Working through the Artist's Way

[jfrancis]

I was wondering if anyone out there is working or has worked through the Artist's Way. I don't know if this is the right forum for it, but I thought I would throw it out there. Does anyone know of forums that deal with The Artist's Way, or unblocking and creativity in general? Or is it fine to post here? This is a huge piece of what I am working on in an effort to live authentically, (whatever my purpose is - I am working on it!) Anyway, I need to talk to SOMEONE about this! Argh. Maybe it's silly, but sometimes I just don't feel like a smart enough person to be posting on a Smart People forum.

[dali]

I did The Artists Way a few years ago. Its good to contract to do it with a friend and do catch up once a week with them. Great fun getting to date your inner child. Morning pages were a real eye opener for me but not until I re-read them after week 12 I think it was. You will be surprised. I was. There are loads of interesting excercises and its a great way to spend your time and a fun way of finding out more about yourself. I bought a copy of the second book but havent done it. I got into the Enneagram after that and went on from there but to other things .Three of my sisters got together and did it too and had a really good time catching up with each other once a week. My catchups were over the phone as I did it with a friend who lives in London but we had two hours every week on the phone together which was really good. Usually I am almost monosyllabic on the telephone but because of all the different things we had to share we needed two hours.Feel free to ask more if you need to.

dali

[jfrancis]

Thanks, so much. I am trying to get my sister-in-law to do it with me. She's interested, but I don't know how motivated she is, so it might just continue to be a solo mission. It's just so hard- I want to talk about this stuff, but it's really hard to say it out loud...I want to be brave, but I still just feel silly, fearing ridicule for being too childish, you know? Incidentally, what is your creative medium of choice? How is it going?

[thirial]

can anyone explain what the Artists Way is? very interested

[dali]

I just looked it up on line and see there is a Forum also. Check it out.

The Artists Way by Julia Cameron.

I used to be in theatre and did the course wondering if it would encourage me back there. It didnt but I must say I enjoyed it none the less. Lots of fun and interesting things to do. Theres a serious side to it as well though and I found the Morning Pages a remarkable process.

My sisters all got unblocked creatively as a result. One bought a sax and started lessons soon after, one got her poetry juices flowing and has since been published and the other who had not painted in years was back at it with great enthusiasm.Me? Well nothing really I am afraid but I did get a lot of other stuff out of it like insights into how I thought and was able to focus on personal change.

What are you scared of, jFrancis?

[TimDineen]

I tried this path last summer. I didn't follow through all the way with it, but I have been doing the morning pages pretty much every day ever since. I have to say it is really eye-opening to get a view of the thoughts that run through your mind everyday on a nearly unconscious level. It's really helped me become more conscious about how I think about things. On that level I think it's a really valuable system. I keep meaning to get back into it but I'm going so many different ways at once right now it's hard to pick one path and go with it.

[jfrancis]

The Artist's Way is a book by Julia Cameron. The basic premise is that we are all created and hence it is part of our nature to create. It is a twelve-step program that gets you doing morning pages, stream of consciousness journal pages. It also has you doing weekly exercises to recover your creative self. It isn't just for professional (capital "A") Artists, it's for all of us who feel the need to create, (write, make music, visual art, whatever) but are blocked for one reason or another.

Part of it is telling your artist's story. So just to get it out, I will tell you a bit of mine (warning, this gets long):
I kind of ran wild as a kid. I had some raw talent in areas, but my parents never nurtured that. I never had lessons, except I took dance lessons, once, third grade. It was pretty short-lived. I broke my arm (in an unrelated monkey bar incident) and didn't want to dance with a big old cast on. I said to my mom, "I don't want to dance anymore." My mom said, "OK." That was it, no discussion, no "but you are really good at it." (I WAS, dammit, I used to rehearse my routines ALL THE TIME!) No, "let's pick it up when your arm is better." Just took me in my little third grade whim at face value and "OK- I don't want to push you." And that was that. This happened in other areas as well while I was growing up. She was a child actress, and really resented her father for pushing her so hard. Sometimes, I think she forgot that kids need to play and be 'free', yes, but they also need some direction.

It is really embarrasing. I am in my thirties, and am so shamed and jealous of people who had drawing or piano lessons as a kid, I feel like I will never catch up. When I was a kid I didn't put two and two together, I just thought I wasn't talented. Now I know it has nothing to do with that, I just didn't get that early boost. Oh Well. I took it upon myself to learn the guitar in high school and ceramics in college, all the while feeling like an outsider with my peers who had been doing that kind of stuff all along. But, really, I have to stop and be grateful and say, "HEY! I have done pretty well for myself: any accomplishment I have made has been MINE, and not my parents pushing some agenda on me. So I feel a sense of pride in that. It puts the power back in me to say I have the tools to learn new tricks and just get better if I choose to. And I do...

So what am I afraid of? I have always been really good right out of the gate, like I said, that 'raw' talent. But I have trouble long-term. I am afraid that I am wasting my time: I won't ever be really good at anything. I started learning taking fiddle lessons as a result of this book. I really did it mostly because I want to increase my knowledge of music theory, but also because I really like the instrument. It's going better than expected. I am psyched to be working through this. Not because I will be a Professional at any of it, but because I know that I really express myself well through music. I work in a job that is so demanding of my time and energy, and I am finding that I don't do well doing One Thing- My happiest time was eight years ago- I was working in a school - just subbing, but in my spare time I was singing in a choir, gardening, playing guitar, making pottery, and directing a choir (my favorite thing, EVER! -there I said it). I need to bring some of that back into my life, but it's hard. I need to get creative with my time and how I earn money. It has been awhile, but I can't afford to waste my time anymore.

[dali]

Gosh. That was really intereting to read. You express yourself well in the
written word too and you think you are BLOCKED??? I am very keen on Byron Katie who says that it is not our thoughts that are our problem, it is the fact that we BELIEVE them. She will sort you out! Look her up on Line. As to the Artists way - You really need to commit to it. You need to do the pages first thing in the morning but although initially that can take say 30mins it gets quicker. Sometimes its a pain in the butt and sometimes all I could do was write "I DONT WANT TO DO THIS> I DONT WANT TO DO THIS>>>" until something else came! Yup, pages can be challenging. And then theres all the exercises. TIME> An hour a night is what I gave it.It does pay off though.

All I can say is what a wise motheryou had. Not to push is such a considerate thing. That is how you have come to be the person that you are. You are too humble. Read that last post you wrote and tell me if you see any trace of a lack of creativity in there!!

I wish you all the best.

dali

[jfrancis]

Thank you, dali. You are too kind!
Yes, I am so fortunate to have my mom. I have my frustrations, for sure, but I am overwhelmingly grateful for who I am because of her. I am almost never bored!
I have had definite issues with the morning ages taking too long. I get stuck, especially because I am still half asleep. Yawn. my new motto is: don't think, write. It helps me get something on the page, and out of wheel spinning mode. Thank you so much for reading, and thanks for the encouragement!!!
-j

[Kaspian]

Working through The Artist's Way is potent in a life-changing, healing, loving, creative way. I stopped and restarted (at the beginning) a handful of times before completing all twelve weeks, and each time it was a powerful experience.

I let creativity infuse all of my life, not just the thing I have chosen to make money at (playing and teaching horn). For me it wasn't about having the courage to become a professional musician; it is about lovingly honoring my need to live creatively and listen to my intuition.

[jfrancis]

Originally Posted by Kaspian

For me it wasn't about having the courage to become a professional musician; it is about lovingly honoring my need to live creatively and listen to my intuition.

Kudos, Kaspian! Thank you for articulating that; I couldn't have said it better, myself.
I am glad to hear that the you are still on the path, even after the twelve weeks are up!

[danas]

I did the artist way about 6 years ago. It really inspired me. Today I am a full time artist living only from my art, Im sure this book help me see that this dream is realistic

[ProjectX]

Originally Posted by danas

I did the artist way about 6 years ago. It really inspired me. Today I am a full time artist living only from my art, Im sure this book help me see that this dream is realistic

Hey how did you get started? Were you ever worried that it might become a failure and a financial loss?
I'm asking because I always wanted to be in filming, but the film industry is extremely competitive and I might never make it.

[jfrancis]

Project X-
NOTHING is a sure thing when it comes right down to it, really. As we have seen with the current global financial crisis, there is alwas a risk of financial loss, no matter what you do. So why not do something you love? By the way, how do you define "making it?" Hollywood? Documentaries? Just curious I have NO idea, but with the internet, it seems as though there might be a lot of alternative, non- "industry" venues for a budding filmmaker to get their stuff out there. You might be able to generate a little bit of income, while holding on to your current job, for starters, at least. Best of luck to you.

[ProjectX]

Originally Posted by jfrancis

Project X-
NOTHING is a sure thing when it comes right down to it, really. As we have seen with the current global financial crisis, there is alwas a risk of financial loss, no matter what you do. So why not do something you love? By the way, how do you define "making it?" Hollywood? Documentaries? Just curious I have NO idea, but with the internet, it seems as though there might be a lot of alternative, non- "industry" venues for a budding filmmaker to get their stuff out there. You might be able to generate a little bit of income, while holding on to your current job, for starters, at least. Best of luck to you.

By making I meant movies, so yes possible hollywood. But I'm never sure if I want to pursue that path because it is risky and I also have other goals like making a lot of money quickly so I can enjoy it.

[Elfwing]

In the end, whether you make it or not depends on your own tenacity and self-discipline, and whether you can keep yourself interested or not. Believe in yourself, and you will make it.

I started working through the Artist's Way, but as NaNoWriMo came, I stopped doing morning pages. That, and they got really annoying so I started cheating at them. Ugh, bad idea. Hoping to pick them up again soon.

[jfrancis]

Thank you, Elfwing. I've been cheating on my pages these past few weeks too. I have a pretty volatile home situation, so it has been hard to keep perspective. I don't know if I am coming or going. Mornings are particularly challenging and I know the pages help sooooo much, but sometimes I just can't even get out of bed and face my day. I have been pretty good all things considered, and I am not giving up, but now the holidays are coming, and...ugh. I know I need to keep writing, something, anything. Part of this creative recovery I am doing is really just an effort at personal recovery, so I know I need to keep with it now perhaps more than ever, but it is so hard. So keep it up, even if you write just a little, whatever you can, I will too. Thank you.

[abundantdreams]

Hey all, have you noticed the artist's way forum over at Julia Cameron's site? I think the two books work really well together or one right after the other. Steve and then Julias or visa versa. There is a spiritual kinship in the two books.