This past week in The Artist's Way, I read The Basic Tools and Week 1. As stated last Monday I'm going to blog about my reading of the book. Today's post comes to you from my iPhone, because I was a little too frustrated to write while I was at the library. Really I should've used the frustration to write, instead I played Facebook games >.<. One of my friends is trying to break me of the habit, it's so work though. My frustrations? Trying to find an apartment. Anyway, this is supposed to be about my reading.

The Basic Tools was really more of an opening then an assignment filled chapter. For that reason I read both The Basic Tools and Week 1. The Basic Tools discussed both morning pages and artists dates, which I found to be interesting activities. My morning pages went seemingly well, although not all done first thing in the morning. I fact todays haven't been accomplished yet, but they will be once I complete this post. My artists date consisted of me doing something I enjoy, but never bother indulging in because it takes so much time. Lately it seems to me a girly waste of time. The book suggested doing something that was both fun and just because you wanted to. For that reason I chose giving myself a manicure. I didn't go all out, didn't feel like pulling out an orange stick, but I did paint my finger and toe nails and enjoy the late afternoon sun. Afterwards I took a nap. The same day I chose to do my nails was the same day I had an opening shift and I'd been up super early.

Week 1 was pretty informative, and doing the majority of the tasks (I never did go on a walk or finish my sketches) I thought about a lot of stuff I already knew, but have a tendency to avoid. The main one concerns the unfinished sketches. Trying to work in the sketches I was freezing. I was scared. I choke whenever I try and draw people. I always look at my people sketches and think about all the things that aren't working. The paper is still looking at me and taunting. It's not helping that everyone I've started looks confused. It's not working for me and I don't know if I can make it work for me the way I want it to. So there it is. I can draw mountains and trees and feel just fine, but I try and draw people and I feel odd, I'm screwing up on proportions and positions. Not sure how to fix this. Is there a faster way then practice? Something easier to work with then drawing manikins (which don't bend enough)? Or will it just take a lot more time? I love to draw, but I feel so bad wasting so much paper through my struggles. Ugh, so confusing. I should go now. Time to start on Week 2, and hopefully work more on that sketch. Theres got to be a way to break through the fear that keeps choking me, preventing me from drawing how I want to draw. Probably sounds pretty lame.