quantity, not quality
I started doing The Artist’s Way, which I’d only heard of a few years ago, last week. For some reason, before this I’d thought of it as “an old person’s book.” And trust me, I know that sounds bizarre and kind of awful. What did my brain mean with that classification? All I know is that a filing cabinet marked “Old Person Books” somewhere in my noggin held my vague knowledge of The Artist’s Way. Sorry Julia Cameron, sorry “old people,” and sorry me. What a weird way to cut myself off.
But then again, I do know that things come to us when we need them. Maybe, had I tried to read it earlier, the book and its practices wouldn’t have resonated with me like they do now. Although it’s hard, I try to practice patience and acceptance of timelines other than my own—especially the universe’s timeline, which is really beyond me and often nowhere near what I’d expect. Perhaps this is another example of that very truth.
Anyways, I’d seen mention of it various places over the last year or so. I couldn’t even pinpoint where at, if you’d asked me, but the book had become a part of my consciousness. Maybe people were getting into it while pandemic-ing? When I saw the artist Marlee Grace share about an Artist’s Way book study they were hosting, I saw it as a perfect opportunity. When I saw that I could join this book study, it felt like a push I didn’t know I needed. And, ta-da, now I’m making my way through Week Two. We’ll see where it goes.
One thing I’ve read so far that really resonated with me is the idea of being a channel for creativity, rather than a source of it. As a non-religious person, I do feel some of the ideas in the book are a little woo-woo, but I also love the freedom of being able to not focus on being responsible for making “good art.” I love the idea that, as long as I focus on the quantity, something divinely creative can work on quality (which is, of course, a clever way of turning off the inner critic and just getting to the work of making, which, in due time, leads to stronger work).
But anyways, all of that is to say that this week’s prompt is essentially a stream, of consciousness, which we’ve done before, but the impetus is a little different. This time, it’s about practicing the quantity. Don’t be precious, don’t worry about perfection, just write. Let something loose, and then see what you get.
prompt #39:
Get yourself nice and comfy in your writing spot. Maybe get yourself a snack or beverage, too. Whatever makes you feel ready. Then, set your five-minute timer and write the entire time. Don’t think, just follow the thoughts. Focus on the quantity and forget about the quality. Jump off the high dive and don’t worry about the landing.
After your first minutes are up, you may find that you’re just getting started. You may find that there is a pearl in there, or you may find that you’re just glad it’s over. No fear, the goal was quantity.
If you want, send something my way. But if you don’t, just enjoy the process.
ashley's piece:
(Sparked an idea for next week’s prompt, so hold onto your butts, friends!)