The Artist’s Way: Week 6

 

We're now halfway through Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way: week 6. As a personal finance nerd, this week felt particularly easy and familiar to me. But let's see if I can unearth anything new.

A false dichotomy.

Julia Cameron sets the scene with a common but false dichotomy: the pecuniary world (pragmatic in nature, scarce in resources, subject to the logic of market forces) vs. the artistic realm (spiritual in nature, abundant in resources, granted by a benevolent god).

This dualism collapses when we consider the common idea that artists must starve in order to make art. Because this suggests that our supposedly loving, giving god wants us to carry out its will (in the act of creating), yet deny us something as basic as financial security.

It makes more sense, if (like Cameron) you believe that creating art is being a conduit for spiritual energy, to also believe that the spirit will provide for your earthly needs.

Beware the wet blanket...

The wet blanket is a common type of person in this world, one that artists should avoid being unduly influenced by. 

This is one whose sense of virtue is dependent on self-deprivation and overwork. "Play? I can't afford to play!" he scoffs. This behaviour stems from the belief that money is hard to come by and you need to suffer for it. For wet blankets, money — not creative fulfillment — is the primary concern in life. 

Contrast the wet blanket's habitual anxiety with the notion of authentic luxury. The latter is deliberating treating oneself to specific things that nourish and delight the soul. These tend not to be luxurious in the ordinary sense; instead, they are sensual, low in practical utility but deeply satisfying in an intrinsic way. 

Some examples given: second-hand tweed clothing, a single daisy, (the smell of) furniture wax, a pint of raspberries, just-for-fun music records, cheap crayons or watercolours. We need to give ourselves such gifts, which don't cost very much by the way, to stimulate the artist within.

The counting exercise!

The big, earth-shaking exercise this week — akin to Week 4's reading deprivation exercise — is to track every last one of your expenses. The idea is to see where your money goes and observe if our spending reflects our values. 

"We fritter away cash on things we don't cherish and deny ourselves those things that do," wrote Julia Cameron.

Here's what I recorded:

• Sun: Stuff'd & Little Caesars ($17)
• Mon: groceries from 7-Eleven ($44) & Giant ($20)
• Tue: Famous Amos & Milo ($9)
• Wed: veggies ($15) 
• Thu: groceries ($17) & disgusting kopitiam food ($12)
• Fri: Carousell coins ($7) & my domain ($21)

The non-food spending (Carousell coins and domain registration) was worthwhile because they are for projects that matter to me: my bunny boarding business and this blog. 

The veggies ($15) and Thursday grocery run ($17) were also all right because I was intentional about what I wanted to make with them. 

As for the remainder, I feel very frustrated when I think about the fact that I spent so much on food that I either have no recollection of or didn't derive much lasting enjoyment of. Granted, it was for 2 of us, but still... it seems like a lot of money with no returns. I would rather spend it on dishes I actually want to cook.

I wasn't expecting to, but I definitely feel shaken by this simple exercise. I've been tracking my expenses for over a year, but I've always focused on the final sum rather than reflect on the individual items.

Any new flow in your life?

Yes, actually. The bunny boarding biz is going really well. We have bookings all the way until the end of the year, and people are enquiring about January. I've even gotten a word-of-mouth referral.

I also got a part-time job at Kinokuniya. It being a retail job, it doesn't pay very highly... I can make so much more doing freelance writing, so why am I looking forward to this new phase of life? I don't know. I guess the thought of being around physical books is appealing. So is the idea of interacting with actual people. Or maybe I just like the idea of myself working in a bookstore?

Neither income stream is particularly lucrative, but, added up, they would be just enough to provide for our necessities. Which is a thought that makes me extremely happy.

Week 6 check-in

Morning pages: Last week was disrupted by the bunny guests, but writing flow has gone back to normal this week. 6.5/7. I deduct 0.5 for Thursday, because for some reason my mind was bouncing all over the place and I couldn't sit still to write my full 3 pages.

Artist date: My artist date this week was completely unplanned. My friend had come over to hang out and see the bunnies. After I walked her back to the MRT station, inspiration suddenly struck, and I went on an impromptu shopping trip. I bought the ingredients for green curry without my usual grocery shopping hand-flapping. I felt purposeful and excited to make this thing. I suppose cooking is also an art.

Issues this week: Overspending on food?