naomilisashippen

01
Nov
2020

The Virus Chronicles – My Sister’s Birthday

As COVID Restrictions Roll On, I Wonder How Many More Birthdays We Will Spend in Lockdown.

October 21st, 2020

Today is my sister’s birthday, the fourth in our family since the lockdown. I spoke to her the other night and tried to come up with a plan to meet her halfway. We have both moved house during lockdown and haven’t seen each other’s new places.

We have always lived relatively close to each other but now we are in unfamiliar neighbourhoods and live further away. She has moved from the suburbs to a regional area and I have moved closer to the city for work.

We scoured google maps trying to find a halfway point within the 25km limit between our two homes. Somewhere we could get a takeaway coffee and go for a walk. But when we did the maths, 25kms didn’t cover the distance between us. My sister suggested meeting near her workplace, as she had a travel permit to go there. But on a weekend, the only time available to us, her reason for being at her workplace would be questionable and not worth the fine. We decided to wait another couple of weeks to see.

My mother’s birthday was in April. I delivered her present to her door and wished her a happy birthday from the front lawn. We were still new to restrictions and she couldn’t understand why I didn’t just come inside.

“But families are allowed to see each other.” She said.

I explained that was only if they lived in the same household, but not to worry. The restrictions wouldn’t be for long and we’d soon go back to normal.

With my other sister’s birthday in July, restrictions eased, and we planned a family get together. But right before her birthday was due, the second wave of lockdown started and we had to cancel our plans only days before.

Fortunately, some of the shops were still open and I was able to buy a present and send it to her. I browsed the local bookstore and found something I thought she would like and took it straight to the post office. With mail delivery slow and only days before her birthday, I bought an express post envelope and scrawled across it in thick black texta that I couldn’t be with my sister on her birthday and to please deliver the parcel on time.

On the day of her birthday, the postie turned up at my sister’s house. Smiling broadly, he held up her birthday parcel. We joked that my emotional blackmail had worked.

My son’s birthday in August was a bust. Only days before, he and I had just moved out of our home following the break-up of my marriage, and into a two-bedroom unit. With shops and restaurants all closed, I sent some cash to his bank account and we ordered uber eats. Sitting amongst the unpacked boxes, we ate on the couch. It was a far cry from his 21st last year, when our then in-tact family enjoyed a sumptuous Chinese banquet before he went out clubbing with his friends.

With the latest birthday in our family approaching and restrictions due to ease, I hold off mailing my sister a present in the hopes I can give it to her in person. Hopefully, the shops will be open and I can get her something she likes. But the announcement comes only days before her birthday that the lockdown will remain in place, so I must make do with emailing her a gift voucher.

I place the order with an eco-friendly company and hope that it would make it to my sister’s inbox in time.

As I send it off, I wonder what my birthday in January will bring.

Posted by naomilisashippen in The Virus Chronicles, 1 comment
17
Oct
2020

The Virus Chronicles – Life in the City

Peak Hour Melbourne is not What it Used to Be.

I always get a spot at the station car park and I always get a seat on the train. There are usually about four people in the carriage, two at either end, and a couple in the middle, so we all sit far apart.

The trains run so frequently I never bother with the timetable and I usually get an express. It amazes me that they’re all still running, considering how few passengers there are.

When I reach the city, I stop and get a coffee and I can take my pick of vendors. There’s a little coffee shop across from Parliament Station and a handful in Madame Brussels Lane. Today, I get a long black from the one across the station to take with me to work.

I’ve come in early and I would have liked to sit down inside the café and have it bought to me in a china cup by a friendly barista. I would have liked to find a quiet nook amongst the bump and jostle of people in woollen business suits and good-natured but harried floor staff. I would have liked to create that little oasis between myself and the working day. Just like I used to before COVID hit.

But of course, the inside of the café’s closed, so all I can do is peer through the window. I haven’t dressed warmly enough, so I draw my cardigan around me and hunch against the cold.

The girl in the patterned mask calls to me from behind her bullet-proof glass. She’s just like the tellers in the bank next door, but of course, the bank is closed.

The coffee in its cardboard cup is almost too hot to hold, and I pass it from one hand to another. I stand and wait for the lights to change, without having to press the button. The lights now change automatically, and crews of cleaners patrol the streets, constantly sanitizing anything that people are likely to touch.

I watch several busses pass through the intersection but there are hardly any cars. My son tells me I should drive in, but it doesn’t seem worth the effort. Parking is still expensive and my aversion to traffic has always kept me out of the city. I wouldn’t know the way.

I cross the road and walk through the expansive marble entrance to my building. I wave to the security guard as I do every morning and then again every night. I think it’s the same man every time, but with the mask on, it’s hard to tell.

At lunchtime, I escape from the office and hurry down the stairs to Madame Brussels Lane. The long, grey arcade is a wind tunnel today, and rather than find a spot outside, I almost think about heading back to the office and the shelter of the lunchroom.

There are a handful of eateries that remain open and I’ve done the rounds of all of them.  There is Greek, Asian and standard Aussie fare but after a month of takeaway lunches, it has taken a toll on my waistline and wallet.

As I hurry through the lane, I curse the combined locksmith and drycleaner for being closed. I really need a new key cut and my overcoat needs dry cleaning. I wore it on public transport all winter and I’m worried about the germs.

Avoiding the temptation of the cafes, I take my homemade sandwich and find a place to sit in the historic Little Lon precinct. I walk past the cordoned-off outdoor tables, the mock outhouse and the display of domestic artefacts where a little plaque informs me that women in the olden days became either sex-workers or domestic drudges.

I take a seat in the little native gardens near the blown-up black and white photos of women from colonial times. It’s 1.47pm and I’m the only one in sight.

When my husband ended our marriage a few months ago, I had to move fast. With only a few months before he stopped paying the rent, I had to find a job and a cheaper place to live. I am thankful to have found both.

With a tiring daily commute and a busy office job, I never have trouble sleeping at night. I hear reports on the news and friends telling me how lockdown life is seriously affecting their ability to sleep. Despite being envious of those who work from home, I am grateful to have missed the endless ground hog day of what the new normal has become.

With spring in the air, and COVID numbers falling, there is talk of restrictions ending earlier than expected. There is talk of streets being closed down to allow outdoor dining and some return to normal life just in time for the Grand Final, the Spring Carnival and Christmas.

I hope that all going well, that is going to happen.

I hope that we will soon get together in the city for brunch, lunch and a long-awaited drink.

Posted by naomilisashippen in The Virus Chronicles, 0 comments
29
Aug
2020

Goodreads Book Review – The Artist’s Way

Claim the Right to Creativity in Your Life

I completed this 12-week program during the COVID pandemic. Through seismic changes, both personal and in the world at large, I ended this journey in a very different place to the one where I began. I learned a lot from the morning pages and the artist’s dates. Some of the exercises were fun, even if they were a little silly.

The trick for me has been to balance my scepticism with my creativity, something that Cameron discusses often in the book. Like many creatives, I am inclined to feel guilty about spending time and energy on my frivolous creative pursuits and that I should concentrate on the real responsibilities of life. Cameron acknowledges this struggle and urges us to find a way to balance both. This is easier said than done. Sometimes you make it, sometimes you don’t. That’s ok, as long as you forgive yourself, get back on the horse and keep going.

If you would like to see how I fared on my creative journey through The Artist’s Way, take a look at my blog by following the link on my bio.

I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to take control of their creative life, whether starting out, or trying to find a better to manage their creative interests together with other responsibilities. I wish you all the best on your creative journey.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/615570.The_Artist_s_Way

Posted by naomilisashippen in Goodreads Book Reviews, 0 comments
02
Aug
2020
The Artist’s Way – Week 12: Recovering a Sense of Faith

The Artist’s Way – Week 12: Recovering a Sense of Faith

In The Final Week of The Artist’s Way, We Learn To Surrender to the Creative Force Within Us

This week, The Artist’s Way reiterates the importance of faith over control. Throughout the book, Cameron has said that creativity in all its forms comes to us from a higher power. And that while we must put in the time and effort, we must also relinquish control to a force greater that ourselves. This force, Cameron says, whether you call it God, The Universe or The Higher Power, is working with us to help us achieve our creative goals.

As a lapsed Catholic, I have found this message hard to swallow, as the God I was taught to believe in required servitude and was not interested in what I or anyone else wanted. But Cameron promises that if we have enough faith to claim our goals, the universe will come to the party and support us.

However, Cameron says, we must be prepared for creativity to come in its own form and not expect it to answer to the schedule we set it. There will be times when we must let creativity lie fallow and allow it the time it needs to gestate. Creativity cannot be forced and will not answer to the deadlines we set for it. We cannot squeeze 10 minutes of “quality time” into a hectic daily schedule and expect to have a good relationship with our artist child. Real life children won’t accept those conditions so why should the little artist that lives inside ourselves?

While our creativity is in hibernation, Cameron suggests, that we turn our attention to mundane tasks. Gardening, sewing or cleaning out our wardrobes gives our creative minds a break. Free from the pressure of having to perform, creativity will bubble away in the background and make its appearance when it’s ready.

But Cameron warns of a phenomenon that seems to arise just when our creativity has returned and we are about to go gangbusters with a new story idea, a role in a coveted play or return to that water colour we abandoned months ago. This phenomenon is what Cameron calls “The Test,” and is a particularly nasty and vicious little arrow aimed straight at your creative heart.

And I have had one hell of a test lately.

A couple of months ago, at the height of the pandemic, I announced to my husband that I would like to concentrate on writing my novel for the next few months. I lost my job just before COVID, but even if work became available, I told him I would like to stay home and put all my time and effort into writing my novel. Give it a red-hot go.

My husband, who was in a secure and well-paid job where he could work from home, gave me his full support. He said he was happy for me to put all my efforts into my novel and that I probably wouldn’t be able to find a job at this time, anyway.

But the following month, he walked out on me and our two sons to live with his new partner and her family.

While the time and effort I wanted to put into my new novel has been hijacked by the devastation this caused, I will not be deterred from my goal to complete two novels by the end of the year. But rather than having the luxury of being supported while I do this, I am going to have to balance writing with all the other responsibilities of life.

That’s OK. I’ve done it before.

For my artist’s date, I am going shopping for an ergonomic desk. I spend a lot of time writing and it is important that I have a desk that gives me the support I need. The second-hand chipboard bench my husband left behind sits too high and is causing me back problems.

And it simply won’t do anymore.

This is the last blog in this series, The Artist’s Way: My 12-Week Journey. Set during a time of seismic personal and global upheaval it has certainly been an interesting ride. Through it all, the morning pages and the artist’s dates have kept me grounded and focused on my writing goals. As has the support of the writing community, who has allowed me to share my story and vent my feelings and some ill-advised prose.

Thanks for staying with me, and I wish you all the best on your creative journey.

 

Love,

 

Naomi. xxx

Posted by naomilisashippen in The Artist's Way, 0 comments
26
Jul
2020

The Artist’s Way – Week 11: Recovering a Sense of Autonomy

Taking Care of Mind, Body and Spirit Brings a Sense of Autonomy

This week, the Artist’s Way is all about finding the right balance between “have to” and “want to.” There are things all of us must do in order to survive, such as keeping our 9 to 5 job, taking care of our families and paying the bills. Rather than look at these demands as obstacles, Cameron urges us to find ways to incorporate our creative life into the rest of our lives. In other words, we must focus on what we can do, not on what we can’t do. This focus on the positive will empower us to recover our sense of autonomy.

Even if you manage to make money from your art, chances are your income for art alone is sporadic. It is impossible to know ahead of time what’s going to sell. While you need to be aware of what is going on in the artistic marketplace, to pander to it is a waste of time and effort. By the time you have created your first in a series of teenage vampire novels that trend will have played out and it will be all about orphaned girls and their horses.

Rather than follow trends, Cameron urges artists to follow their heart. If something strikes a cord with you and inspires you to create, then chances are it will resonate with someone else. Best to let your artist child have it’s way, and once it’s quiet, you are free to attend to the necessary adult responsibilities in your life.

The best way, Cameron says, to gain autonomy is to ensure you are physically, mentally and spiritually fit. To this end, good diet, good sleep and good exercise are essential. Personally, I like to keep moderate habits and enjoy walking in the fresh air when I need a break. The repetitive motion of walking allows my mind to rest and is a great form of meditation. Although in the background,  my latest story problem is bubbling away. Often when I return from my sojourn, I find it easier to smooth over that bumpy transition, plug up that plot hole or breathe life into that wooden dialogue.

Combining morning pages with regular physical exercise will keep us “spiritually centred.” In staying true to these practices, along with the artist’s date, we will build our creative core strength and will stay strong in the face of opposition, be it personal or financial, that may impede our creative journey.

For my artist’s date, I sat down and watched the first episode in the series Downtown Abbey, something I have wanted to see for a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in the wonderful upstairs/downstairs world of a Edwardian England, where dowager countesses hold court in their drawing rooms and live in blissful ignorance of such unheard-of concepts as “weekends.”

As for the rest of us, we must work, do chores and take care of our families. But somewhere in the mix, we must learn to claim time and energy to nourish our creative selves.

Posted by naomilisashippen in The Artist's Way, 2 comments
18
Jul
2020
The Artist’s Way – Week 10: Recovering a Sense of Self-Protection

The Artist’s Way – Week 10: Recovering a Sense of Self-Protection

Identifying Your Creative Blocks is the First Step in Self-Protection

This week, The Artist’s Way calls for us to name the poison that is holding us back on our creative path. Cameron says that we all have distractions that we use to resist the “God energy” that is trying to flow through us.

The reason why we avoid this “God energy” is because it makes us feel out of control. Creating art is a revelatory process, and sometimes we don’t like what we see and are afraid of what we may find.

Some of the possible blocks we may turn to are junk food, alcohol, drugs, sex or painful love addiction. When our creative going gets rough, it can be easier to let our drug of choice give us an out, succumbing to a food or alcohol binge, busy work or pining for the beloved who will never love us back.

Cameron encourages us to examine our urges and identify those that we turn to when we need a way out. A clue, she says, is the ones we feel most defensive about, the ones we feel that we are entitled to. These are the blocks that are holding us back.

This week, I must admit, I have been neglecting my morning pages. Rather than the usual outpouring of three full pages, I have slowed to a dribble of just a few paragraphs, a sentence or two and on one day, nothing at all.

But how can I do morning pages at a time like this has been my refrain. My husband walked out on our family three weeks ago and I need to find a job, rent an apartment and possibly file for bankruptcy. As a financially abusive alcoholic, he has left me one hell of a mess to clean up, as you can well imagine.

It’s at times like this, that the morning pages seem both frivolous and futile. How can I possibly make time for that when I should be applying for jobs, hiring a lawyer or looking for an apartment to rent? I should be doing something. I should be following the example set by the feisty heroine trope; the one that says we can all be superwomen and superhuman. The one that says we can manage the kids, the house and a soaring career all while dealing with the fallout of a catastrophic marriage collapse and complete financial ruin.

It is during these times of drought, Cameron says, that we need to keep going with the morning pages. We need to show up and press on, even though we don’t feel like it, even though we feel it is a fruitless, empty slog. The drought will come to an end, Cameron says, as long as we keep on going and don’t come to a grinding halt.

For my artist’s date, I gave myself the day off from worrying about my problems to celebrate a win. The short story anthology I have been included in has become available on Amazon. It’s called Life in the Time of Corona and chronicles the many and varied experiences of people during this difficult time.

There are some amazing stories in this collection and I am honoured to be a part of it. It is available in e-book form for under $5, I have left the links below. If you buy the book and enjoy it, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a review. It will be a great help to us writers in these difficult times and getting a bit of praise for our work always makes our day.

On re-reading this chapter and writing this post, my head already feels clearer. Rather than be an impediment to getting on with life, both The Artist’s Way philosophy in conjunction with the morning pages and the artist’s date help you to do what you need to do. A kind of spiritual “taking out the garbage,” they clear the way for better things.

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BZCFHN9?fbclid=IwAR2Hbrgrkr4bQZEM9oRK7doYs3vBtDi9NhF0mjwDTcFdIsNLlpHsDiQrh5A

Amazon Aus: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08BZCFHN9?fbclid=IwAR1STn0n1bAWr0LBgPZ-xgFdg6uwxA2mPHPHOMh9A1NmwVLwiyVxnAesdrU

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08BZCFHN9?fbclid=IwAR1CJBgOZn9Qz5KKULkIX7j8ClDOhj1n4LSJy9a8BOaIr7vXINPlGKAloPk

and Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/life-in-the-time-of-corona-aramiha-harwood/1137265753?ean=2940162956235&fbclid=IwAR0ieoJTY3KzBGAH6Cc2Vl6lh_B_RScNzwDmW6559ABmggmlU8Rfk7Zaqvs

The book is also available in the National Library of Australia: https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/8417062?lookfor=life%20in%20the%20time%20of%20corona&offset=1&max=421161

Posted by naomilisashippen in The Artist's Way, 1 comment
18
Jul
2020

The Artist’s Way – Week 10: Recovering a Sense of Self-Protection

Identifying Your Creative Blocks is the First Step in Self-Protection

This week, The Artist’s Way calls for us to name the poison that is holding us back on our creative path. Cameron says that we all have distractions that we use to resist the “God energy” that is trying to flow through us.

The reason why we avoid this “God energy” is because it makes us feel out of control. Creating art is a revelatory process, and sometimes we don’t like what we see and are afraid of what we may find.

Some of the possible blocks we may turn to are junk food, alcohol, drugs, sex or painful love addiction. When our creative going gets rough, it can be easier to let our drug of choice give us an out, succumbing to a food or alcohol binge, busy work or pining for the beloved who will never love us back.

Cameron encourages us to examine our urges and identify those that we turn to when we need a way out. A clue, she says, is the ones we feel most defensive about, the ones we feel that we are entitled to. These are the blocks that are holding us back.

This week, I must admit, I have been neglecting my morning pages. Rather than the usual outpouring of three full pages, I have slowed to a dribble of just a few paragraphs, a sentence or two and on one day, nothing at all.

But how can I do morning pages at a time like this has been my refrain. My husband walked out on our family three weeks ago and I need to find a job, rent an apartment and possibly file for bankruptcy. As a financially abusive alcoholic, he has left me one hell of a mess to clean up, as you can well imagine.

It’s at times like this, that the morning pages seem both frivolous and futile. How can I possibly make time for that when I should be applying for jobs, hiring a lawyer or looking for an apartment to rent? I should be doing something. I should be following the example set by the feisty heroine trope; the one that says we can all be superwomen and superhuman. The one that says we can manage the kids, the house and a soaring career all while dealing with the fallout of a catastrophic marriage collapse and complete financial ruin.

It is during these times of drought, Cameron says, that we need to keep going with the morning pages. We need to show up and press on, even though we don’t feel like it, even though we feel it is a fruitless, empty slog. The drought will come to an end, Cameron says, as long as we keep on going and don’t come to a grinding halt.

For my artist’s date, I gave myself the day off from worrying about my problems to celebrate a win. The short story anthology I have been included in has become available on Amazon. It’s called Life in the Time of Corona and chronicles the many and varied experiences of people during this difficult time.

There are some amazing stories in this collection and I am honoured to be a part of it. It is available in e-book form for under $5, I have left the links below. If you buy the book and enjoy it, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a review. It will be a great help to us writers in these difficult times and getting a bit of praise for our work always makes our day.

On re-reading this chapter and writing this post, my head already feels clearer. Rather than be an impediment to getting on with life, both The Artist’s Way philosophy in conjunction with the morning pages and the artist’s date help you to do what you need to do. A kind of spiritual “taking out the garbage,” they clear the way for better things.

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BZCFHN9?fbclid=IwAR2Hbrgrkr4bQZEM9oRK7doYs3vBtDi9NhF0mjwDTcFdIsNLlpHsDiQrh5A

Amazon Aus: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08BZCFHN9?fbclid=IwAR1STn0n1bAWr0LBgPZ-xgFdg6uwxA2mPHPHOMh9A1NmwVLwiyVxnAesdrU

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08BZCFHN9?fbclid=IwAR1CJBgOZn9Qz5KKULkIX7j8ClDOhj1n4LSJy9a8BOaIr7vXINPlGKAloPk

and Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/life-in-the-time-of-corona-aramiha-harwood/1137265753?ean=2940162956235&fbclid=IwAR0ieoJTY3KzBGAH6Cc2Vl6lh_B_RScNzwDmW6559ABmggmlU8Rfk7Zaqvs

The book is also available in the National Library of Australia: https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/8417062?lookfor=life%20in%20the%20time%20of%20corona&offset=1&max=421161

Posted by naomilisashippen in Life in the Time of Corona - Short Story Anthology, 0 comments
16
Jul
2020

Life in the Time of Corona – Short Story Anthology

I am Thrilled to be a Part of this Wonderful Anthology by Mana Press, available on Amazon.

Amazon Aus: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08BZCFHN9?fbclid=IwAR1STn0n1bAWr0LBgPZ-xgFdg6uwxA2mPHPHOMh9A1NmwVLwiyVxnAesdrU

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BZCFHN9?fbclid=IwAR2Hbrgrkr4bQZEM9oRK7doYs3vBtDi9NhF0mjwDTcFdIsNLlpHsDiQrh5A

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08BZCFHN9?fbclid=IwAR1CJBgOZn9Qz5KKULkIX7j8ClDOhj1n4LSJy9a8BOaIr7vXINPlGKAloPk

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/life-in-the-time-of-corona-aramiha-harwood/1137265753?ean=2940162956235&fbclid=IwAR0ieoJTY3KzBGAH6Cc2Vl6lh_B_RScNzwDmW6559ABmggmlU8Rfk7Zaqvs

Posted by naomilisashippen in Life in the Time of Corona - Short Story Anthology, 0 comments
10
Jul
2020
The Artist’s Way: Week 9 – Recovering a Sense of Compassion

The Artist’s Way: Week 9 – Recovering a Sense of Compassion

Forgive Your Failures and Move on the Better Things

Artists make mistakes. They hit the wrong note, mix the wrong colours and write dialogue that is flat and lifeless. But rather than use these so-called failures as an excuse to abandon the creative life, Cameron urges us to forgive ourselves, seek solace in the creative community and move on to other projects.

Fear is the undercurrent that runs through the blood of every living artist. Even the most accomplished actors and writers suffer from stage fright and imposter syndrome. This fear often starts in childhood. Parents often discourage their little ones who dream of being dancers, actors or writers. And rightly so. What kind of parent would steer their child towards the risky and often heart-breaking business of being an artist?

Those bat-shit crazy dance moms on reality TV – that’s who.

And so, as artists, we must shake off the fear of parental disappointment. Taking baby steps, we must seek our own tribe to support us in our artistic pursuits. These are the people who will cheer us on when we win and help us back on the horse when we fail. And failure is a given in any artist’s life. It’s just part of the process – not a reason to quit.

For my artist’s date, I settled down with a good book I had not read in quite a while. It’s a book of entertainment vouchers, with discounts to restaurants, spa treatments and holiday destinations. As I leaf through the book, I dream about where I would like to go, what I would like to do and who I would like to take with me.

Posted by naomilisashippen in The Artist's Way, 2 comments
10
Jul
2020

The Artist’s Way: Week 9 – Recovering a Sense of Compassion

Forgive Your Failures and Move on the Better Things

Artists make mistakes. They hit the wrong note, mix the wrong colours and write dialogue that is flat and lifeless. But rather than use these so-called failures as an excuse to abandon the creative life, Cameron urges us to forgive ourselves, seek solace in the creative community and move on to other projects.

Fear is the undercurrent that runs through the blood of every living artist. Even the most accomplished actors and writers suffer from stage fright and imposter syndrome. This fear often starts in childhood. Parents often discourage their little ones who dream of being dancers, actors or writers. And rightly so. What kind of parent would steer their child towards the risky and often heart-breaking business of being an artist?

Those bat-shit crazy dance moms on reality TV – that’s who.

And so, as artists, we must shake off the fear of parental disappointment. Taking baby steps, we must seek our own tribe to support us in our artistic pursuits. These are the people who will cheer us on when we win and help us back on the horse when we fail. And failure is a given in any artist’s life. It’s just part of the process – not a reason to quit.

For my artist’s date, I settled down with a good book I had not read in quite a while. It’s a book of entertainment vouchers, with discounts to restaurants, spa treatments and holiday destinations. As I leaf through the book, I dream about where I would like to go, what I would like to do and who I would like to take with me.

Posted by naomilisashippen in The Artist's Way, 0 comments