The Artist Way, Take #14

I'm doing the Artist's Way again. The title implies an actual count, but I can't tell you how many times I've attempted this process only to abandon it. This time I have the advantage of an established morning pages habit prior to starting and allowing myself to do what I want.Week 1 involved a personal set-back that I processed on my own, sans therapy. Emotionally I was knocked down, but the week flew by. Skipped the artist date.Week 2 involved a business set-back that I didn't beat myself up over. At the end of it, I took myself out for tea and writing. Lots of staring out a window.Week 3 has been busy busy. I signed up for a hand-made journal class.All of this falls right in line with taking care of myself,  Still, it's not easy. I hope to track my progress as it goes along. This is my personally run creative course, in an effort to fill my time during the therapy hiatus and to rediscover my creative self.In the past three weeks I've allowed myself: tea at a cafe, a new journal, reorganized bathroom drawers, redecorated bedroom, gently used "new" furniture, a bath, yoga, a beach stop (tho it was too cold) reading, sleep, watching docs, Yogurtland, time with friends, time to rest, photo-taking and blogging.I'm learning who is safe to share my tender self with and who I need to protect myself from. I'm listening to myself more. Good days feel great and bad days aren't horrible. Things balance out. I feel more hopeful and confident than I have in years. My resiliency is bubbling up.This week I encountered serendipity when I found myself without a blog post for work. On the day I planned to work to invent one, I opened my email to find two drafts in my in box. Perfect.As Julia Cameron suggests, I am opening up to Good Orderly Direction.I'll keep you posted.