March
2025
Newsletter Give
us Five,
See
A.R.T.S.
Thrive!
Five
minutes
a day
keeps
the
block
away.
Five
dollars
a month
supports
A.R.T.S.
worldwide.
Five
minutes
to read
so
A.R.T.S.
thrives!
Do you have something to contribute? Please send us poetry, audio files, short writing, A.R.T.S.- related stories, images of your art (in jpg.)! Those who submit work retain their copyright, and a copyright statement is included by request. Email the editors at newsletter@artsanonymous.org
The
Conference-approved
Twelve
Traits
and
Twelve
Talents
are
here!:
The 2024
3rd
Virtual
World
Service
Conference
in
January
2025
approved
updates
to the
Traits
and
Talents.
They can
be found
on the
About
A.R.T.S.
page of
the
website,
and in
the
downloadable
Basic
Pamphlet.
Sunday
Step
Study
Workshop
– Step
Nine:
The Step
Eight
Study
Workshop
will be
held on
Sunday,
March
30, 8 am
GMT/9 am
CET/7 pm
AEDT.
Click
here to
register.
(This is
not a
closed
group;
you may
participate
to find
out what
the Step
might do
to
help.)
The link
is also
on the
News
page of
the
website.
Step
Eleven
Study
Workshops:
(Held
Twice)
March 14
beginning
at 6 pm
PT/9 pm
ET/12
noon AEDT
(the
next
day),
and
Saturday
March 15
beginning
at 7 am
PT/10 am
ET/14.00
GMT/15.00
CET/17.00
MSK. The
workshops
go for
about
2.5
hours.
Link for
registration
and
tickets
is here.
February
2025
Expenses:
Office
Rent
and
Internet;
Online
software
and
accounts
(Quickbooks,
Zoom,
Mailchimp,
Adobe
Suite);
Special
Worker
salary;
credit
card,
Paypal
and
Ticket
Tailor
processing
fees;
kindle
royalties.
Total:
$1,448.42
February
2025
Income:
Group/Meeting
Donation,
Donations
from
Individuals,
kindle
sales,
Step
Study
Workshops,
desk
share.
Total:
$1,005.20
A.R.T.S.
Anonymous
had
a
loss
of
$-443.22
in
February
2025.
Conference
Chair
and
Conference
Vice
Chair
Positions
are
open:
Rotation
of
Service
is a
valued
principle
of
service
in order
for all
to have
the
benefit
of
growth
and
creative
recovery.
A
willing
and able
Trusted
Servant
is
needed
to Chair
the
World
Service
Conference.
The Vice
Chair
position
is newly
created,
for
one-year
terms.
More
information
can be
found
on the
Conference
page of
the
website,
or by
emailing
conference@artsanonymous.org.
What is
your
“before
and
after”
story
with
your
creative
process?
Many
members
of
A.R.T.S.
find
that how
they
approach
their
creative
expression,
and a
deepening
understanding,
can
change
with
personal
recovery.
What was
your
creative
process
like
before
you came
to
A.R.T.S.?
What
happened
to
change
it? And
what is
it like
now when
you are
in your
creative
process?
Each
month in
2025 a
member
will
share
their
creative
process
story.
Please
submit
your
story to
newsletter@artsanonymous.org
I am
the
paint,
liquid
and
free,
obediently
ready
to
play,
waiting
to
be
born
on
the
canvas
like
a
word
on
the
page.
I am
the
canvas,
blank
and
white,
quietly
excited
to
receive
the
brush
and
feel
the
smooth
cool
of
the
paint
slip
and
slide
across
me
or
dip
and
dab
delicately.
I am
the
brush,
exact
and
unique,
drawing
circles,
moving
lines,
directing
the
eye,
filling
spaces
with
color
and
shape
where
ever
I
want
to,
leaving
other
spaces
blank.
I am
the
painting
joyously
content,
singing
my
praises
to
the
brush
and
paint,
singing
my
thankfulness
to
the
canvas
too
for
sacrificing
its
space
for
me
and
you.
A.R.T.S. meetings do not exist without the contributions of its members. The same is true for A.R.T.S. World Services. Keeping up with the website, the monthly newsletter and announcements, holding workshops, answering inquiries from newcomers, prison inmates and members throughout the world, developing Literature, providing administrative support to the Conference, Committees and the Board activities – all of this takes funding that only comes from those who participate in the Fellowship.
Thank
you
to
the
following
meetings
who
expressed
their
gratitude
by
supporting
A.R.T.S.
Anonymous
in
2024:
Last
Saturday
March 1,
between
12-16
members
of
A.R.T.S.
Anonymous
came
together
to share
openly
what was
needed
and
wanted
in
A.R.T.S.
Anonymous
for
meetings,
for
recovery,
for
service
and
more.
Participants
brought
their
magic
wands
made
from
found
objects
of
color,
sparkle,
and
sounds
of
energy.
A
plethora
of
creative
wands
emerged!
One was
the wave
of a
finger
to press
a button
and join
a
meeting.
Another
was a
dangerously
heavy
brass
letter
opener
that
needed
to be
used
with
care. A
24-inch
piece of
PVC pipe
to
measure
spacing
for
snake
hangers.
A lucky
elephant.
A
spinning,
flashing,
singing
plastic
toy
wand. A
paintbrush.
Attendees participated
in a
Round
Robin
session
on two
questions:
what is
working
well in
A.R.T.S.
and what
needs
improving.
This was
followed
by a
sharing
of
wishes,
hopes,
dreams,
and
passions
for
A.R.T.S.
Anonymous.
Delegates,
fellowship
members,
newcomers
and
Board
members
all
shared
sparkling
creative
ideas.
Some of
these
are
compiled
in the
next
part of
this
newsletter.
A survey
to give
feedback
and add
ideas or
comments
will
arrive
via
email
over the
next two
weeks or
so.
Keep in
mind
that
participation
is the
key to
harmony
in
A.R.T.S.
and
action
might
evolve.
Please
keep an
eye out
for the
survey
and
respond
with
your
best
answers.
Thank
you for
participating.
A Magic
Idea:
Plan-Tell-Create-Share
A.R.T.S.
meeting.
Perhaps
applying
the
steps
and
traditions
to quick
creative
actions
to
complete
a piece
of art
and then
share it
within
the arts
meeting
time
frame.
A Magic
Idea:
A.R.T.S.
Meetings
applying
the
Steps
and
Traditions
to the
creative
process.
A Magic
Idea:
Artists
Recovering
Through
the
Steps
toward
the
professional
path.
A.R.T.S.
meetings
that
explore,
share
and work
through
the
blocks
and
fears
for
members
who wish
to be
professional
artists.
A Magic
Idea:
A.R.T.S.
Workshops/Convention.
Perhaps
a
12-hour
day
offering
a
variety
of
workshops
and
events
such as
on
A.R.T.S.
Literature,
Steps,
Traditions
and
Concepts
of
Service
and
their
application
to a
creative
life,
social
media
for
Outreach,
how to
navigate
technology
to
participate
in
meetings
and
events,
workshops
for
different
creative
mediums. Perhaps
meetings
or
groups
could
make
commitments
to hold
a
workshop
during
this
event.
Posters
to
announce
A.R.T.S.
Meetings
in your
local
area, by
phone
conference
or via
online
platform
are now
available
on the
website.
Members
and
meetings
are
encouraged
to fill
out
meeting
information
and post
these at
local
12-Step
recovery
meeting
places
or
clubhouses
and
anywhere
else
that is
appropriate.
(A
website
url will
be added
to the
posters
soon).
Three
different
posters
can be
found
here:
A.R.T.S.
Meeting
Posters.
They are
also
linked
on the
Meeting
page of
the
website
(scroll
to the
bottom
right),
and on
the
Public
Outreach
Committee
page
(accessed
from the
Service
Info
page).
Consider
creating
more!
(Maybe
there
will be
a poster
contest
someday.)
This
series
of
A.R.T.S.
Step
Study
Workshops
is
scheduled
to
conclude
with
Step
Twelve
in April
2025. We
welcome
those
who feel
drawn
and
committed
to
leading
this
series.
The
format
and
guidelines
for
presenting
these
workshops
are
already
in
place.
Or A
meeting
or a
group
could
organize
itself
to hold
this
series,
as well.
Perhaps
this is
a good
time to
remember
Step 12:
that we
get to
keep the
benefits
of a
spiritual
recovery
and this
Fellowship
by
giving
it
away! “I
stay
sober
helping
others.”
- Bill
W.
Further
support,
such as
a
registration
page
link on
the
website,
a zoom
room,
and
announcements
are
available
from the
A.R.T.S.
World
Service
Office.
We ask
that
contributions
in
accordance
with
Tradition
7 are
made to
keep
A.R.T.S.
self-supporting.
The
following
A.R.T.S.
Tool
for
Recovery
was
approved
by
the
World
Service
Conference
in
2023:
LITERATURE:
We
use
A.R.T.S.
literature
to
learn
how
a
spiritual
recovery
can
remove
the
blocks
to
artistic
freedom.
We
use
A.A.,
other
Twelve
Step
Program
literature
or
other
inspirational
material.
There
are
many
resources
that
can
help
creatives
recover
their
artistic
expression
through
a
spiritual
recovery.
In
keeping
with
the
primary
purpose
of
A.R.T.S.,
meetings
are
welcome
to
use
what
they
find
helpful
to
help
the
still
struggling
artist.
Many
12-Step
programs
have
a
plethora
of
their
own
Conference-approved
Literature,
and
their
meetings
are
required
to
use
only
that
program’s
materials.
A.R.T.S.
Anonymous
is
not
there,
yet!
To
prevent
confusion,
particularly
for
the
newcomer,
one
suggestion
is
to
include
in
the
meeting
format
a
statement
that:
“What
is
read
at
the
meeting
may
not
be
A.R.T.S.
Conference-approved
Literature.
However,
the
Tool
called
'Literature' encourages
using
resources
from
other
12-Step
programs,
or
other
inspirational
material.”
May
all
who
wish
to
recover
their
creative
expression
and
thrive
in
their
art.
Conference-approved
Literature
is
the
hallmark
of
all
12-Step
programs
of
recovery.
Bill
W.
and
Dr.
Bob,
when
founding
Alcoholics
Anonymous,
experienced
and
shared
about
the
unique
nature
of
12-Step
recovery:
the
power
of
one
problem
drinker
talking
to
another,
freely
sharing
experience,
strength
and
hope,
to
gain
a
common
solution.
It
is
together
that
the
message
is
carried
so
that
blocked
artists
can
find
the
freedom
to
fully
express
themselves.
Literature,
just
as
in
meetings,
is
an
important
avenue
for
that
message
to
be
shared.
We
have
concluded
to
publish
an
anonymous
volume
setting
forth
the
problem
as
we
see
it.
We
shall
bring
to
the
task
our
combined
experience
and
knowledge.
This
should
suggest
a
useful
program
for
anyone
concerned...
(page
19,
Alcoholics
Anonymous).
At
the
A.R.T.S.
Anonymous
2023
World
Service
Conference,
the
Delegates
approved
a
Literature
Development
and
Approval
Process
(LDAP).
It
is
designed
to
support
the
“we”
inherent
in
12-Step
recovery.
This
is
carried
out
by...
The
Step
Study
Workshops
are
an
ongoing
series.
All
A.R.T.S.
members
are
invited.
Come
prepared
to
listen,
write
and
possibly
share.
You
also
may
attend
any
workshop
at
any
time
–
these
are
not
closed
Step
Study
groups. (If
your
group
is
interested
in
hosting
this
series,
please
contact
officemanager@artsanonymous.org.)
The
Step
Eleven
Study
Workshop
will
be
held
twice:
Friday,
March
14,
beginning
at 6
pm
PT/9
pm
ET/12
noon
AEDT.
Saturday
March
15,
beginning
at 7
am
PT/10
am
ET/13.00
GMT/14.00
CET/16.00
MSK
In
closing,
I
would
like
to
say
that
no
matter
how
distanced
we
may
feel
from
our
creative
sources,
no
matter
how
long
it
has
been
since
we
were
in
touch
with
our
creative
spirit,
or
how
feeble
may
seem
our
creative
impulses,
they
are
reawakening
in
our
Higher
Power’s
time,
through
this
program
and
through
our
actions,
no
matter
how
small
or
how
simple,
a
day
at a
time.
I
may
not
be
able
to
see
my
own
growth,
or
even
to
see
my
creations
as
beautiful,
but
I am
able
to
see
yours
as
inspiring
and
enriching
my
emotional,
spiritual
and
physical
world.
We
are
not
recovering
merely
to
hide
our
light
under
a
bushel;
our
creative
gifts
are
a
gift.
To
celebrate
them,
we
humbly
apply
ourselves,
sometimes
to
the
work
of
art,
and
sometimes
to
play.
May
A.R.T.S.
Anonymous
teach
us
that
our
art,
celebrated,
will
benefit
and
feed
our
own
souls
first,
and
the
world’s
second,
for
the
world
hungers
as
much
for
this
beauty
as
for
food.
We
meet
here
together
to
feed
this
deeper
hunger.
