A-Muse-Ing Inspirations --- by Jeanette M

A-Muse-Ing Inspirations --- by Jeanette M. Pintar

Lesson 2

Last week we suggested you get the following tools together to start your journey: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, a Day Planner, a Scratch Pad (or writing / drawing pad of paper to go in your day planner), a Journal, some Nice Pens and Mechanical Pencils, and optionally, Index Cards

If you haven’t obtained them yet, please do so now.

We also asked you to begin thinking about and envisioning your dream or what you’d like to accomplish as well as the benefits of doing it. We suggested writing down as many of the details as possible.

Congratulations on moving at least two steps closer to the fulfillment of your dreams! How did it feel doing something for yourself and for your dreams? Were you excited? A little nervous or scared? Joyful? Maybe all of thee above?

Week 2 Assignment

This week, it’s time to Create a Master Plan.

Write down the detailed vision of your dream / goals if you haven’t already, as well as the benefits of doing them (to keep you motivated.)

Write down the steps. Think about what it will take to get there from here. What actions are required to move you from where you’re at to making your dreams come true? Write down as many of the steps as you can. If you’re not sure where to start, you might want to create categories for your steps such as: Getting started, research, finances, things to learn, resources, people to contact, etc. Of course you can organize your plan any way you’d like. The important part is that you visualize the necessary steps.

Example: If my goal is to publish a book, some of the steps might include: write the story, find a publisher or agent, get it published, get it distributed, marketing tours to increase sales.

Example: For “Write the Story,” some of the tasks would include: make an outline, write character profiles for lead and supporting characters, draft a rough index, write chapter one, write chapter two, write chapter three and so on.

Break each step/task down even further into small, do-able tasks. A good way to do this is for step and/or task, ask “What’s involved in this?” and then write it down. Keep asking “what’s involved in this” for everything you put down on paper until you get it broken down into finite tasks.

It might seem almost redundant or silly to write down each and every little thing, but write down as many of the small tasks necessary to make it happen as you possibly can. The more the merrier! (If you don’t get them all now, add them later as they come up.)

If you prefer, put one task or a group of related tasks per index card. You’ll be choosing at least one card per week from here on out, and expected to do the task(s) on your card… If you put everything on regular paper, that’s fine, too. Whatever will work best for YOU!

Consider making a rough draft and a final copy. You want the end product to be something that feels good for you to look at and that will entice you to participate. This plan and list of tasks, etc., will be referred to as your Master Plan from now on. Decorate it, include positive quotes, or anything else that will make it feel good for you to look at your Master Plan.

If you can, find some touchstones to put with your Master Plan to help make it more of a reality.

Example: Design and draw cover for book, or cut out “The Best Sellers” list from somewhere and personalize it with name and book title.

For more on Master Plans, read the following Pondering by Sir Froggie: http://www.sfpnn.com/frog4web/Frog2006/fp013006.htm

Begin writing in your journal. This isn’t “Dear Diary” or a writing contest. It’s brain drain. Just write 3 pages of longhand each morning in your journal. Write whatever comes to mind. (If you’re thinking “this is stupid, I don’t know what to write,” write it!) If you forget to write in the morning, do it later in the day. (You can use those nifty pens and pencils you got last week. And yes, it’s OK to draw or doodle in there.)

Set up your Day Planner, including the insertion of your scratch pad. Schedule important dates such as birthdays, anniversaries, etc., for the year. If your pages don’t provide ample room for a To-Do list, use the scratch pad. Schedule your week. I often list things out and then put the day I’d like to do them afterwards, in pencil, so I can rearrange if necessary. If there’s something you need to do daily like working out or journaling, simply list: Mo, Tu, We, Th, Fr, after it. When that day’s portion is completed, cross out the day instead of the task itself. This is what works for me. The important thing is that you set it up to work for YOU.

Have fun – we’re rolling now! Look out dreams, here we come!