Treat Yo Self

Inspired by fred_mouse, I'm working through Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way. A lot of it speaks to me, but the Christian spirituality of it all is a struggle. I'm fine with skipping things over, but the Basic Principles are an integral part of the process - so I decided to write my own version, one that I could actually accept. Here they are:

Basic Principles, for a non-believer

1. Humans are a creative species.
2. We have a deep, innate instinct to make things.
3. It might be an accident of evolution, but it is a brilliant one: it benefits ourselves, our communities, our entire species.
4. Every human is creative; every human can create.
5. Our creativity makes the world a better place.
6. To deny ourselves the freedom to create is cruel - just like it would be cruel to deny a bird to fly or a horse to run.
7. When we open ourselves to exploring our creativity, we accept what we are and what we can be.
8. As we let ourselves to follow our creative instinct, many gentle but powerful changes are to be expected.
9. It is safe to follow our creative instinct, however far it may lead us.
10. We are creators. If we let ourselves create, we turn a random side-effect of biology into a power strong enough to change to world.

(The original, for reference).

A bit arrogant to think I can do better, maybe, but I needed them so I made them. I really enjoyed writing them up.

I'm posting them here because I'm proud of them - and maybe someone else could find them useful?