The purpose of this journey is to answer questions that will help you recover and discover your lost creative self.



Question: “How do you know if you are creatively blocked?”



Answer: Jealous is an excellent clue.



That is the first of many questions the book, The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, By Julia Cameron asks readers.



And, this is the only question where the answer is provided. This book requires you to think and to dig deep into your inner psyche.

Spiritual Electricity: Basic Principles



The book opens with some basic principles to guide you in your exploration of self. It explains how to use the book and what to expect.



"How to use it" includes dedicating some time to the 12-week course and getting your hands dirty. There are tasks and questions and exercises to help you in your recovery.



"What to expect" gets to the emotional and spiritual level. You’ll be made aware that you might feel uneasy in the process and might not always like what you find.



Basic Tools: Morning Pages and the Artist’s Date



The Morning Pages and the Artist’s Date are really the core of the program. Skip them at your own risk! These Basic Tools draw you out of the protective shell that has formed over your artist. When you don’t exercise your creativity it goes stagnant. These exercises bring creativity back to life.



At first glance, the Morning Pages appear to be no more than journaling. In a way, that is what they are. They help you sort out issues, personal drama, hopes, fears, and dreams. Writing it out on paper is cathartic.



The Artist Date appears to be a simple excursion. But this is where you "fill the well," as Cameron says. If all your time is spent working and creating, you will soon run dry of ideas and enthusiasm. These outings – which are to be taken alone – rejuvenate your spirit and bring excitement to your world.



You’ll quickly discover that, when keeping up with both of these tools on a regular basis, you’ll begin to make discoveries about the world around you and eventually, about yourself.



The 12 weeks



Cameron is a recovering alcoholic and admits that the structure of this process is a bit like an Alcoholics Anonymous program.



Each week, there is a theme addressing factors (internal and external), experiences, lessons, feelings, doubts, etc. that have caused your artist to be blocked.



Each chapter and week is structured:

Cameron uses the chapter to explain and defines blocks. Then you go to work completing tasks that help you make discoveries relating to the chapter.



For example, in Week 5, Recovering a Sense of Possibility, a task is to start an image file: “If I had either faith or money I would try …list five desires.”



Then, draw, collect, clip, etc., images that represent these desires.



Check-in on yourself: At the end of each week is a check-in period where you evaluate how you’re feeling, what you did on your artist's date and how many days you did the morning pages.

... see if I felt more inspired to write.



The truth is, this isn't a "solution" to writer's block or any other ploy we use against ourselves to thwart our own progress.



One of the dangers of being in a creative profession is searching for “the answer.” If you turn to this book, you may find the answer you’re looking for. The key is, are you ready to find it? As with any tool that pushes us to reach and grow, we need to be willing to do the work. In the end, our paintings won’t sell if we don’t paint them. No one will listen to our music is we don’t play in public. And our manuscripts will lay in a drawer, unread, until we risk ourselves and send them out.

Like a creative artist. One noticeable difference in this book from others that look at form and craft, the term artists applies equally to all mediums – painter, sculptor, writer, photographer, and musician. All artists were created equal – they were just given different tools with which to create and deliver the message they were sent with. This book helps you sharpen the tools you already have, or makes you realize you should lay down what you’re holding and find a different one.

Julia Cameron

It has moved me to deeper places in my growth as an artist.

Does it work? Yes. Eventually. The process is the focus, not the end result.



On the surface, this process all sounds very structured. But it really is opposite – it pushes you to explore issues on your own. You can’t answer the questions if you aren’t honest with yourself. It draws out feelings you may have pushed down. It forces you to think about what you love to do. It makes you realize that you are an artist and there is nothing wrong or crazy about it.



Best of all, it gives you hope that you’ll succeed and motivation to keep going, because you’re not alone. Every artist has a slump and this helps you get out of it.

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Created Apr 23, 2003 at 1:46pm • Submit your own review...