Final Post from guest blogger Sue Nun

We're at the end of our Artist's Way journey together. How was it for you?

Here is what Sue Nun has to say (www.careerinspiration.co.uk) Again, I resonated so strongly with so much of what Sue is saying here:

The email from Suzy asking me to write the week 12 blog took me by complete surprise.  I bought a new laptop part way through the 12 weeks (gorgeous and shiny and bright red) lost all my favourites and (sorry to admit this) haven’t been following all the blogs and somehow not only did I not realize I was writing this one but somehow I did week 12 two weeks ago (how did that happen? I’m always ahead of myself somehow). When I finished week 12 I was so happy with the small steps I’d taken that I have gone back to week 1 and started again….so on getting Suzy’s email I’ve gone back to Chapter 12 to remember what I did at that stage. 

 

Task 1 ‘write down any resistance fears etc’, well my biggest fear is writing and here I am having to write a blog.  Last week I also went to a Nick Williams Inspired Entrepreneur’s club where he was talking about becoming an expert. I went as I am setting up a company to run workshops for women returners to make inspiring career choices and gain confidence in returning to work.  Nick said that if you want to be seen as an expert you have to ‘be seen’; this is definitely another big resistance of mine, we had to go round the room and say to everyone in the room “I’m here to be seen” and the other person said “I see you”.  It was incredibly powerful, but also incredibly difficult for me.  Although I’ve always harboured a crazy desire to be a weather girl or be on breakfast telly or something similar, exposure seems very scary to me.  So thanks Suzy for giving me the opportunity to conquer my two biggest areas of fear….well apart from sky diving and anything that involves heights. 

 

In the same download of emails as Suzy’s I received one from my local newspaper asking for a press release and a deadline of 10^th May for a local magazine that I have decided I need to write a publicity article for.  So not only have I got to do this but then I’ve got two more things to write; if anyone has tips on how to write a press release all advice is very welcome.  I guess that’s more than enough synchronicity for this week forcing me to confront my fears.  Week 12 also talks about tests coming up when we are just about to ‘blast off’ and this week I’ve been inundated with work, the non-creative type that pays the bills but that also stops me developing my new business and saps all my energy and joy.  It really feels like its pulling me back – and so far I’ve failed the test and haven’t said ‘no’ I don’t want that type of work anymore.  What that means is no time to write my publicity material or to have fun.  But maybe I haven’t completely failed the test as I’ve chosen to write this tonight, instead of doing my bread and butter work and hopefully this small step will lead to more progress.

 

I find it interesting where our fear comes from, I’m sure my fear of writing was getting bad feedback at school and being inhibited about my spelling and grammar – the fear even now of someone taking a red pen to this piece of writing.  I definitely don’t think I can write – and so those messages really get in the way.  The messages we tell ourselves are so powerful aren’t they, I’m great at helping other people tackle their inner chatter to become more confident, but I have to admit my chatter still needs a lot of taming.  It’s also interesting that my first response on getting Suzy’s email was to log on and read everyone else’s contributions.  I stopped myself though, I realized that it might turn up my inner chatter – as I’m really great at negative comparisons ‘I don’t write as well as them /I’m not as interesting/ blah, blah’  and thought that if I had read everyone else’s I would have just bottled out.  So when this gets posted, I might take a peep.

 

I guess in week 12, as it was the last week, I also reflected on the journey the book has taken me on. It’s been all small steps, but cumulatively they have made a huge difference. I have been doing my pages and I’ve definitely started having more fun. However I’ve got to own up to failing to have artist dates on my own, having a 4 year old and working makes it trickey, but I have painted watercolours while my son has also painted and I’ve had a Mum’s only date to do some pottery and we’ve got another one in a few weeks time. I’ve made pastry for the first time in years and planted a load of seeds for an allotment that I’ve just got.  I’ve also dusted off and re-hung a beautiful watercolour that I watched an amazing painter, Adrian Hemming, paint on Skyros back in 1998 (those of you who join Suzy there this year will have an amazing time) and I’ve bought a fab necklace of crocheted flowers made by Jenny Stacey, contacted her through her web-site and then met her for an artist’s coffee.  All these things I wouldn’t have done without the book and I definitely feel more spontaneous, creative and centred, as well as more spiritually alive. It’s been a great journey, which is why I’ve returned to the beginning again, I hope you will too.

 

Comments

[Joanne]

Sue - I really enjoyed your post - I feel in a very similar position - your comment about "being seen" really resonated with me. I can come up with great marketing plans for other people but struggle doing it for myself. I guess it comes back to Suzys baby steps and soothing the inner pessimist.
I too have enjoyed walking The Artists Way and am tempted to start it over again - The Artists Way - Take 2!
Good luck!
Jo x