A N O N Y M O U S

 

 

Artists Recovering through the Twelve Steps 
 



Give us Five, see A.R.T.S. Thrive!
 

Five minutes a day keeps our ART Alive.
Five dollars a month supports A.R.T.S. Worldwide.
Five minutes to read so A.R.T.S. Thrives!



April 2024 edition
Do you have something to contribute? We love to include A.R.T.S. Anonymous-related personal stories of experience, strength and hope, poetry, photos, audio files, writing, and art. Email the editors at: newsletter@artsanonymous.org 
 
In this Issue:

  • Announcements

  • Service and Event Calendars 

  • Writings on the Steps 

  • Step Four – A Personal Response 

  • Poem – When I do service for the fellowship 

  • 2023 World Service Conference Report 

  • Conference Planning Meeting, plus Agenda-Setting 

  • Letter to the Fellowship re Non-Conference-Approved Literature 

  • Step Two Study Workshop 

  • Sharathon in Spring
 
 

 

Announcements

 

NEW! Drop in Five Alive Together: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays. We support each other by doing art at the same time (on mute), with optional “check-ins” at the top and bottom of each hour. Leave/stay as long as you’d like. 

  • Tuesdays (Open 7.5 hours), 8am to 3:30pm PT(US) 

  • Wednesdays (Open 6 hours), 8am to 2pm PT(US) 

  • Thursdays (Open 7.5 hours), 8am to 3:30 PT(US) 

This meeting is posted on the website Meeting List. Zoom link here. Meeting ID: 849 4818 1909 Passcode: 887814  


Upcoming Workshop - Step Two Study: A series of A.R.T.S. Workshops began in March, and a Step Two Study Workshop is scheduled for April 19 and 20, held twice to accommodate your time zone. Each workshop focuses on one Step, one at a time, each month. The same workshop will be held twice on the third Friday and Saturday of the month to accommodate different time zones. Watch your A.R.T.S email and the “News” page of the website for announcements of upcoming Step Workshops.  More details are later in this newsletter.  


Save the Date! Sharathon in Spring: The next Sharathon is scheduled for April 27, 2024. More details are later in this newsletter. Watch for notices and the website “Sharathon” page for planning meetings (your participation is welcome!) and further details. Contact: sharathon@artsanonymous.org  


Next Meeting of the Policy and Procedures (Article 6) Committee: Saturday, May 4 at 1 pm EST is when this group next meets. At the April meeting the position of Conference Chair was discussed, and review of the Conference Charter began with ideas for defining terms and developing procedures for carrying out the Conference. Link to register for the May 4 Zoom. Link to the entire A.R.T.S. Anonymous Conference Charter, which is posted on the website. 

Conference Planning Meeting (formerly the "Pre-Conference" Meeting): Scheduled for Saturday May 18, beginning at 3 pm ET. More information is later in this newsletter. Delegates and Alternate Delegates are strongly encouraged to attend, and all members are welcome. Zoom registration link here. The meeting to set the Agenda for this meeting is on May 4 begins at 4 pm ET, and all are welcome. 

Free Workshop Script - Writing Personal Stories in A.R.T.S.: The script for meetings or groups or any members who wish to get together and write personal recovery stories in A.R.T.S. is available for download on the website. It is laid out as a workshop. Please make liberal use of this valuable resource in support of A.R.T.S. recovery. Members may submit what they write for use in a new A.R.T.S. book.   

"Generic" A.R.T.S. Meeting Format: A Generic Meeting Format for A.R.T.S. meetings is posted on the Meetings page of the website (scroll to the bottom). It contains the A.R.T.S. Preamble, the Crosstalk statement, suggested Treasurer’s announcements for both in-person and on-line meetings, and the A.R.T.S. Closing prayer, along with other suggestions. Other meeting formats for A.R.T.S. can be found there too. Email officemanager@artsanonymous.org if you would like your meeting’s format posted.  

Treasurer’s Report: Click to see the Treasurer’s Report for March 2024
 


For 2024: Writings on the Steps 

While the Twelve Traditions guide us in the primary purpose of A.R.T.S. Anonymous, the Twelve Steps guide us to recover our inspiration and joy in expressing our creativity. What better way to celebrate 2024 than with a focus on the Steps that corresponds with each of the twelve months. Below in this April newsletter is one member’s contribution on Step Four. 

May’s Newsletter welcomes your response to Step 5: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 

The following series of questions are suggested as a guide when writing a response.  

  • What does Step 5 mean to you? 
  • How do you feel about Step 5? 
  • How might Step 5 free your creative expression? 

It will be wonderful to receive your thoughts, feelings, and application of Step 5. Please send your response to the editors at newsletter@artsanonymous.org for possible publication. 

 
 

 

Step Four – A Personal Response 


Step Four: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 

 

Step 4 in Arts is deep. I am halfway through it with my step family as I refer to them. It is encouraged in the workbooks to do the steps with a step sponsor (one who has completed all 12 steps in Arts) and share this experience by working with another 3 or four Arts members in a closed group for about two years. It takes a year to finish step 4 and these steps unlike other 12 step programs are designed to be done once. This is what I am finding is the best way as I am recovering finally from my chronic avoidance of my art and all things that bring me joy both socially, physically, and emotionally. Romantically I am not there yet but I am not focusing on that area yet. This may change as I move gently through the rest of the steps. 

With other fourth step inventories in other fellowships, I get to focus on the harms my powerless behaviours have done others. However, in Arts...

Click here for the complete essay

 
 
 
When I do service for the fellowship 
 

Poem by Anonym 
 

                    When I do service  

                    for the fellowship 

                    I ask You, creative source 

                    HP to join me and help me  

                    remember to only support  

                    decisions that consider tradition 5.  

 

                    Free from the burden of my ego and perfectionism. 

                    Help me know when I need to talk, when to be quiet 

                    and when it's time to step back. 

                    Grant me patience and clarity and a kind ear 

                    when communicating with others. 

                    Remind me to place principles before personalities. 


 

Click here for the complete poem
 

 

The 2023 World Service Conference Report is Here! 

The 2023 World Service Conference wrapped up in January of 2024 with a final day devoted to hearing from the Committees, the interim Treasurer, and holding a round-robin style sharing on two topics: the use of outside literature in A.R.T.S. meetings, and the accessibility and pricing of Literature. The last half hour was another round-robin of sharing where everyone present had an opportunity to say anything else about A.R.T.S. Anonymous they felt needed to be said. The shares were timed to give everyone present the same opportunity.  

Thanks to a devoted effort by Cindyann W., the 2023 World Service Conference Report (now posted on the website and emailed to the Delegates and Alternates) contains the transcription of those comments. You are encouraged to take a look to see the thought and consideration so many who serve A.R.T.S. gave to these topics. Also included in the report are the results of a survey we sent to those who attended asking for feedback.  

Additionally, the Conference Report contains some updates to the Traits, and updates to the Tools since they were last approved. These updates are now in the Basic Pamphlet and posted on the About A.R.T.S. page of the website. A Literature Development/Approval Process was also passed by the Conference for A.R.T.S. Literature.  

A.R.T.S. could not exist without the service of its members.  

 
 

Zoom Registration for the May 4 Agenda-Setting Meeting
Zoom Registration for the May 18 Conference Planning Meeting
 
 


A Letter to the Fellowship from the Board Regarding Non-Conference Approved Literature

 

The letter below was sent to the Meeting Delegates, Alternates, and the known Meeting Contacts in March.  


Dear Delegates to the A.R.T.S Anonymous World Service Conference: 

As your trusted servants on the Board of Trustees, we have some news we encourage you to share with your group.  

On the last day of the 2023 World Service Conference, in the Open Forum on literature, Delegates and other members expressed a good deal of concern that A.R.T.S was selling non-Conference-Approved literature. Many held the view that those seeking our message through the literature should know what is or isn't Conference-Approved.  

A note was added to the webpage that the Step Essay Book and the Step Workbooks, authored by Abigail B, are not Conference-Approved. Shortly thereafter the author requested the World Service Office withdraw from sale all literature written by her.  As she owns the copyright to these works, they were removed as she requested. A.R.T.S. Anonymous has no say... 
 

Click here for the complete letter

 
 

Click here to Register for the Step Two Study Workshop
 
 
Click here to Register for the April 27 Spring Sharathon
 

 

God, grant me the serenity 

To accept the things I cannot change; 

Courage to change the things I can; 

And wisdom to know the difference. 

   

 
 


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