“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

You will find that a creative, placid and yet fulfilling time is beginning, when you will both begin to do some of your best work. Certain elements are leaving your lives now, and with the signing of the contract Ruburt feels socially, economically and creatively justified, and accepted.

He has passed over the hump of early adulthood, that you passed through some time before, and you are both ready to give yourselves to your work. There will be an added placidity, as well as spontaneity. We will return to our material. Much work that we have done however in terms of the Philip (John Bradley’s entity area is Philip) readings, will be of great value, and serve to add to the authenticity, in other people’s eyes, of your adventure.

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.

When resting, and in a tranquil state of mind, he should simply imagine the limbs slowly stretching out, becoming somewhat longer, and then slowly returning to their original length. He should then imagine the neck revolving easily and normally three times in each direction; mentally here doing the yoga neck exercise that he recalls.

The lengthening exercise to be emphasized with the arms particularly. The toes and fingers should be visualized as lengthening also, easily and slowly, and then returning to normal position. The joints should be imagined as moving easily. At the same time, he should dwell on the idea of flexibility and freedom, mental, spiritual, psychic and physical flexibility. That is the end of the exercise.

At one time two classes met certain needs. He needed that extra, outside contact as others came here. Now he does not.

I also suggest that when we are holding regular sessions, then for one session a month we deal with a session for someone like your Pitre, Norelli, or whoever needs such a session at any time. This need not be a rule.

(I don’t believe there has been a time when I didn’t have plenty of ideas. This has never been a problem with me personally, but I didn’t interrupt to make a point of this. I thought the data excellent.)

The idea, again, art as a spontaneous play of the godlike self. Do not dictate to it. It knows more than you about the game. Now either of these techniques will serve you very well and refresh your creative energies. They are equally valid, and equally geared though in different ways, to your peculiar dilemma. Do not mix the approaches however. Plunge into one or the other wholeheartedly, and underline wholeheartedly fifty times.

(10:22. Jane had been in a good trance, and was bleary when she came out of it. She said that whenever I ask questions about painting she “really goes out.” Jane said that at some time when Seth explained the two approaches she strongly felt what he meant.

Now. Something else here: you are overly concerned with the physical idea of time, and focusing wrongly, and this is affecting your work.

You feel rushed by the years. You regret past time, and that your abilities, you feel, have not come to fruition. This serves to tighten you up and overwhelm you with a sense of desperation at times, and is highly restricted.

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.)

You need not hammer this. The feeling is what is important. Think of yourself as being flexible creatively. Psychological time, if you contemplate it, will set you free, so that you feel value fulfillment and durability within the time that you know. Do not think in terms regretfully that you have only afternoons in which to work. This restricts you in two main ways.

One, you are limiting the time in which you can be creative or get ideas. You are saying, effectively: I can only get my creative ideas in the afternoon. Instead tell yourself that creative ideas for your paintings can come to you at any hour of the night or day, and that creativity knows no time barrier.

In this way creative ideas can even come to you at your job, or on other occasions, and be used at a more convenient time. The negative thought that you have only afternoons (underline only), also tends to limit the value of the time that you do have, and restrict it.

Your attitude should be, I have the whole afternoon to myself in which to paint, and all the rest of the time I have for creative abilities to bring me inspiration and ideas.

My heartiest wishes to you both. You have been given advice geared to you and to your needs. If you follow it you will be amazed at the difference in your attitude and in your work. It must not be a willy-nilly trial, a one-or-two day affair, but a wholehearted plunge into whatever approach you choose, and you should also follow the suggestions given later concerning time and your attitude. This is your artistic prescription, and half doses will not do a full job.