Reading Deprivation
Chapter 4 of the Artist Way - A path to Higher Creativity has a task your supposed to do called Reading Deprivation. It basically tells you to stop reading for a week. This includes emails, books, newspapers, websites, and anything you can think of that involves the written word. I'm adding TV, computer games, and other electronic devices to this list as well. Sounds like I'm torturing myself doesn't it - for most people who read this they are most likely already starting to list reasons why they couldn't or woudn't ever do this. There might be a quickening in your breathing and pulse. Interesting isn't it. Why would a person reading this react in such a powerful way??
If you've gotten past the first paragraph your doing well. What this task actually does is it shows you where your spending your time. If a person reads email and surfs the internet every day from say 8-10:30 in the morning - and now they are supposed to avoid that - what do you do with that time - how often do you find your hand reaching to turn on the computer. It shows you where your time is being spent, and how your life is affected by constant distractions. All of a sudden you have these bubbles of time that have nothing in them - so what do you fill them with? The answer is different for everyone - for me this week I hope to fill the bubbles with art - lots and lots of art. I've already updated my webpage at http://www.TRCreations.com and now I'm updating my blog.
A friend mentioned in our Artist Way Group that I do my best to not pull my family into it this time. In the past I have just declared the week a no tv week for everyone so we spend time together. This time though I shall take her advice = not change their lives and see how I do by focusing on my own week and let them live their lives as usual. This is a challenge for me - we have constant distractions around the house. I'm curious how reading deprivation for me and not anyone else in the house will be like - I can feel my own pulse quickening and the arguments bubbling to the surface. I really really want to see the results though. I'll post here as the week progresses to document my progress.
Personally I highly recommend trying this to anyone. The truth is that it's ONLY 7 days out of a billion in a persons lifetime. Seeing yourself in a much clearer way after the week is over is interesting, and can be very healing.
Quote for the day : "Do you remember what a sunset looks like? Turn off the tv, turn off the computer, go outside and find the beauty that occurs every day in your own backyard!"
If you've gotten past the first paragraph your doing well. What this task actually does is it shows you where your spending your time. If a person reads email and surfs the internet every day from say 8-10:30 in the morning - and now they are supposed to avoid that - what do you do with that time - how often do you find your hand reaching to turn on the computer. It shows you where your time is being spent, and how your life is affected by constant distractions. All of a sudden you have these bubbles of time that have nothing in them - so what do you fill them with? The answer is different for everyone - for me this week I hope to fill the bubbles with art - lots and lots of art. I've already updated my webpage at http://www.TRCreations.com and now I'm updating my blog.
A friend mentioned in our Artist Way Group that I do my best to not pull my family into it this time. In the past I have just declared the week a no tv week for everyone so we spend time together. This time though I shall take her advice = not change their lives and see how I do by focusing on my own week and let them live their lives as usual. This is a challenge for me - we have constant distractions around the house. I'm curious how reading deprivation for me and not anyone else in the house will be like - I can feel my own pulse quickening and the arguments bubbling to the surface. I really really want to see the results though. I'll post here as the week progresses to document my progress.
Personally I highly recommend trying this to anyone. The truth is that it's ONLY 7 days out of a billion in a persons lifetime. Seeing yourself in a much clearer way after the week is over is interesting, and can be very healing.
Quote for the day : "Do you remember what a sunset looks like? Turn off the tv, turn off the computer, go outside and find the beauty that occurs every day in your own backyard!"
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