Cypress Lake Theatre: Journals

1.  Your Enemy Within:  Number from 1 to 20 down the left side of a page in your journal.  On the top write the phrase “I can’t be a successful, prolific, creative artist because:”  Fill in the 20 blanks honestly. 

2.  Your Enemy Within - Part Two:  Realize that none of these negative core beliefs need to be true.  They come to us from our parents, our religion, our culture, and our fearful friends.  Now take each negative core belief and reverse it.  If the negative belief is that you cannot be successful because you will die alone, rewrite the core negative in the positive.  “I can be a successful, prolific, creative artist because I CAN FIND MY SOULMATE.  The negative core belief is that artists die alone, or never get married, the positive alternative is that artists can find a soulmate.

3.  Where Does My Time Go?:  List your five major activities of this week.  How much time did you give to each one?  Which were what you wanted to do and which were shoulds?  How much of your time is spent helping others and ignoring your own desires?  On the next page of your journal draw a circle.  Inside the circle, place topics you need to protect.  Place the names of those who are supportive of you.  Outside the circle place the names of those you must be self-protect ive around right now.  Add names to the inner and outer circles as you see appropriate. 

4.  Ten Tiny Changes:  List ten changes you’d like to make for yourself, from the significant to the small or vice versa.  Do it this way:  I would like to __________.  I would like to __________.  Select one item and make it a goal for this week.  Now do it...ten times. 

5.  Buried Dreams:  Be fast, frivolous and spontaneous when writing your answers to the following.  Remember that speed kills the censor. 

1.  List five hobbies that sound fun.

2.  List five classes that sound fun.

3.  List five things you personally would never do that sound fun.

4.  List five skills that would be fun to have.

5.  List five things you used to enjoy doing.

6.  List five silly things you would like to try once. 

As you find that you have more free time, do something. 

6.  I Wish:  Write the words I WISH on a page of your journal 19 times.  Leave room behind the phrase each time to finish the phrase.  When you have finished that portion bring your journal to Mr. Loete for the second part of this journal entry. 

7.  Touchstones: 

Sacred Circle Rules:

-Creativity flourishes in a place of safety and acceptance.

-Creativity grows among friends, withers among enemies.

-All creative ideas are children who deserve our protection.

-All creative successes require creative failure.

-Fulfilling our creativity is a sacred trust.

-Violating someone’s creativity violates a sacred trust.

-Creative feedback must support the creative child, never shame it.

-Creative feedback must build on strengths, never focus on weaknesses.

-Success occurs in clusters and is born in generosity.

-The good of another can never block our own.

Choose a small item that fits in the palm or your hand, in a locket, in your pocket, somewhere that it is always around you.  Choose any number of these and give them to your closest support group - these are your Sacred Circle.  Include a little note with the touchstone letting the recipient know of its power and meaning to you.  Have one extra that you secure in your journal along with a list of those who received touchstones from you.  

8.  Feedback:  Choose any one topic that we have covered so far this year.  Using stream-of-consciousness writing, write for a minimum of five minutes beginning with feedback on the chosen topic.  Your mind may wander.  If it does, GO WITH IT!  Do not stop writing for at least five minutes.   Set a timer and when five minutes have expired, begin closure on your writing.  Allow your mind to lead your pen.  When finished, and closure has been achieved, re-read what you have written.  Do not change anything. 

All Acting students are required to have eight journal entries by the end of each semester. Journals will be collected and graded BEFORE YOUR SEMESTER EXAM. Refer to your department handbook for the journal assessment rubric. Second semester journals will be due May 28th, 2010. All journal entries are private and confidential between the student and the instructor.