Week 1.5? Yeah, there isn’t one. I invented it for two reasons: first, if anything I feel that the Artist’s Way is meant to be lived, not stuck to an external schedule; second, last week was the first week of school and life was a little hectic. Last week I talked about the balance of work and school, of creating and follow through. Over the course of this week I pondered it a little more.

In the mornings on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, (at least) I wake with the Babe. She’s remarkably regular, waking between six and six thirty almost without fail. Being non-verbal (though her babbling stories are getting longer and more intentional) makes for a quiet, thoughtful few hours. I think about the day, about the books I’m reading, the homework I’ve yet to do, the web projects I’m developing.

I’m also running a good twenty to thirty miles a week, almost always without headphones. It’s a meditative time too. Listening to my body and the rhythm of the road. It’s amazing to recall personal history through two different means: purely physical attentiveness and the more common mental recollections.

I’ve been writing more. But it’s nowhere near three pages. I run out of focus or patience. My pen stops but my mind flies ahead. Slowly but surely I’ve been working a few more words down. It’s because of this that I haven’t fully entered Week 2. I’m in no hurry and finding a lot of value in the reflection on safety and identity. I’ve learned two things in this slow, ponderous transition between weeks:

First, I do too many little things. Things I would love to do, but really ought not because they distract from what I should be doing. Having coffee with people, doing pro bono web development projects, spending burning time on Tumblr, flitting between tasks and accomplishing none of them because all of them are impinging on my consciousness. This week I’ve learned to parse them down and continue in this exercise. Less, fewer, shorter, minimalism.

Second, I’ve rediscovered the value of giving myself to a story. My brother Garrett gifted me the Fire and Ice Series and I’ve fallen into the story. It’s good writing, not great, but it has a lovely story line that I can lose myself in. When I come back, I’m refreshed and alive. Apparently my subconscious needed to work.

PS, Monday was a holiday. That is why this post came out today. Fear not, Artist’s Way post are Monday posts.