Tasks for Week Three

It is almost the end of Week Three in this artistic recovery and I am just now getting to the tasks.  Knowing that I did not accomplish many of the Week Two tasks made me decide that I'll pick and choose a few manageable things to do here.  I'll write them down and then later -- maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow -- I'll come back and update my progress on the tasks.

1. A list of three nurturing friends and their traits. It was hard for me to create this list. I worried "What if someone sees this list and is somehow offended or hurt?" Then I realized it's not about that -- it's about recognizing traits that I find valuable and then learning how to nurture those traits.  So here's my list:
1. MM -- She is so encouraging all the time and has such a great calming presence.  She listens to people and understands what's not being said as much as what's being said. She dreams and hopes and believes that the universe is out there ready to show us incredible things when we take the time to be present and aware. She's amazing!
2. TG -- When I first met her, someone said "She's a bit...eclectic...like you!"  I wasn't sure if they meant that as a compliment, but that's the way I took it. She has her own style and is very free to be herself. She's inspirational because it took her many years to feel like she could be that free, and now that she has reached this point she embraces it wholeheartedly. Every day is an adventure and she is always doing so much and being true to herself and her dreams.  She is also very nurturing and loving and accepting of people, but has no tolerance for BS -- one of my favorite things about her!
3. GK -- He is very patient, kind, and always does whatever needs to be done in a situation, regardless of whether or not it's his responsibility. One example that keeps coming to mind is when we were walking and there was a piece of garbage on the sidewalk. He stopped, picked it up, threw it away, and kept walking -- all without breaking stride in the conversation. He is always encouraging, always an active listener, and remembers things about people so that the next time he sees them he can ask "So, how is ____ doing?" or "Did ______ go well?"  And when he thinks he might've made a mistake -- or not even a mistake, sometimes just made a decision that in hindsight was not the absolute best -- he acknowledges it immediately and is very humble.  Normally I would feel like people who do this are fake because I've had so many horrible experiences, but not with GK. He is very genuine and I look up to him as a mentor.
2. Take an hour to do an artist-brain activity and listen to the insights gained. I spent part of my day painting, and while a bazillion thoughts were roaming through my head I did realize one thing: I want to take an art class sometime this year.
3. List five people you admire and five people you secretly admire. What traits do these people have that you can cultivate further in yourself?  I think that I decided to just focus on a few traits. I could list the people I admire and secretly admire -- I did do that in my mind as I took Lotus for a walk yesterday -- but I thought about the traits that connect these people and that list (at least a partial list) is a good place to start here.
1. Active listening
2. Love of self -- embracing one's unique qualities and believing that they have value and then taking care of one's mental, physical, and emotional/spiritual self
3. Drive and passion, usually to help others
4. Ability to be okay with making mistakes (humility)
5. Calming presence
6. Love of others without tolerating garbage

I think that I'll leave it at that for now.  Three tasks is a good set and hopefully a bit more manageable.