living deep studio

Last week I decided it would be fun and meaningful to look back on 2012 as if it were a mythic story.

I created a series of prompts that are a little different from the usual year-in-review suspects. I started with the call to adventure that’s a part of all mythic stories: deep yearning, love and desire, support and allies, hope and resilience. If you’d like to catch up, click here.

My biggest surprise is how quickly the images, metaphors and symbols flow from these prompts when I put pen to paper.

Mostly I’m free writing, and a few times I’ve felt a need to pull out certain words and make poems with them. I love that, because a deeper story does indeed seem to be unfolding. I’m excited to continue the experiment.

This week we’re entering new territory: tests and trials.

Yes. Every mythic story (and I suspect every year) takes a turn at some point. In myths and fairy tales things look encouraging at first but don’t work out quite as planned. Maybe you’re thwarted by creatures who block your way (evil witches and wizards, dragons, beasts) or situations beyond your control (dark magic, bad weather, high mountains to climb). Even if your year was wonderful, I bet there were some bumps in the road and unexpected detours.

Writing Prompts: -During the past year I was thwarted by… -During the past year I was tested by…

I’d like to be able to tell you that things get better now. But, well, they don’t. There’s a moment in every mythic journey when hope falters because things just aren’t going well. Optimism is in short supply and a particular kind of despair arrives. It’s called the Dark Night of the Soul. You could say it’s the grandmamma of all bottom-of-the-barrel experiences.

Here’s the interesting thing about real life though: even in the midst of abundant joy and meaning we will have moments of hopelessness and despair. And that’s okay. It’s normal as long as it’s not the kind of hopelessness that is unrelenting.

Writing Prompts: -During the past year I felt hopeless when…

Finally, we arrive at another turning point and discover there’s a paradox that’s been working its magic behind the scenes: when we stop trying so hard to persevere, that which we’re seeking shows up and we claim our reward. In myths and fairy tales it’s often the act of giving up hope that spurs a resurgence of hope and an experience of renewal and rebirth. An inner well of resourcefulness and strength rises up. Turns out it was there all along, but we lost track of it.

Writing Prompts: -During the past year I was renewed by… -During the past year I stepped into my power and reclaimed my resourcefulness and inner strength when…

Here’s a recap of this week’s prompts, all in one place:

• During the past year I was thwarted by…
• During the past year I was tested by…
• During the past year I felt hopeless when…
• During the past year I was renewed by…
• During the past year I stepped into my power and reclaimed my resourcefulness and inner strength when…

Just like last week I’ll be exploring these prompts in my art journal. Looking forward to it!