For 2023: Writings on the Traditions 

While the Twelve Steps of A.R.T.S Anonymous guide us to recover our inspiration and joy in expressing our creativity, the Twelve Traditions guide our focus on our primary purpose in A.R.T.S. Anonymous. What better way to begin this new year of 2023 than with a focus on the Tradition that corresponds with each of the twelve months. Below in this May issue of the newsletter is one member’s personal response to Tradition 5.  

June’s Newsletter welcomes your response to Tradition 6: An A.R.T.S. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend its name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.  

We suggest the following series of questions when writing your response.  

• What does Tradition 6 mean to you? 
• How do you feel about Tradition 6? 
• How may Tradition 6 help your creative expression? 

It will be wonderful to receive your thoughts, feelings, and application of Tradition 6. Please send your response to the editors at newsletter@artsanonymous.org for possible publication.  

Tradition Five – A Personal Response 

Tradition 5: Each group has but one primary purpose – to carry its message to the artist who still suffers. 

My first thought regarding Tradition 5 is one of relief.  For me, too much of life seems overly convoluted.  It gets to the point where I feel too overwhelmed to meaningfully participate.  Focusing on a single primary purpose helps keep me more even and balanced.  Beyond appreciation for this simplicity in and of itself, I also like the specific nature of our primary purpose.  A focus on welcoming the newcomer to the A.R.T.S. 12 Step Program ensures that others can benefit from the recovery we enjoy.  This helps us fulfill our 12th Step; which implies that whatever recovery we gain, we cannot keep it unless we sincerely strive to give it away.   

My feelings towards Tradition 5 are of humble gratitude.  As I first read in literature from the founding 12 Step program (A.A.), sustaining the ongoing intention to pass on the A.R.T.S. message is vital to my own personal growth in recovery.  The newcomer-focused task of digging into “what it was like (for me before A.R.T.S.), what happened (to bring me to A.R.T.S.), and what it’s like now” grants me the opportunity to assess how far my Higher Power (HP) has brought me.  This opens up such a flood of appreciation for my blessings, I tend to view my current problems in a different, more optimistic light.  It especially reminds me to entrust my current issues to my HP as well.  

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Save the Date(s)! Inspiring Members Stories Workshop  

The Members Stories Sub-Committee of the Literature Committee is holding a workshop to inspire members to write personal recovery stories. 

The Workshop will take place on two Saturdays, July 8 and July 29, and details are being worked out. The plan is to make this a global event, across 10 time zones, translating in real time into French, Russian, and possibly other languages. The workshop will be facilitated by a member of A.R.T.S. Anonymous who has a lot of experience leading similar workshops in 12-Step recovery.  

It is possible that some of the stories will be submitted by their authors for inclusion in a new book by A.R.T.S. Anonymous. However, participation at the workshop does not require making such a submission. There can be a benefit and a value to writing one’s story of experience, strength and hope in what it was like, what happened, and what it is like now. 

Watch for further news of this exciting event in the days and weeks ahead! 

The Inspiration of the Zoomathon

For the past two years A.R.T.S. Anonymous has enjoyed the Zoomathon. Thank goodness for Donna D. She had experienced its value in another 12-step program and offered to host it for us.  Reliably every fourth Saturday of the month Donna is there navigating and supporting meetings from around the world who wish to participate in this all-day event. Her committed activity is not unlike an air traffic controller as people often change their minds, or inspiration happens just before the meeting is ready to start. Donna’s patient flexibility was able to meet these last-minute changes.  

What inspires Donna to keep it going every month is knowing what the Zoomathon offers the members of A.R.T.S. Anonymous. Members from all over the world share their stories, qualifications, their creations or performances and become visible on a large scale. This allows participants to meet members attending other meetings and learn new ways to fellowship. Members have access to more exposure within a safe place for artists to experiment presenting new material. Members are entertained, taking in the performances and sharing laughter. Visual artists gain new ideas to apply to their own creations.

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