Synchronicity, Changes & Whatever Comes After

I was reading Chapter 9 of The Artist's Way today. Recovering A Sense of Compassion. I'm going to hate working this chapter, I can tell.

At some point, we must make an active choice to relinquish the joys and privileges accorded to the emotional invalid. A productive artist is quite often a happy person. This can be very threatening as a self-concept to those who are used to getting their needs met by being unhappy.

I am really not liking the realization of how much that paragraph applies to me. It's quite shaming, which I suppose is where the sense of compassion is supposed to come in. People who are farther along in the course assure me that yes, Chapter 9 is painful. This is the point in the course where many people quit, or want to quit. I won't quit.

The artist's way website was shut down shortly before Christmas. I really miss it - the forums were a great source of support and camaraderie. This morning, I found a Yahoo group, run by a NaNoWriMo buddy I met through the forums. This afternoon, another friend from the website tracked me down through my column and Facebook. That synchronicity concept is working overtime this week.

Aside from being reunited with my Artist's Way posse, synchronicity has been showing up a lot. I've been wanting to study tarot. I finally found a deck that really resonates with me. The shop where I bought it (with Christmas money) had a flyer for a tarot class taught by the most amazing reader I've ever been to, at a time I can get to, at a shop five minutes from home. Paid for by Christmas bonus from work.

I was struggling with my Target hula hoop. It's not entirely round, and is too small for an adult. A friend connected me with a hoop maker, who is making me a weighted hoop that's big enough for my height. I found an instructional dvd at the library. Yes, there are instructional dvds for hoop dance. Lots of websites. And local groups where I can play and learn.

I finally got it together last night to try NIA at the rec center. I walked in on the night the class was free of charge. It was great. I'll be doing this instead of Ai Chi for the duration of the winter. I can't stand being cold and wet.

Last month, on a whim, I put my business card into a drawing at Lanni's Clocktower Cabaret. Tonight I got an email that I won two free tickets for Fannie Spankin's Western Rockabilly Burlesque Show. Awesome. I've been wanting to get out more.

So, in the spirit of all that's going on in my life, I don't think Lost in Place works anymore. I don't want to be lost in place; it's time to wander strange lands and see what's out there.