Walking: studying, meditating, searching,
observing
Santiago’s Walk (Paolo Coehlo’s Santiago’s
Walk)
WHILE YOU ARE WALKING
Observe the world around you and enhance
your senses and perceptions (smells, sounds, views, etc). Include those in the
treatment you will write later.
OUTSIDE AND INSIDE SAN MINIATO
1)
Use what you learnt in chapter
1 in the “Artist’s Way” to know yourself better and deeper
a)
Time travel: list 3 old enemies
of your creative self-worth
b)
Time travel: select and think
about an horror story from your monster hall of fame
c)
Time travel: list 3 old
champions of your creative self-worth
d)
Time travel: select and think
about one happy piece of encouragement
e)
If you had 5 other lives to
lead, what would you do in each of them? The point of these lives is to have
fun
f)
Transform your monsters into
positive elements in your life
g)
Take your artist for a walk
inside San Miniato
2)
Explore the dark and repressed
side of yourself and use it as an inspiration to write a treatment for a film.
(
3)
Write a treatment of a film
using San Miniato and the dark and repressed side of yourself
4)
Use what you learnt in chapter
1 in the “Artist’s Way”
a)
What we are after here is the
healing of old wounds and not the creation of new ones
b)
Remember that in order to
recover as an artist, you must be willing to be a bad artist
c)
Core negatifs (personal and
cultural) keep you scared
d)
Creative and positive affirmations
help achieve a sense of safety and hope
Brian De Palma's Obsession
1.
RispondiEliminaa) Myself, men who assumed I am just a pretty girl, the real world
b) Being undermined with comments on my appearance “well, you looked really good in that dress” from older men I respected
c) My friends, myself, my Dad
d) Having friends tell you that they look up to you
e) One, become a movie star and marry Channing Tatum. Two, an adrenaline junkie. Three, save up all my money for shopping sprees and traveling the world. Four, marry someone rich and famous and live as a trophy wife and stay-at-home mom. Five, learn about everything, become a genius.
2. & 3.
After a life of struggling, she fled her home in Rome as an escape. She hitchhiked and walked to Florence and then climbed the stairs to San Miniato refusing to look back. Inside San Miniato, she realized the tombs beneath her feet were inscribed with her insecurities and fears. It was dark and intimidating inside the church but she explored it nonetheless. Feeling overcome by the experience, she ran out of San Miniato into the light of the sun shining on Piazzale Michelangelo and saw for the first time the entire city of Florence. She realized the tombs of her insecurities were beneath her feet, no longer on her shoulders, and the beauty of Florence is available to her. The door shut to San Miniato behind her without her even noticing as she moved on with her life calling Florence her home.
The film features a young man’s pilgrimage to San Miniato in hopes of self discovery and life appreciation. After traveling for days by foot and ascending the steep mountain, Joseph is disappointed in the lack of revelation. After making the pilgrmage there was no “aha” moment of realization and he feels cheated out. He is then directed to a fryer by the name of Chiaro Vito, whom Joseph believes to be the final step in his journey to a better life. The issue is, the moment he lays eyes on the Fryar, the fryar runs away and hides. The movie features the constant, obsessive pursuit of joseph to find the priest and thus gain his reward of self realization, that he finds himself is this unsatisfactory self degrading loop. The worry to be altruistic and to live in the moment leads him to do the opposite, and we see the constant degradation that comes with the pursuit rather than the understanding
RispondiElimina1. A. My first enemy is myself, my second enemy is the outside world, and my last enemy would be the fear of failure.
RispondiEliminaB. Taking a hiatus from all things creative from age 16 to recent
C. My first champion would be my parents, second my roommates, and third would be myself.
D. Last summer I started drawing and painting in my free time and for the most part I have loved having that creative time and my friends and family enjoy the art I have made for them
E. 1) Travel writer (still would love to do this with my life. 2) National geographic photographer. 3) Disney Imagineer. 4) Google doodle design team. 5) Owner of a small private vineyard.
F. Turned my monsters of comparison and fear of criticism into motivation to keep going and do well
2 and 3. The young girl was in awe art that she saw everywhere in the city of Florence. She dreamed of one day becoming an incredible artist, but she was too afraid to try because she was scared of failing. One day she was visiting the beautiful Piazza Michelangelo and looked up towards the hill to see San Miniato. She decided to depart from her friends to head up to the church. At the foot of the church she saw a gypsy begging for money and holding a small cardboard sign. The sign said, “Follow your dreams.” She gave the gypsy a few euros and made her way into the church. As she walked through the church admiring its beauty she finally decided she wanted to be an artists. From that day forward the young girls drew whatever her heart desired.
1. a) My first enemy is my own desire to be perfect. My second is my hesitation, and my third is impatience
RispondiEliminab) Ususally my hesitation that leads to regrets expanding my comfort zone
c) 1st, would be as a child I drew a picture and it placed in an art contest. 2nd would be becoming one of the best wheel throwers in my ceramics class. 3rd would be reflecting consistently throughout my years in school
d)Some thing that always encourages me is JFK's speech, " We choose to go to the moon."
e)1 I would choose to be an astrnaught, this is my current dream. 2 I would work on my family's mango farm in india. 3. I would be a film director. 4. I would be an artist, speacializing in ceramics. 5. I would be an adventurer exploring the natural world
f)Hesitation is an indication of unfamiliartiy, and it is worth taking a step forward instead of running backwards
2-3) Exploring Florence by myself was my own adventure. Luckily one day, I stumbled upon the church of San Minato, overlooking the beautiful city of Florence. It was early in the morning, hard to tell with my dead cell phone. I looked inside the church for a few minutes like any other tourist, and walked outside to admire the view from the structure. It was easy to tell that this city had alot to show me, and I wasnt ready to embrace it. Nonetheless, I took a step forward, working my way to the sacred duomo, and the piazza de la signoria, waiting to discover the tip of the iceberg, hoping to rediscover love, adventure, and hope.
1.
RispondiEliminaa) Doubt, Discipline, and Ignorance
b) Giving up on what I really wanted
c) Commitment, Resiliency, and Acceptance
d) You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.
e) 1. Pro-surfer 2. BASE Jumper 3. Actor 4. Pilot 5. Ice-cream tester
2. In the northern region of Italy, there was once a city named Florence. Within the walls of this mysterious and glorious city, a young boy lived who went by the name Aldo. The boy who, seeing a beautiful mountain in the distance, decided, "I'd like to climb that mountain."
Being young, fearless, and strong he set off on his trip on a brisk winter morning. As Aldo drew closer to the top of the precipice he looked back down at the city and saw the beauty of Florence that surrounded him, the valleys, the trees, the river, and the sun shining all around him.
This mountain was so high that it had just snowed there the night before. As he trudged up the cobblestone path, Aldo noticed down at his feet that there was a rattlesnake trapped in the snow in between the steps of San Miniato. The snake was growing increasingly weak because of the cold and was just barely able to utter a sound, but he managed to ask Aldo if he could carry him up to the top of San Miniato where the sun was shining brightly and it was much warmer. Aldo, who was a friend to everyone he crossed paths with thought little to nothing of it, and gently picked up the snake up and placed him in his jacket.
As the young boy got to the steps where the snow ended and the sun was shining, the snake started to feel a bit more of his strength returning. Suddenly, Aldo stumbled up one of the steps and the snake was jostled causing his fangs to pierce through Aldo's forearm. The snake who was now near the top of the mountain crawled out from under Aldo's jacket. The young Italian looked bewildered at the snake as he fell to the frost covered ground from weakness and choked, "But I was kind to you. I helped you."
The rattlesnake merely glared back at him with stone hearted eyes and hissed, "You knew what I was when you first picked me up," and slithered off leaving Aldo to die on the steps of that beautiful mountain.
1a.Myself, My parents, and a previous coach.
RispondiEliminab. My parents have been separated for a long time and they both live in different states. They have essentially both been single parents who both try to make a living and a home for me and my brother. I feel like their lack of attention and uninvolvement in my life has caused me to be very emotionally detached to the world.
c. Ironically my parents. My friends. My teachers
d. A teacher that I've known since sixth grade that I stay in contact with always tells me she's proud of the person I've become.
e. I would travel the world with a backpack and without a map, I'd be a journalist in newyork and write about my travels, i'd own my own food truck and drive around and interact with people from all over the world, i'd own my own coffee shop, i'd be a racecar driver
f. this is easier said then done, but i will work on letting my past make me better, not bitter.
2&3. She's 19 years old and has never stayed in one place. She always has a bag packed and a itinerary in hand. She's practically been raised in airplanes and terminals. This summer, she decided that she no longer wanted to be torn anymore. She told her mother in Los Angeles that she won't be spending her Summer with her father in New York, and she took off. She wasn't escaping her family, she was allowing herself to choose her own destinations...or at least that was her intention. She arrives in Florence with no agenda and asks locals for directions to Piazza Michelangelo because she wanted to see a view of the city. On her treck up...she questions why she wore tight jeans and flip flops.. but all of these petty problems disappears the second she turns around and sees the city. She makes her way up even higher to San Minato and inhales the aroma of the only greenery of Florence. Once she reaches the top and turns around ...she realizes that she's capable of the fullest kind of love and she needs to let go of her skeletons.
1. a) Impatience, discipline, and failure
RispondiEliminab) Not being able to be myself in situations that I am unfamiliar of.
c) Hard worker, never giving up, and to be outgoing
d) My parents, always telling me that they are always proud of me and to always do my best.
e) Actor, a billionaire, a singer, a world traveler, and a professional baseball player
f) not sure how to do so, but it will be an exciting adventure trying to figure it out
2 and 3) A man is walking throughout Italy trying to find inspiration to take better pictures. The only problem he has is that he gets very impatient quickly and cant get a good picture. Once he steps into Florence, he start to climb the hill to San Miniato. Once he arrives there, he looks at the church in creativity. He goes in and lets in the history, the culture in. Once he steps out, he sees the amazing view of Florence. Never in his life has he felt so relaxed and peaceful. Right there and then, he takes his camera and takes one of the best pictures ever known to man.
1.
RispondiEliminaa) my self. fear of rejection/failure. the real world
b) getting overwhelmed and losing contact with people...going on hiatus.
c) my parents. my friends. having a visual taste
d) having my family/friends/strangers compliment me on my photography and artwork. even if it is something as little as instagram. it is nice to be acknowledged.
e) well-known professional photographer/billionaire/a happy person/a buyer/ a judge on cupcake wars
f) I can transform my monster by being more confident and not second guess myself as much as i do.
g) my artist was intrigued by San Miniato
2 & 3.
with the stress in her life at an all time high, she had to escape. she was unable to be around anyone or anything. so she left. she had to be alone...she walked and as she did so, her mind began to settle. she found areas of her brain opening and being explored while others were left alone. as she walked, she realized that she enjoyed being alone as much as she did being with others. People therefore thought of her as rather allusive. She realized that her indecisive self left her as a plain and boring person, perceived as nothing special by others for she could never create a solid self with personal taste and desires. as she walked she stumbled upon a magnificent building overlooking the city of Firenze. She could not believe how such a beautiful building could so effortlessly stand amongst less extravagant surroundings. She entered and was again in awe at how beautiful and complicated the inside of the building was. There was so much going on...and that's when it hit her. It was okay to be complicated. Having complex details made you all the more interesting. She also noticed that her stress and anxiety had completely vanished and came to the realization that life is inconsistent. Consistency is very hard to come upon. She was in a very diverse setting where things changed in aesthetic every few feet. She learned that rather stressing over things she was unable to control, that she should channel her overwhelming thoughts on something in an equal but different category; that she should spend her time worrying about beautifully overwhelming things such as the San Minianto church she had accidentally stumbled across. SHe had in that moment learned that if she let go, she would find her way in life.
1) a. Failure, Judgement, Procrastination.
RispondiEliminab) A tie between other people's judgements towards my actions or the green-eyed monster.
c) Self-Confidence, Discipline, Ambition.
d) My parents & my close friends.
e) I wanna live in a jungle & be a nature photographer. I wanna be a travel journalist & see every lost corner of the world. I wanna be a marine biologist living in Hawaii. I wanna be a painter making a living off my art. I wanna be a surfer and enjoying every beach on the planet.
3)
A man had moved his entire life from living in California to Florence. He felt alone & isolated and concluded that Italy would be the best place to find love & happiness. His favorite place to go was the top of the Piazza Michelangelo. He would walk up to San Miniato and pray everyday to find happiness and a partner to love. One day as he was walking up the stairs he noticed someone had lost a slipper. He had never seen anyone else inside San Miniato because he always went early in the morning. He ran quickly up the stairs hoping that God had answered his prayers and that he would find a woman in the church. When he walked inside the church the interior had turned into a million mirrors. All he saw was himself. He then realized that he was the one holding himself back from happiness. He was his own worst enemy but he was also the only one who could make himself happy. He needed to stop searching and waiting for someone else to make him happy.
1. a. naivety, failure, image
RispondiEliminab. repeatedly trusting others who continually let me down, knowing things will never change, but always hoping they will
c. hope, enthusiasm, determination
d. My mom is my biggest supporter and never fails to make me feel loved. She believes in me and most of all trusts the decisions I make for myself
e. I would be more of a go-getter and try to go into politics and understand the system in order to change it. Another, would be a dancer, not worrying about having to pay the bills. The third life I would want would be an archeologist, because it sounds fun. The fourth would be a wanderer, travelling around the world. The fifth would be an actress or singer, just to get a taste of what fame feels like.
3. She slumped around, from tombstone to statue, feeling nothing. No words could be spoken or looks could be shown to make her feel alive again. The view of Florence had no effect on her. It was not beautiful, it was just clusters of old buildings all in the colors resembling dirt. The worst thing is, she knew she once dreamt of this view. The romantic images of Italy, the majestic lights, now just reminding her of something she'd find under her shoe. She rather connected with the statues in the graveyard: cold and stagnant. The inside of the church gave her chills as it was the visual of her own thoughts and feelings. The dry air, the dark walls, the open, empty interior. She felt something for once: she felt at home.
San Miniato
RispondiElimina1) My best friend in middle school. My dad. Myself
In middle school I really enjoyed writing poems but my best friend never liked any of them. She said it wasn’t a poem because it didn’t rhyme. I see myself as my own enemy because I let her convince me that what I liked writing wasn’t a real poem.
My best friend now. My roommate. My mom.
My mother always tells me that she is proud of me because I strive for more than what she ever did. Especially when it comes to hobbies that make me work with my mind and my hands. I have recently picked up knitting/crocheting and amateur painting.
If I had 5 other lives to live I would makes them all friends so that they can encourage themselves to stick to their dreams. Dreams of becoming a great soccer player, an amazing musician, a talented artist, a photographer, and most importantly a creative human being.
3) The story takes place on the hillside of San Miniato; where people go to search for the inspiration of Florence only to be fooled by the beauty seen afar. Every morning I would see her walk up the long roads in search of true happiness. Every night I would watcher walk through the rooms searching for something more. No one seemed to truly understand what she was in need of and she didn’t know it either. She had been looking for someone she had lost long ago. Searching for that person with in herself and within others. But no matter what she tried she still was unable to find what she was looking for. She began living different lives in hopes she would be happy. She took on the lives she saw her friends and neighbors live but she was not content. She always wanted more and kept looking for more.