Artist’s Life.
I have been reading Julia Cameron. In both the Artist Way and Finding Water: Preserving with Art, Cameron talks about the process of creativity. She talks about the types of people artists need to be careful of and those precious people that they need to surround themselves with. It is interesting that on the artistic journey there are people we have all met and either we run from or run too.
“Creativity flourishes when we have a sense of safety and self-acceptance. Your artist, like a small child, is happiest when feeling a sense of security. As our artist’s protective parent, we must learn to place our artists with safe companions. Toxic playmates can capsize our artist’s growth.”
-Julia Cameron-
The Crazymaker! You know them, they take you so far off your desired goal, your writing, your painting or even or daily job. They try to walk into your world and instead of supporting the artist, their friend or their teammate their goal, whether they realize it or not, is to creative havoc! The over share, they spread gossip, put doubt into your heart, they subtly attack your work. When they leave you often feel sad, frustrated or just lost.
Crazymakers aren’t always easy to spot. The initially may appear friendly or even fun but with some training or just a little time you will soon be able to spot a Crazymaker from a distance. Then a strong artist figures out how to keep the Crazymaker at a distance. Cameron’s description and comments commonly heard from a Crazymaker is a great guide to detecting such a species.
“Crazymakers break deals and destroy schedules. Crazymakers expect special treatment. Crazymakers discount your reality. Crazymakers spend your time and money. Crazymakers triangulate those they deal with. Crazymakers are expert blamers. Crazymakers create drama but seldom where they belong. Crazymakers are often blocked creatives themselves. Crazymakers hate schedules-except their own. Crazymakers hate order. Crazymakers deny that they are Crazymakers.”
-Julia Cameron-
Relatives or known associates of the crazy maker, the meddler, the pusher, the judge and jury. A Crazymaker can bring out your inner critic and make her mean, nasty and almost ruthless. As an artist who wants to grow it really isn’t an option. You need to protect yourself from the types of people who break boundaries, the type of people who read letters, files or journals without asking, the type of people who “borrow” your keys and return them when it suits them. They tell you things you don’t want or need to know. The type of people who as Cameron states,” Go for the jugular.” Who will claim they are not what is making you crazy when you point out “there broken promise or a piece of sabotage.” Cameron makes the very valid point, which is critical to remember as you try to make time to create.
“What creative work are you trying to block by your involvement with a Crazymaker!”
-Julia Cameron-
Dealing with Crazymakers takes work! Check out this post about The Crazy Makers in Your Life.
Friends and Family: Wise artists have friends. Friends to keep us healthy. To pull us away from our laptops, paint brushes or pieces of artistic perfection. These friends are important. They knock on the door. They call. They turn on the lights so you aren’t sitting in the dark writing. They listen as you ramble about your latest artistic project. They offer a few words of interest or encouragement and then promptly change the topic. They know that you need to remember there is more to your life then just your art. They help keep you balanced and as Cameron says they influence and subtly remind you to,” Keep the drama on the page!”
Believing Mirrors: Cameron, who lives, breaths and is deep into the Artist’s Life, talks about the “Believing Mirror.” A person or persons who offers kind insight, ideas and new paths for your talents. Who helps you or a project get unstuck. Someone who has wisdom, experience and the grace to share and share kindly there knowledge. Cameron explains that, ”For many of us believing mirrors take a little getting used to. Often we have grown up surrounded by fun-house mirrors that reflected our dreams to us as egotistical, grandiose, even preposterous. It takes generosity to not diminish the dreams of another. True believing mirrors are always generous.”"How do you know if you have encountered a true believing mirror? There is a feeling of excitement and possibility. These may be a positive comment that we can cherish and replay. There will be no hint of cynicism, no suggestion that your dream is crazy. There will be the ring of sincerity and blessed optimism. Believing mirrors are believers, first of all, in the basic good of life. Setting aside chic skepticism, they are upbeat and encouraging. They believe in the college try. What’s more, they believe in trying again. They are realists. They expect good things but they know good things take work. They assume you will do the work because your dreams are good and worthy. They will help you if they can.”
Who are your believing mirrors?
Quiet Angels: Oh the Angels, the sweet, sweet Angels. You may never know you have quiet Angels with you. They are light little warriors who don’t work under the cover of darkness. They just support you. If given two options the Angels will make the choice to support you. They don’t ever push but they do put things in your path to help promote your growth when you are ready to grow. They find ways to prevent headaches that you never knew you were going to have. They are more then gifts from God they are your own personal superheroes! If you are lucky you will never know the Angels existed. They humbly help and leave you with the gift that you did it on your own!
The EGO: Amongst all these other people there is your EGO. Kicking around, fighting to protect your sense of self. The EGO isn’t a bad thing. You need a little EGO to keep you sane. Keep you focused and help you keep moving along on the right track. Too much off anything is a problem. Too much EGO and God will find a way to keep you humble but some EGO is necessary. It is what makes an artists stand up and say,” Hey! I sent you my work! Do you like it?” It is what stops you from drifting away into creative la la land.
Can you teach someone in your life to not be a Crazymaker? Can you be both a friend and believing mirror? How do you explain to people what kind of support you need as an artist? That is a whole other post…
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
-William James-
“Great talent finds happiness in execution.”
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe-
ISMS
So with each day that passes in my new world I learn more and more about the interesting people I work and live with. Really it was only a matter of time before we all started to discover each other’s ISMS. You know the little things we do that we don’t even realize we do. Beyond just the lack of a poker face or our poker “tell” it has quickly become clear that no matter where in the world you go your ISMS travel with you.
The Frontenac ladies would be happy to know that my funny, slightly regal and game show like hand wave was one of the first ISMS to be highlighted. I knew my neighbor knew me well when he pointed that out the wave. It made me smile when I realized that one of his ISMS is the sweet way he has to whisper the words as he was typing a text. He tried not to say the words as he texted but it was not possible for him to do. It is his ISM.
I have one new friend who grabs my fidget ring and swears she is going to take it. She doesn’t care that it is my ISM and several of my friends from home would probably agree with her on that.
I used to have a friend who had 9 faces. We were so close I didn’t even have to hear him speak I just knew based on the face what he was thinking. His facial ISMS gave him away every time The other day I learned some new people’s faces. The,” You don’t know this but I wearing sexy underwear,” face and the “I have a secret,” face and the “I am laughing but I don’t find this funny,” face and regrettably I also learned a fantastic persons, “ sad,” face.
With the great new furniture that comes to our house I have learned that many people are having ISMS with the placement of furnutre in there house.
Living close to and working with people means you also get to learn a whole other set of ISMS, the ISMS people do at work but that is a whole other blog!
Who is in your five?
As the adventures continue in Kuwait I have heard some rather insightful comments about why people come to the Middle East. One wise man said, “ People come to international teaching for two reasons; to run away or run to something.” Last night as I sat in an open air Shisha Bar, looking at a perfect full moon, drinking mint tea and listening to the waves roll in from the Persian Gulf I couldn’t think of a better place to run to for adventure.
I have started to feel more and more like I really do live here and might stay awhile. With each passing I am adjusting and developing my Kuwait lifestyle. I think the first three weeks here I partly felt like a vacationing guest. Although two days ago when I ran out of coffee the morning before attending a pre-school professional development in-service I suddenly felt like I lived here and I needed to get more coffee after work.
With so many slightly nomadic people living in the same space the topic of the development of friendship and friends from other parts of the world often comes up. The pop culture T-Mobile reference, “who is in your five?” has come up several times. It was interesting to stop and think about who is in your five? Or more specifically that lifetime list of people who regardless of geography of lifestyle will always be with you. The people who will make you laugh and cry at your wedding. The people that will help you move or paint anything! The people who won’t care when you call them at 3:00 a.m. because you forget the time difference, the people in your five will just be glad to hear your voice.
That conversation also developed into a more geographical specific question of who is in your Kuwait Five. With any drop you in the middle of a new job, new life, new housing you quickly realize who you connect with and who you don’t. I am blessed to be able to say that my Kuwaity five is fantastic and I one day do believe that perhaps when I leave this country some will move into the lifetime list.
So today as you have an adventure or two of your own I hope you have a chance to think about the people in your five!
Kuwait City, KUWAIT
Christine Oastler is a freelance travel writer, teacher and artist, currently living in Mahboula, Kuwait. Born and raised in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Christine obtained her Bachelor of Arts at Trent University and her Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University. Currently traveling around the Middle East she finds herself riding the odd camel and embracing a new culture!