VOG - THE KINGDOM OF STORY

[Barbara Ann Storrier]

A general discussion to share our experiences with reading The Kingdom Of Story in the book Vein of Gold by Julia Cameron.

[Lin Neiswender]

Just got dug out from the avalanche of email and will start reading this chapter today. My technique is to read 1 to 1 1/2 pages during TV ads- works well and time passes quickly.

[Barbara Ann Storrier]

Sounds good, Lin. I am hoping Susan will be able to post more about Kingdom of Story here, and be able to answer questions, today or tomorrow.

While writing the second half of the third page of my morning pages this morning, all of a sudden everything started falling into place for what the Universe is pointing me toward doing this weekend, and I've gotta get a move on! It's a tough job but somebody's gotta do it and it will be so awesome when it's all done ... I'll fill in the details when I can but like you, gotta limit my email reading and get down to business if anything's gonna get accomplished :) I'll pop in when I can ...

Love and Laughter and Incredible Enthusiasm :)
Barb

[Lin Neiswender]

Cool Barb, that enthusiasm is catching!

[Maureen]

Great idea Lin -- that's how I do my housework (although I haven't been doing any lately :-( )

[Elle]

Ah, the Kingdom of Story. The meat. And potatoes. When I first faced the KoS, I was so overwhelmed in my daily life, that I felt enormous pressure writing my life. I've just started reading this chunk again, and have an almost giddy attitude about it. Less "tackling" a project. More almost playing, or doodling, or noodling. I can't expect my attitude to stay constant, but, that would be delightful!

[Maureen]

Dear Elle,
I am at the point you where were when you first faced the KOS -- so overwhelmed with life that the mere thought of writing my life feels just ... too big. Having 2 kids and some health challenges right now, I have been questioning whether or not to keep going ... I know I need to focus on BABY STEPS so I don't give up ... just take on tiny step at a time. Were you able to finish the timeline your first time around?

[Elle]

Honest to God? It took months. Doesn't Julia C say something like..."we'll be working on this for a couple of weeks?' HA! Months. I wrote notes. I used the lists in the book. I collaged. I really tried to do it. Realized that I was overanalyzing. So much stuff came to me once I started to write that I was flooded with emotion and that made it so hard because there seemed to be SO MUCH important STUFF!

This time, I'm just saying...this ISN'T therapy. This is an exercise. The Cups part...coming up...is very very handy for deep exploration. I say...just write your life down stream of consciousness more or less in a linear fashion...then explore deeper as we go along. Those memories that surface aren't going anywhere. You don't need to beat yourself up with them! HA! Yet, anyway...ahem.

Don't give up Maureen!!!!

[Barbara Ann Storrier]

Thanks, Elle ... many of us seem to want to rush through this and I appreciate you relating your experience with it ... very helpful! And so true ... we don't need to beat ourselves up, we have to have compassion and forgiveness for our past selves ... we did the best we could with what we knew at the time!

[Maureen]

Dear Elle,
Thanks so much for your encouragement!! I haven't started yet ... but I did type out a sheet for each 5 years, along with the questions JC has us consider about each 1/2 decade. Now I need to fill in the blanks. I LOVE your insight that "this ISN'T therapy"!! I will remember that :-).

The entire writing portion, where she says to start writing the autobiography ... that seems like too much right now. But I'll start by filling in the blanks and go from there.

Thanks again, so much!
Maureen

P.S. "Overanalyze" is my middle name. Ugh!

[Carol@Swallowcliffs]

If you sift out other peoples memories and only write yours, it kinda narrows it down a bit. I found myself writing things that I really did not remember myself, but had heard the stories so many times they seemed like my memories at first. Once I started checking to see if they were really MY memories and not someone elses, that helped.

[Barbara Ann Storrier]

Elle, I've been fearful of reading VOG because of this part. But now I am feeling like you, grateful for the opportunity to do it! It sure makes a big difference having our CCS "Spacer" friends along on the journey to commisserate with when the going gets kinda tough. I'm also thinking that for me, time has healed some of the things that I didn't want to think about before, and now I'm feeling more ready to tackle issues that have affected me than before. But anything can happen ... I may get bogged way down, and need a lot of help ...

[Jean]

The first time I read the book, I stopped in the Story section. And I actually tore out pages 57 - 60! There were a lot of memories that I had written down, and probably wasn't ready to face yet. Two differences this time around: 1. I'm older and wiser (Thank God!) and 2. I have the support of this CCS group.

Looking back, I see that I didn't have any traveling companions that first time (probably because I chose to go it alone). Glad that I see things differently this time, and VERY glad that I've got this group to share the journey with!!