need_to_write (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} need_to_write) wrote,@ 2007-03-07 20:42:00 |
|
Reading Deprivation
Seven or eight years ago I picked up The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. Great book. Changed my life. One of the exercises she has you do is called reading deprivation. It's a week of no reading. That means no books, no newspapers, blogs, backs of cereal boxes, magazines...you get the idea. Oh, and no other fillers like TV, computer games, surfing and shopping online (although the book was written before computers were a big deal, but I'm assuming if she wrote it now she'd include those as no-nos).
Anyway, the idea is that artists tend to hide/avoid life/their art by reading and that we need some quiet non-reading time. Well, if you read this blog you'll see that the other day I was having trouble committing to a book. My brain is just too full of words to take in any more. I decided it was time for a reading deprivation cleansing week. Guess what? I hate it. I'm grumpy and moody and you'd think my house would be cleaner or something because of all the free time I have, but nope. So why stick with it? Well, I can't remember exactly what the great epiphany or feeling was last time, but I know it was good, so I'm going to stick it out. Until Sunday night...blech.
One thing Julia Cameron does tell you to do is to journal if you fall off the wagon. What'd you read? Why? Yeah, it's kinda like therapy. I keep a journal in the morning, but I thought it might be good to make my observations on this blog instead. So, yes...I fell off the wagon. Very briefly. I just zipped through Rachel Vater's blog. I didn't read all the hooks she's posting, but I did read the stuff she wrote.
I have done very well otherwise. I haven't gone to my favorite blog even once(www.eileencook.com) but I'm pretty sure that Eileen's not being too funny this week becuse she feels sorry for me depriving myself like this. Notice how she didn't join me though???? In fact, she's probably reading extra books this week. Oh, and I guess maybe reading the comics online might count as reading...I only read 5 so it only takes a minute or two...
Other than that, I've done pretty well. Especially considering I received a box of books, yes a box of books in the mail on Monday!
I have caught up on my email and some friends have gotten a lot more emails in the last few days than usual. I've written some letters, made granola, cleaned out a drawer or two, done laundry, worked out 3 days instead of 2 already plus went for a walk, and I've also done a bunch of revising which is cool, but I don't think reading would've stopped me from doing that anyway.
I'm sure you're all dying to know what I learn from this (and if my husband's still speaking to me), so I'll keep you posted. And whatever you do, don't send me anything to read!
Seven or eight years ago I picked up The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. Great book. Changed my life. One of the exercises she has you do is called reading deprivation. It's a week of no reading. That means no books, no newspapers, blogs, backs of cereal boxes, magazines...you get the idea. Oh, and no other fillers like TV, computer games, surfing and shopping online (although the book was written before computers were a big deal, but I'm assuming if she wrote it now she'd include those as no-nos).
Anyway, the idea is that artists tend to hide/avoid life/their art by reading and that we need some quiet non-reading time. Well, if you read this blog you'll see that the other day I was having trouble committing to a book. My brain is just too full of words to take in any more. I decided it was time for a reading deprivation cleansing week. Guess what? I hate it. I'm grumpy and moody and you'd think my house would be cleaner or something because of all the free time I have, but nope. So why stick with it? Well, I can't remember exactly what the great epiphany or feeling was last time, but I know it was good, so I'm going to stick it out. Until Sunday night...blech.
One thing Julia Cameron does tell you to do is to journal if you fall off the wagon. What'd you read? Why? Yeah, it's kinda like therapy. I keep a journal in the morning, but I thought it might be good to make my observations on this blog instead. So, yes...I fell off the wagon. Very briefly. I just zipped through Rachel Vater's blog. I didn't read all the hooks she's posting, but I did read the stuff she wrote.
I have done very well otherwise. I haven't gone to my favorite blog even once(www.eileencook.com) but I'm pretty sure that Eileen's not being too funny this week becuse she feels sorry for me depriving myself like this. Notice how she didn't join me though???? In fact, she's probably reading extra books this week. Oh, and I guess maybe reading the comics online might count as reading...I only read 5 so it only takes a minute or two...
Other than that, I've done pretty well. Especially considering I received a box of books, yes a box of books in the mail on Monday!
I have caught up on my email and some friends have gotten a lot more emails in the last few days than usual. I've written some letters, made granola, cleaned out a drawer or two, done laundry, worked out 3 days instead of 2 already plus went for a walk, and I've also done a bunch of revising which is cool, but I don't think reading would've stopped me from doing that anyway.
I'm sure you're all dying to know what I learn from this (and if my husband's still speaking to me), so I'll keep you posted. And whatever you do, don't send me anything to read!
