Julia Cameron’s task from The Artist’s Way and Walking in This World has pulled me out of stuck-ness so many times. Many of us now might be feeling stuck, powerless, or (seemingly) bored. Here’s what Julia says:

Often we experience a sense of powerlessness because we do not see any direct action that we can take to concretely alter our sense of being stuck, in any particular way. … If nothing else, taking a small creative action moves us out of the victim position. Suddenly, we realize we do have choices and options.

Julia Cameron, Walking in This World

Doing something creative — and it doesn’t have to be writing the next Great American Novel — accesses that intuitive place within us, the place of calm, the inner guidance that can prompt unexpected, surprising, even world-changing ideas and actions.

At the very least, doing something creative in these times can lift spirits — starting with our own. And lifted spirits radiate out.

So today’s Weekend Practice is inspired by Julia’s directions:

“Take pen and hand and number down from 1 to 20. List 20 small, creative actions you could take. For example:

  1. Paint the kitchen windowsill
  2. Hang lace on my bedroom door
  3. Put the primrose into a good pot
  4. Change the downstairs shower curtain
  5. Buy photo albums and put my dog pictures in one …

Of course, right now we’ll have to be extra creative to think of things we can do without buying or acquiring anything new! Baking, cooking, preserving food, sewing, singing, exercising or walking, yoga, writing, listening to music while drawing, even having an open and organic conversation with someone where ideas come up that haven’t been spoken before is a creative action. Anything that feels unstuck, feels like movement, newness, or an ah-ha! can be considered a creative action. Your actions could also reach out: sending a poem to someone who needs it, sending a postcard or a photo collage or a recipe.

I’m going to go make my list and remember that even in a time of great uncertainty there are small actions to take, that I can cultivate some agency and my own inner spirit.