then find a local museum to visit, or an art gallery. Anywhere where you can slip gently into your right brain is going to help you relax and zone out of the mindless brain chatter.

10. Do some stream of consciousness writing. Author and playwright Julia Cameron began the idea of morning pages in her classic book The Artists Way. If any of you feel creatively stymied and want to release blocks, this is a must-read!

Paul and Sam talk about our perception of time, its impacts, and how to keep a reality check on the things you need or want to do. With loads of tips and tricks on how to keep track and make your life that little bit more organised – or at least measurably more realistic!

For more information on The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, and the process of Morning Pages (one of its pivotal Basic Tools), visit The Artist’s Way site where you can even download a PDF chapter of the book that details why Morning Pages are so powerful!

Also available from Amazon
Artist’s Way, 10th anniversary edition