Wednesday, January 23, 2008

The Kayaker's Way


The other day I wrote about the two sided brain and why, as kayakers, this conceptual model can be useful in learning new skills or addressing one's fears in doing new things. There is a companion set of ideas found in a book called The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. While there are some parts of this book I don't agree with, it is useful if you're having problems getting up off your couch and heading out on that great paddling trip you always said you'd go on. In other words, it's a guide to unblocking the fears that keep most of us at home, safely hiding behind our comfort curtains, making up excuse after excuse for ourselves.

Going out on a paddling trip, whether it lasts only a few hours or stretches into an expedition style voyage of several months, can be daunting. How do some people get out there? How do they make their escape from the 'ties that bind'? Julia Cameron's premise is that life is a creative voyage which takes courage and sensitivity to do well. The more we understand the mechanisms at work, especially the ones operating inside our heads, the more successful we'll be, first in getting out there, then enjoying our time on the water and finally coming home to share it with others, be it on a blog, in a book or over a meal at the dinner table. Recommended reading for a winter's day!

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