The Artist's Way

Gerber daisy perched on her night table told her life was
abloom with possibility. Matthew found that the scent of real
furniture wax gave him a feeling of safety, solidity, and
order. Constance found luxury in allowing herself the
indulgence of a magazine subscription (a twenty-dollar gift
that keeps giving for a full year of images and indulgence).
All too often, we become blocked and blame it on our
lack of money. This is never an authentic block. The actual
block is our feeling of constriction, our sense of
powerlessness. Art requires us to empower ourselves with
choice. At the most basic level, this means choosing to do
self-care.
One of my friends is a world-famous artist of formidable
talents. He is assured a place in history for his contributions
to his field. He is sought after by younger artists and
respected by older artists. Although not yet fifty, he has
already been singled out for lifetime achievement awards.
Nonetheless, this is an artist suffering in the throes of artistic
anorexia. Although he continues to work, he does so at
greater and greater cost to himself. Why, he sometimes
wonders to himself, does his life’s work now feel so much
like his life’s work?
Why? Because he has denied himself luxury.
Let me be clear that the luxury I am talking about here
has nothing to do with penthouse views, designer clothes,
zippy foreign sports cars, or first-class travel. This man
enjoys all those privileges, but what he doesn’t enjoy is his
life. He has denied himself the luxury of time: time with