This week’s work is on recovering a sense of connection.

It’s not only our connection to those around us and the environment. It’s our connection to everything.

Cameron tells us that our Morning Pages and Artist Dates are teaching us to listen.

The Morning Pages encourage us to listen past our internal censor. It’s a safe space to write the stream of consciousness and not worry what comes out.

Often it is repetitive and boring. Sometimes there’s gold… But we only get there by not listening to the censor.

And the Artist Dates encourage us to listen to inspiration. You fill your well by taking your artist out on a date. And in those moments, if you listen to what pops up, you find ideas.

I’m still inconsistent with my Artist Dates. It’s easier to do the Morning Pages.

While I was working on this chapter, I went to see some of my niece’s art, as my Artist Date. Magdalene is a recent graduate from Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD). It was fun to see some of the things that inspire her. You can check out some her work at her website.

When you are recovering your sense of connection, you will find things. Things you are looking for. Or things you might not know that you are looking for.

You’ll find books or classes or ideas for things that happen to fit with what you are doing or working on.

In my morning pages, I asked for guidance and direction. And then I received Oliver Burkeman’s newsletter The Imperfectionist.

The topic? Finding your Life Task. Crazy!

But the real nugget is that you must move out of your head and into action. Take an action towards your creativity. Do something.

It doesn’t need to be perfect.

It won’t be.

It can’t be.

Chasing perfection means that you are never fully involved in the creative process. Because you will always have one eye on your audience. And you will be “grading” the results without committing to the process.

Your job is to do the work. Not judge the work.