A unique self-help guide: ‘The Artist’s Way’
It’s always beneficial to revisit a classic and Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way” (J. P. Tarcher/Putnam, 1992, 272 pages) is one I’ve circled back to very often.
This self-help book has been a trusty companion of mine since I first read it three years ago. At this point, I’ve suggested and promoted it so much, I should be getting paid for marketing.
Now, I’ve always had artistic hobbies — sketching, writing, painting — so when I was first suggested it, the title appealed to me right away. However, for those who perhaps don’t see themselves as artistically inclined, I ask you to withhold your dismissal that this is only for artists. As Cameron explains in her introduction, everyone, by virtue of being a human, has the ability to create. That comes in all sorts of forms and degrees but that creating is something we all do even though for most people it’s blocked up and disregarded.
Cameron says that art with a capital A prevents people from being creative, that most people believe creativity to be the work of a highly skilled and brilliant elite. But that’s not true. Art, or creativity, is for everyone. It’s the way we express something about ourselves and if we focus on that, rather than focusing on it as dependent on the approval of others, we can help ourselves live a more fulfilled and meaningful life.
“The Artist’s Way” is set up as a 12-week program. Each week has a chapter on a different topic with Cameron’s reflections and advice, whether that be regaining independence, recovering a sense of identity or building integrity. At the end of each chapter she gives approximately 10 exercises or tasks you are to complete in that week. These tasks are not time-consuming or demanding; they are, in fact, very easy and enjoyable.
Throughout the entire book, there are two things that remain unchanged: what Cameron calls the “Morning Page” and the “Artist Date.” The first must be done everyday. First thing when you wake up, you take three sheets of paper and write stream-of-consciousness until the end of the pages. What you write are not supposed to be coherent, well-formulated thoughts. They are not journalistic musings or reflections. I think of it more like word vomit. Whatever is on your mind, no matter how petty or trivial, gets thrown on the page. The point is that we all have our worries, irritations, concerns and frustrations. When we don’t put them somewhere, they block us up for the rest of the day. This writing moves you to feel more peace now that you’re working it through the page.
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“The Artist Date” occurs weekly. No one else is allowed there: it’s a date between you and your inner artist, what Cameron calls your “Artist Child.” Think of something you like to do and do it. If you like reading and writing poetry, grab a cup of coffee, go to a bookstore, and treat yourself to a collection of poetry. Take a drive through backroads and listen to your favorite album. Go to that new movie you’ve been wanting to see. This date with yourself doesn’t need to be expensive or extravagant. It just needs to be something that you want to do and you do it on your own. It sounds easy, but I struggle to get myself to follow this part of Cameron’s program.
Cameron’s concept of creativity is very beautiful and straightforward. Everyone has a Censor, that inner voice that justifies avoiding creativity and criticizes what we do create. Everyone also has an Artist Child and for most people, that inner child has been wounded by the traumas of our life and hides away, too afraid to express our vulnerability through creativity. The first time I read “The Artist’s Way,” I was astounded to hear the voice in my head criticizing me with the exact words Cameron had predicted. I was shocked to heal hurts I didn’t realize I had held onto so deeply. Although this book is on creative healing, it is equally therapeutic in terms of personal growth.
If you are a blocked artist, this is the book for you. If you’re reading this and a little hobby of yours just popped in your head and you brushed it away, this is for you. If you’re reading this thinking, “I have no creative bone in my body,” this book is definitely for you. I’m still trying to figure out why we make ourselves miserable by refusing to pursue what fulfills us, but the fact of the matter is, we do. Julia Cameron presents an alternative: one where we can function creatively, consistently and practically.
I can’t sing the praises of Cameron’s writing enough. Dog-eared, bookmarked, and underlined, this book is always there with a new insight when I need it. “The Artist’s Way” used to sit front and center on one of my many bookshelves, but I look at it so often that it’s found a permanent home on my nightstand.
(Anna Barren teaches fifth grade and is a lifelong lover of books. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)
