What happened when I took an Artist Date

Artist Date... what's that?

Well, it one of the three legs of creativity that Julia Cameron preaches:

Morning Pages. Artist Dates. Walking. 

According to her, doing morning pages makes you tell the world/universe what your dreams and problems are. The Artist Dates provide the answers to your dreams and problems. Walking makes you receptive. 

In my case, I've been writing Morning Pages since 2010. 

Walking? I've been walking since 2004. I accidentally discovered the calming effect walking has on my brain.  

Artist Dates? Uh.... no thanks. 

I've been resisting the Artist Date Concept. Julia Cameron mentioned that a resistance to artist dates means a resistance to self-intimacy. 

Wait, what?

It feels phony and I doubted it would really help me. 

Doubted. Yes, you heard me right.

Because one Saturday morning, I decided to give it a shot. 

My morning pages entries went like this:

"Well, it must be something that my Artist likes, yes?"

"Why not play basketball at the Arcade?"

"Why not try that wall-climbing activity?"

"Why not try archery?"

Granted, these activities are more fun when you have a companion. 

But in Artist Dates, you are your own companion. You and your artist child. 

I strolled at SM Ecoland the following day. I passed by the arcade as a war raged within me. 

"There are so many people. So many kids. I feel so left out. I must feel like a loner"

......

"It doesn't hurt to ask how much the tokens cost now, does it?"

One token costs five Philippine pesos, and single game of basketball costs 2 tokens. 

Let me tell you, my twenty pesos was well-spent!

After exhausting my tokens, I realized how much fun basketball was (or shooting balls on a ring was!)

Basketball was my sport of choice in my youth. My avenue to overcome/cover up my insecurities. 

(haha!)

But in 2nd year highschool, I stopped playing the game for two reasons:

One. I had a senior whom I were good friends with, who told me I didn't know how to dribble. Can you imagine how my frail ego took that? 

Second. During our sportsfest, I was doing my best, blocking another player from shooting, and I heard jeers that my actions could be counted as foul. So much for giving your best. Oh no, frail ego!

That was the last time I willingly played basketball. 

I would occasionally touch the ball. But never again did I approach the ball with such enthusiasm. 

After that short game, I had another brief monologue in my head:

"There's a basketball court near your house. why not play there?"

"Oh Geez, it's embarrassing to play when you're alone, groups play there too, and I don't have a ball."

"Well, you had a deflated ball at home. You can purchase a pin. You have that item to inflate your bike wheel. You check what times you aren't allowed to play."

It's so easy to discourage ourselves and shoot down that first idea. 

I bought a pin. You couldn't play after 8PM and 12NN-3PM.  Okay. I might as well play in the early morning, or after work.

But I couldn't find the ball. 

"But I just can't purchase a ball. it could be expensive, like a thousand bucks. I spent 3,000 for my Mikasa Vollyball."

"It doesn't hurt to try and ask."

Turns out a Mikasa basketball costs almost 600, while a cheaper non-branded ball is around 150. 

"Are you playing professionally?" the saleslady asked.

"Just for fun."

I went home with a non-branded ball that day. 

At 6PM, I threw a shot. A congratulatory shot. A well-deserved activity for conquering my negative self-talk. Magic happens when you give yourself a try. 

The next morning, I woke up at 5:30 AM to play basketball. Alone. 

"Why not take a walk?"

So I walked around the subdivision for an hour.

I studied for the remaining day, alternating it with rounds of physical activity. I even played basketball with the kids from my neighborhood.  

The next day, (which is today), my body ached. 

A well-deserved ache, by the way.

Doing my artist date unfolded a new path I never expected. 

I never imagined I would my interest in basketball. Maybe the interest might fade. Maybe it won't. But I'm looking for alternative ways to move my body. To make it feel vibrant. 

Basketball does that.

There's magic when you give yourself a try. 

My next artist date will be Wall-Climbing Activity after my exams. I can't wait for that!

Collage: A change of heart

I was never a fan of collages.

I recall projects in school where the teacher had to make us make a collage, I can recall that disgusting feeling in me.

Ick.

No.

Never.

That's cheating.

I don't like it.

Never.

Then my big, hairy and audacious goal came. Time was running out.

Really running out.

I resorted to grabbing photos online, editing it in photoshop and voila!

Hey, not bad!

Not bad at all!

I should set aside one weekend and create collages for fun.

That would make an interest artist date, right?

Big Hairy Audacious Goal

I accepted a new project.

It's huge.

It's audacious.

It's hairy.

My God, it's scaring the wits out of me.

I don't know whether it'll push through, whether the concept will be accepted, or hated that its thrown against the wall with such force.

All I know is.

I'm taking a risk.

I'm expanding myself.

I'm using my Wacom Tablet for the first time this year.

Thank you for taking time to read, here's a cute picture to make your day:

It's not bad to be "Noise"

In a previous post, I wrote about my desire to "not be another noise" in the internet.

Yep. I do. I want to be valuable. I want to help.

Or am I just allowing my ego to get the best out of me?

Creative's Nook is my personal blog.

Yes.

I accept that.

I'm not seeking fame, glory, subscribers, or pageviews for it.

It's for my personal creation.

I can add value with another blog, or website.

But Creative's Nook?

Let it be noise!

My Experience with Arriane Serafico's Braver Goals Online Course after 90 Days

credit to Arriane Serafico

In July 2016, I enrolled in Arriane Serafico's Braver Goals Online Course.

90 Days later, I've done my part, and here's a review/testimonial, sharing my experience with the course.

Let me start with my email to her last Saturday:

When my office mate gave me your blog link a year ago (yep, the same person who joked about the discourage club), I never imagined I'd be a willing participant in your world (brand, I mean). 

To use what I learned from the Purposeful Personal Branding module, "Oh boy, here's another Sparkling blogger with sparkling blogs that I will forget."

That wasn't the case. 

Okay, maybe it was. 

I subscribed, and eventually forgot all about you. Like other typical subscribers do. 

Then one day, I just messaged you (after reading through an email you send to all your subscribers). 

And you replied! Not once, not twice, but maybe around four to five times! 

So she actually takes time to read her inbox, I thought. 

When you notified the world about your Braver Goals Bootcamp/Courage Club, I prepped myself for the cheapest one. I clicked the Php 3,999.00 option instead. 

Oh God, what have I done? 

"Making one of the best decisions in your life." 

It's true. 

I hesitated to tell my mom about joining your e-course. I told her anyway, and the first question she asked: "Is there a Certificate?"

"Oh gee, hindi ko po alam. Tatanungin ko po siya." 

Leanna, the discourage club joker, also joined the Bootcamp, and we bonded over the modules for the past 2 months (unfortunately she got off the wagon last month, after a horrible allergic reaction). That was fun! 

And the ladies at the Courage Club.... I didn't know all of them. Maybe some. A handful. And I'm grateful that I met them. Creative people are hard to come by. It's hard to relate to someone who doesn't create, and I swear I can hear crickets chirping in the background! 

Yes, you're right. It's always our choice. I chose to allow my insecurity to get in my way. I chose insecurity to belittle myself and slam my face hard on the floor, as I compared myself with the other ladies. It's not their fault. It's mine. And it's my choice to act and do something about it, even if it'll be messy, awkward and frustrating. 

And messy, awkward and frustrating... (rinse and repeat)

The past 90 days have been valuable. Best 3,999.00 I ever spent! I regret I didn't purchase the 3,999 version for the PPM (but I have my reasons... trying to wean myself from Facebook, and insufficient balance in my ATM account. But the self-study program works for me as well!) 

I really appreciate it when you take time to respond to comments/emails, even if I know there are several people you have to respond to. My love language, according to Gary Chapman, is words of affirmation.. so thank you for the encouraging words Arriane! 

When I was in 2nd yr high school, my teacher finished checking the second notebook on a pile of orange notebooks, and exclaimed to the class it was the first notebook she checked that didn't give her a headache. 

I owned the first notebook she checked. 
That traumatized me a bit, but confused me as well. My 1st year English teacher told me I wrote well. But I forgot all about that when the incident with the second teacher happened. 

Having Words of Affirmation for your love language sucks some times. haha.

I look forward to courses you'll make in the future, and when I self-publish that horror book (which I also wrote in the course of the 90 days), I'll let you know about it! It's part of the fruit of my Braver 90 days of course. 

Question: Would I recommend this course?

Only if you're willing to follow a system and see what it has to offer. You must be willing to dedicate 90 days for this online course. I admit I had my slip-ups. I didn't follow everything to detail, BUT I learned what worked for me.

Question: Gee, Php 3,999.00 sounds too much. I don't know...

There's a cheaper option available. It was less than Php 1,000.00. However, I made a last minute decision to purchase the Php 3.9K one because I wanted to meet new people.

Question: What changed in your life? 

It' simple that I never thought it was possible. I always believed in Chunking. Arriane, (in my view), uses this principle. You can have four projects in a given year. The question is, how to you execute them?

Will you work on all four projects simultaneously? Or will you complete project on one project before you go to the next one?

I used to be the person who worked on projects simultaneously. And it's not for me. I end up sad and frustrated because I haven't accomplished anything.

I discovered that the 90 day project cycle works for me! It cultivates discipline in me, and I get to practice saying "No", a lot.

Shiny new project? I can feel the urge to work on it. Oh, no. Wait. I'm still working on my 90 day project. maybe I can note what this new shiny project is. Let it incubate. Then I'll work on it again.

Arriane guides you to manage a project using a system she created. Her system isn't absolute, and she encouarges her students to continuously learn and refine their personal system.

I also discovered Spanx's Sara Blakely (whose quotes I absolutely loved!). I also connected with some Filipina bloggers, artists, creatives and entrepreneurs because of this course. When you meet new people, they somewhat influence you and change your perspective in life.

Question: I hate systems and rules on how you should approach your work, blah blah blah---

That's good! At least you know what doesn't work for you. If systems turn you off, then please, spare yourself the mental energy about criticizing about systems and find what works for you. Arriane knows her brand isn't for everyone (that's what I learned from her other course, Purposeful Personal Branding).

Just look for the approach that best suits you.

Question: What tangible result came when you joined this course?

I wrote three stories. Fanfictions, actually. No, don't look at me as I committed sin. Lol. But I write a lot. I write everyday now. If you were to sum up all my word count, I've produced rough 60,000 words.

That's from someone who was "All Talk, but No Walk."

My head is full of stories and ideas, and they remained in my head for decades. For a creative, that's depressing. You don't want an idea to be stagnant in your head.

I wanted to move on, so I decided to write the stories in my head. My fiction isn't perfect, yet it gave me the confident to write. To put myself out there.

Question: Should I give it a go?

YES!

If you have any questions about the experience, please feel free and leave a comment!

I hope my answers enlightened you if you're deciding to enroll in her online courses.

It's a great investment for your cash.

Creative Thursdays: Repainting my Mirror

I have an old mirror in my room. It's been my mirror ever since I can remember.
And it has an ugly backside.

I've been thinking of repainting it. Just like what I see Alisa Burke does. I don't have paint... but I could purchase...

OHH!

I could draw it with my sharpies!

Yeah!

Cats!

How not to drown yourself in the Sea of the Internet

Do you want to break free from the noisezone?

There's friendzone. Seenzone. I don't know-zone. Yeah, I totally made that word up.

Several months ago, I chose to blog daily.

 Two posts a day.

The result was a whopping 150 plus blogposts that I'm proud of.

It was a beast-- an accomplishment I never thought possible.

Quantity is king!

The happiness didn't last long.

I poured over the posts, and realized what a bloody mess it was.

The only value it had was to serve my low self-esteem and my niche was serving my ego.

(Now, I could be wrong....)

I read this invaluable quote somewhere ( I forgot who said it, sorry)

True. I was writing a lot. I was producing a lot.

But did it have value?

Did it help people?

Did it make someone's day better?

Did I help someone solve their problems?

Maybe.

But most of the time, what I wrote was noise.

Messy and unfocused noise. 

I'm currently enrolled in one of Arriane Serafico's online courses, and it's an excellent course btw.

I've read numerous blogs/articles/courses telling me to niche down.

The problem was, I couldn't understand its importance. I couldn't understand how to niche down.

Arriane makes it so easy. Easy as 1, 2 and 3.

According to her, Niching down is like talking to a crowd in a colosseum vs. talking to a handful of people in a small room.

In a colosseum, you are competing with thousands of people. You talk. You bore them. They talk. Your message becomes another noise.

That's what I've been doing.

But when you talk to a handful of people in a small room, provided they want to listen to what you have to say on topics they want to hear, on subjects dear to their heart.

That. is. Niching down.

Like the final piece of a jigsaw puzzle, everything clicked. I finally saw the bigger  picture. The whole picture.

As much as I enjoyed the act of blogging daily, the internet is not my personal diary to rant and bitch to make another person unhappy.

That's why I made the decision to stop my "daily blog challenge". It was fun! I discovered I had a lot of say. A lot of things to talk about.

It's just that... the quality.

Quality sucked. Big time!

I didn't want to be another noise. I didn't want to drown myself. So I chose to exit gracefully.

Now, that doesn't mean I won't stop blogging.

I like it, I do.

I just want to write about important matters where people will find value.

I hope this post is valuable.

Don't drown yourself in a sea of noise.