The HEA Cafe

I’m re-reading The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron’s excellent guide to discovering and recovering your creative self. Right now I’m up to the part in the book where she talks about poisonous playmates - those people who try to keep us from our creative path and sabotage our efforts at self-improvement. 

Now I’m not sure I have any such playmates, as my husband is supportive in the extreme and I have a wonderful circle of friends both writers and non-writers. The writers are amazing and the non-writers are equally incredible. The latter listen to me rattle on about my characters and plots, and often join in brainstorming sessions to help me clarify any problems I’m having with the current WIP. So who are my poisonous playmates? Do I actually have any?

The answer is yes. I do. I have one - the most pernicious and dangerous of playmates. She encourages me to play when I should be working and throws in any distraction she can find. She makes me drink coffee, eat chocolate, phone friends, watch soaps on the TV and generally waste time, when really I should be writing.  She manipulates and procrastinates. She’s the sort of friend I can do without.

She’s me, of course, or rather she’s the sum total of everything negative about me. Those parts of the psyche that deal in doubt and fear. Those parts that worry about being good enough, so retaliates by not bothering to be good at all. 

Julia Cameron says that poisonous, or toxic, playmates can capsize our artist’s growth. Isn’t that the scariest thing?  Far better to embrace the positive playmate, the one who supports us and says we can do it, the one who challenges us to grow and learn, who says we can make mistakes as long as we keep on keeping on. Now that’s the kind of playmate I want. How about you?

Tricia

http://www.tricia-jones.com
… sensual and seductive romance