One of the assignments from week 10 of “The Artist’s Way” involves creating a list of touchstones. This is a list of things you love and that make you happy. I had a lot of fun with this exercise (it’s also pretty easy to see the value in doing this exercise yourself), here’s what I came up with:

My List of Touchstones

1. My mom’s homemade Tortiere hot from the over. The crust perfectly flaky.
2. Cuddling up next to Greg during a movie and feeling his hands lovingly brush through my hair.
3. The perfect climbing tree with a spot high up in the branches that is perfect for reading.
4. Running along the seawall and smelling the salt in the air.
5. Curling up in a hot tub and feelings the water jet against the small of my back.
6. The elation you get after truly connecting with a character and “falling into” the scene.
7. Finding a rock in the middle of the water that looks like the one that Ariel jumps up on, and then acting out that scene.
8. The perfect faerie / guardian angel mini sculpture that would look down on me at my desk and remind me that magic is real.
9. Laying on the beach on a hot day and scrunching the sand between my toes.
10. Sitting on the edge of my little brother’s bed and reading to him until he falls asleep.

What you’ve just read are a list of things, both real and imagined, that fill me with joy. I think Julia Cameron’s purpose in getting you to fill this out, is to create something solid that you can turn to when you are feeling down or unmotivated. Focusing on one of these touchstones will hopefully bring your vibration back up, and get you ready to work and ready to create.

What’s one of your Happiness Touchstones?