<p>Thank you <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/profile/142902137-jack">Jack</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/profile/325041505-sea">Sea</a>, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.</p><p>Thank you for showing up for yourselves, for the community, and for me. I’m still an artist while holding this container, and the direction we’re heading matters. This week was about recognizing what it takes to live as an artist in real time — not conceptually, not aesthetically, but in the day-to-day choices that protect your creativity, your body, and your relationship to your own life.</p><p>We covered <strong>Acceptance, Success, Zen of Sports, and Building Your Artist’s Altar</strong>, and stayed close to the truth that being an artist means your life will look different. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s the sign you’re actually living it.</p><p>If you want the deeper breakdown and the parts I expanded on in the live (the nervous system, how capitalism distorts creativity, the oxygen mask theory, and how to apply all of this without burning out) — those conversations live in the After-Party Notes for paid subscribers.</p><p><p>The Dark Divines is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my art, consider becoming a paid subscriber.</p></p><p><strong>Acceptance</strong></p><p>Acceptance is realizing you are an artist and that your life is not supposed to mirror the mainstream. Going against the grain is not proof that something is wrong — it’s often the indicator that you’re on the right path. This includes releasing the need to be perfect about how you show up and asking:<strong>Am I showing up for my art, or am I performing for other people?</strong></p><p>We named that boredom is not a failure. Boredom can be a positive sign for the brain — a reset, a clearing, space for ideas to stretch. But if irritation or numbness shows up, that’s usually a sign you’re not expressing your art in the ways you’re built to. That’s the moment to recalibrate, not self-abandon.We also talked about developing a healthy disassociation from capitalism if you want to be a successful artist. If success is the goal, you can’t build it by following a structure designed to drain you.</p><p><strong>Success</strong></p><p>Success in this chapter came down to the difference between <strong>rest</strong> and <strong>resting</strong>.</p><p>* <strong>Rest</strong> is slowing down enough to feel nourished, out of sync with society, and in alignment with your divine source.</p><p>* <strong>Resting</strong>, the way Julia uses it, is stagnancy — not sharpening the saw, staying still because you’re tired of trying.</p><p>I don’t agree with the “be a shark, grind through it, force your way forward” framework. That isn’t necessary, and it’s not sustainable — especially for Black women. It is okay to be one-on-one. It is okay to create at a pace that honors your nervous system. You don’t have to constantly produce because capitalism demands it.</p><p>We also talked about financial literacy being essential if you want to protect your creativity. Money clarity gives you space to enjoy the process instead of expecting your art to carry the entire weight of your livelihood. Success and fame are not the same thing — and knowing that difference keeps your art safe.</p><p>The oxygen mask theory showed up here: you pour into yourself first, especially with your art, or you’ll have nothing real to give.</p><p><strong>Zen of Sports</strong></p><p>Zen of Sports is about mindful movement. Movement helps creative energy move through the body so it doesn’t get stuck in frustration, irritation, or blocks. Julia shares stories of people who regained creative flow through physical practice, and we expanded that to include somatic therapy, walking, stretching, dance — whatever gets energy moving again.</p><p>This is about letting the body participate in the creative process, not just the mind.</p><p><strong>Building Your Artist’s Altar</strong></p><p>This section connects back to the CPR Method. It asks a simple question:<strong>How can my day look and feel like an artist’s day?</strong></p><p>Building an altar can mean a physical space, but it can also be a ritual, a rhythm, or a way of treating your life like something worth tending to. This is where whimsy, beauty, and creativity return to the forefront. The altar is the anchor point. The reminder. The recalibration.</p><p>💡 <strong>Main Exercise + Check-In</strong></p><p>I’ll add the images for this week’s task, the check-in question, and the activity below.They’re images so I can conserve energy and continue putting depth into the After-Party Notes without burning out.</p><p><strong>Take your time with Week 11.</strong>Autonomy isn’t something you rush through or try to get “right.” It shows up in the small choices: the moments when you stop performing, when you stop negotiating with your body, when you stop trying to match a pace that was never yours. This week is about recognizing that you’re an artist and building a life that matches that truth, even when it doesn’t look like what people expect from you.</p><p>If you want to stay with what came up in this session the After-Party Notes are there. That’s where I slow down and talk through the parts that need space.</p><p>And if something in you is shifting, you’re not imagining it. Keep going at a pace that lets you hear yourself. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll meet you in Week 12.</p><p></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://lotuslaloba.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">lotuslaloba.substack.com/subscribe</a>