Permission to stop being a nice martyr

Live call at 1pm - do join me.

"We strive to be good... but what we really want is to be left alone." – Julia Cameron

Week 5 of The Artist’s Way is a permission slip – not for total chaos (sadly), but for possibility. It’s about realising that sometimes our most “virtuous” behaviours are, in fact, elaborate self-sabotage. Over-helping. Over-giving. Saying yes when what we really want is to lie under a blanket and write poems, paint bad seagulls, or dream up our third act.

This week we’re being gently asked to look at why we stay stuck. What are we getting out of it? Safety? Avoidance? Some weird brownie points from the ghost of a disapproving parent?

We're not judging here – just gently poking the edges of our comfort zones with a stick.

Five questions to ask yourself this week:

1. What dream am I secretly discounting as “impossible” because of time, money, confidence…?

2. What’s the hidden payoff I’m getting for staying exactly where I am?

3. What would I try if it weren’t “too crazy”?

4. What would I do if it weren’t “too selfish”?

5. Does my life actually serve me, or am I stuck playing butler to everyone else?

This week’s theme is recovering a sense of possibility, which doesn't mean going full Beyoncé by Friday – it means maybe saying “maybe” instead of “no”. It’s about collecting images of lives you’d love, noticing what you’re drawn to, and owning your creative blocks (hi Netflix, hi relentless housework).

Homework bits to play with:

• Make an image file of your dream life.

• List 5 imaginary lives – could you live one, even a little?

• Name your favourite creative block. (Mine’s ‘over-researching’, which is just procrastination in glasses.)

• And my favourite: What’s the payoff for staying blocked?

As ever, we go gently. We’re not here to bulldoze our way to brilliance – we’re here to coax it out of hiding with cake, curiosity, and kindness.

And if someone asks you to do something this weekend that squashes your soul, remember: your creativity deserves protecting too.

Here’s the link for the live call at 1pm