“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

I will then give Ruburt some suggestions as to normal living habits that if followed will enable him to stay in good health. One of these will be a mental exercise, taking no more than ten minutes, and if done properly, only three times a week, will be of great benefit in keeping joints and muscles loose and free. (Pause.) I should perhaps give you that exercise now.

Now. Give us a moment, dear friend. (Pause.)

You are working with portraits, and portraits are of people. Here is where some of your difficulty lies. (Pause.) You should try to probe the mystery of individuality with love. You are overimmersed, presently, in the technique and the painting.

As you know you are apt sometimes to use a problem with technique as a substitute problem, as a way therefore of escaping from, rather than facing, certain issues concerning the nature of emotion. (Pause.

You do not need to justify your existence by painting. It is impossible to do so. (Pause.) There are two approaches, either of which would be highly beneficial. The first is to paint a portrait of a person whom you know, trying to portray the essence of that person, their deepest agonies and highest joys, their highest capabilities and fears of failure. (Pause.) This would induce on your part an honest effort to face the raw emotion of another personality, and portray it.

Give me a moment. (Pause.)

Now you may take a break, and we shall continue. (Pause at 10:20.) In the first approach you become completely immersed in the subject. In the second approach you become completely immersed in the idea of spontaneous play, which is true blessedness and creativity and there is no focus upon subject. Do you see the value and similarity of the approaches?

Give me a moment here. (Pause.)

You must realize, and tell yourself, that creativity is timeless in a basic manner. You must completely cease inner speculations and regrets and questions as to why your abilities have not come to fruition. This must positively be done. The negative suggestion works constantly against you. When such thoughts come to mind, instead tell yourself that that trend of thought will not help your painting, but hinder it, and that it is constricting. Then immediately imagine a time when you painted very well and spontaneously, and tell yourself that you are now free to use and develop these abilities. (Pause.)