"Forbidden", Make that "Attainable" Joys

I have a piece of paper dated in October of 2008 from an Artist’s Way exercise. It’s entitled “Forbidden Joys,” and is a list of ten things that we would love to do, but feel we can’t or are not allowed for whatever reason. It could also be called a Bucket List, I suppose.

Dated about 6 months later is a strike through of the word “Forbidden” and above which is now written “Attainable.”

I’ve added three more things to the list, but the last thing added was dated in 2009. I’ve carried this list through my move, and found it maybe two months ago when I took The Artist’s Way book down again while looking for quotes for my workshop on Creativity and Spirituality in the Spring.

The list is only about a third accomplished. And I’ve decided not to “update” it from what I’d written, as I know there are now more and different things I’d add. But, I want to honor this list, because there are still things on it that I would really love to do, if I let myself.

The things that are now crossed off are: Go blonde; Audition for a play; Get furniture and paint my place (prior to that, I’d been using Office Depot boxes as night&coffee tables); Ice skate; and Paint a canvas.

I still want to continue to audition for plays, and I still want to Ice skate, and I want to paint more canvases, but “breaking the seal” as it were, or going on an inaugural run through each of these is a great beginning.

Those that still remain are: Bass lessons; Camp in the wilderness; See the southwest again; Go on a real vacation; Sing in a band; Have a dog (not sure if now having a cat counts, but I’m leaving it!); Build a (non-Ikea) bookcase; and Take flying lessons.

This last one, I am most poised to do at present, as I got one of those LivingSocial, Groupon-y type emails last week…For a two-hour introductory flying lesson.

Typically, these are really expensive. I’ve actually looked up this company before, during this past summer, when I was trying to find work, and thought that maybe volunteering somewhere I was interested to learn would be good experience, so I emailed a whole bunch of flight schools in the area, as well as a whole bunch of sailing schools. But none had any openings. But, I did get to see what was available out there. … And to see how insanely expensive it is to get licensed to fly a small plane, which is ultimately what I’d like to do.

I love flying. I have found over the past few years that I write pretty well and pretty prolifically at 30,000 feet. There is a level of suspension of reality, of detachment from every and anything that may be going on – I feel freer and more unfettered than I almost ever feel. The only thing comparable to me is really hiking out somewhere, or being up in Sonoma, for whatever reason. I once about Sonoma that “my guts release the strictness I didn’t know they were in.” And it’s true. I feel open, unclenched, serene.

So, in an effort to follow my nudges and listen to myself and take responsibility for my dreams, I bought the intro flying lesson. It’s a step. And I’ll get to cross it off my “Attainable Joy” list. And “Sing in a band,” I know you’re there, and I’m listening.