The Artist's Way
I picked up this book called The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron the other day. It was shortly after I posted about my creativity leaving me and I was pining about my well being dry. I read about this book on a website I (used to) frequent that is based on one of the tools in the book (750 Words). If you read my prompted stories from my other blog, I was using my 750 words to write those stories each day (for the three days I actually did it). That was also not the Artist's Way method.The Artist's Way, from my understanding, is a method to recover your creative self (whether you're a writer, painter, musician, or something else) on a spiritual level. Yes, Julia Cameron talks a lot about the Creator and how the Creator is the ultimate Artist because the Creator created the world and the beings in it. As a not-so-religious-but-religious-enough-for-me kind of person that I am, I don't mind the talk about God in the book. I just want to let you out there know that the book does follow a more "spiritual" path. In fact, the subtitle of the book is A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. I recognize I am starting to ramble and moving into delicate territory and this blog is not meant for me to divulge my beliefs... so moving on...
The book presents a 12 week program. At the beginning of the week you read that week's lesson and do the exercises. I haven't read ahead, but in the intro Cameron mentioned there are a LOT of exercises and to pick half of them to do. She says to pick ones that interest you and ones that don't.
I'm excited to start the 12 week program, but a little daunted, too. The two tools Cameron introduced before the weekly lessons are: "The Morning Pages" and "The Artist Date".
Both of these will be difficult for me. The Morning Pages (writing three hand-written pages a day) because that means I have to get up earlier (I LOVE to sleep) to get them done before getting ready for and heading off to the ol' day job. The Artist Date will be difficult because I like to do everything with Fishubby (my husband - we are practically connected at the hip), and the purpose of this "date" is to go experience things and images and the world with yourself and your creativity once a week. But but but... I like to experience things with my Fishubby! I guess I can go on my artist date during my lunch break during work.
I don't want to write too much about these two tools for fear of copyright infringement. If you want to know more about it, check the book out or buy it!
I used to use 750 Words to write my morning pages, but sometimes they ended up being afternoon or evening pages which defeats the purpose of them. Also, it was typed out on screen, and I can see how writing the pages by hand will be a better way to tackle this task.
I plan to start the journey on Sunday the 26th and check in once a week on this blog!
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Has anyone out there read and followed The Artist's Way?
Did it work for you?
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Keeping my head above water,
Claire L. Fishback
Comments
Thanks for stopping by! I found, after reading the first chapter, the book is catered more toward people who were never encouraged as artists, or who were encouraged, but in a way where their art was to be a hobby, not a "way of life" or a "source of income." I also must add that the writing in the book is very wordy and I found myself zoning out while reading it. :) Maybe it's my lack of attention span? Anyway, just thought I'd let you know!