After I finishedย The Artistโs Way, I never saw myselfโor lifeโthe same way again.
I live for these moments in life.ย
Moments when you come across a person, idea, experience, meal, book, or product that change you somehow. It changes you in a way that is deep, meaningful, and fills your heart with gratitude. You never quite go back to who you were.ย
I mean, you could, but why would you?ย
If youโve never heard ofย Theย Artistโs Way (audible), itโs a classic self-help book written by Julia Cameron promised asย โA Course in Discovering and Recovering Your Creative Self.โย Cameron takes you through a powerful 12-week system that is profoundly satisfying and mandatory therapy for everyone.ย
Get ready for a new chapter in your life.ย
She says that โWhether you declare yourself an artist or not, you make creative choices every day.โ Her belief isย everyone is creative.
So even if you donโt consider yourself creative, chances are, you are.ย The Artistโs Wayย can help you unclog those drains and let your inner-artist flow.ย
Below are the three waysย The Artistโs Wayย changed my life.
1. The Daily Rituals You Choose Matter
I confess that I have spent my adult life exploring my creativity. I studied many creative disciplines, dabbling here and there, but never fully understanding how to command my imagination or my creative instincts.
I never felt confident with my creativity. I didnโt know if I could even consider myself a creative person, let alone have the chops to earn a living using my imagination. Although I desperately wanted to. In retrospect, those thoughts meant: will other people like what I create?ย
Besides having a mindset block, myย daily habitsย didnโt match the daily habits of a working artist. Sure, I had a day job, I read industry news and watched films to keep current, but I didnโt have aย daily routineย that was disciplined and provided a structure for my creativity.ย
Cameron gives you two rituals (morning pages and artistโs datesโmore below) that she calls โcreative recovery tools.โ And I dare say if you do them consistently, something will come out of it. If you donโt believe me, read more of my story to see.ย
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2. Monogamy is Not Your Best Friend
The modern world has brainwashed us into believing that we can only enjoy one vocation, pursuit, or activity. You probably have multiple talents.
The mindset that you can only pursue one interest in life is dangerous. This limited way of thinking cuts us off from our most authentic nature: we as human beings are dynamic individuals with more than one skill given to us at birth.ย
We shouldnโt have to suppress, reject, or neglect our other callings because society wants us to be linear or because we wonโt get paid for it.ย
Yes, itโs wise to have aย primary focus and earn a living through it, but we can have secondary skills that support our careers. Whether you make a living from it or not, itโs perfectly natural to have several interests, even if they have nothing to do with each other.ย
If I sound like Iโm ranting, itโs because I am!
I guess what Iโm trying to say is: go, explore, my friend.
Exploring, learning, and curiosity is not only for children. Itโs for adults too.ย
What if Anthony Bourdain told himself not to write the personal essay that put him on the map because heโs a cook and not a writer?ย
What if Julia Child said she didnโt deserve to write her cookbook because she works in advertising?ย
What if Arnold Schwarzeneggar limited himself to only bodybuilding for the rest of his life?
What if Steve Jobs didnโt follow his instincts and take that calligraphy class that felt so random at the time?ย
In fact, itโs advantageous to pursue secondary hobbies and interests. Itโs widely known that the violin helpedย Albert Einsteinย relax, focus, and solve creative problems.ย
3. The Artistโs Way Solidified Who I Am At My Core
Bottom line: the most important thing this book taught me is who I am at my very core. It was a magical revelation, and it attests to the true power of this book if you keep at it.ย
I started the 12-week system in June and finished in September. After finishing, I stopped going on artist dates but religiously did my morning pages daily. I hardly ever miss a day. It continues to be a core part of my morning routine, like brushing my teeth.
Nine months later, I had a sudden revelation. By this point, since nine months had gone by, I had already forgotten about the book.
It sounds a little cheezy, but I was sitting in a cafe, and a lightbulb went off. It was the first time that Iโd considered myselfย anย artistโsomething I had never taken ownership of before. If you remember earlier, I wasnโt even sure that I could consider myself a creative individual.ย
I am an artistโat the very core of my existenceโwhether I get compensated for my pursuits or not. My temperament. The way I operate. The way I see the world. This is who I am. Iโm finally able to see that truth in myself.ย
Iโm not exactly sure what happened in the nine months leading up to the revelation, but I have a feeling it had something to do with the two rituals. The rituals gave me discipline. And the discipline, in turn, helped solidify my identity.ย
Now I actively schedule my creative rituals like a professional and not waiting around like an amateur. I can connect deeper with myself through morning pages and connect deeper with the world around me through artist dates.ย
I still canโt figure out whether the system helped me discover my creativity or recover it. Or maybe it was a little bit of both. But the system did what Julia Cameron promised it would doโunlock me.
So trust the book and the work, and the truth will be around the corner when you least expect it.ย ย
2 Rituals from The Artistโs Way
Morning Pages
Youโve probably heard of morning pages before. Some people need this ritual as they need air. I confess Iโm one of them. Iโve been doing morning pages for two years now. Itโs rare, but on some days, for whatever reason, I skip my morning pages. On those days, I find myself feeling a little empty and incomplete.ย
So what exactly are morning pages? Itโs journaling with a few tweaks and constraints but ultimately an utterly freeing process. All you have to do is writeย three pages longhand and in a stream-of-consciousness style.ย
Writing in a stream of consciousness means writing without stopping until you complete three pages. Donโt worry about writing in complete sentences or editing. Half the time, your thoughts wonโt even make any sense and will likely be gibberish.ย
The idea behind morning pages is that we are in the top layer of our consciousness most of the time. Iโm sure youโve heard of the term โmonkey brain.โ We have so many thoughts bouncing around: our daily errands, how some stranger pissed us off, or our family problems.ย
To get to the deeper creative parts of ourselves, we have to find a way to calm our monkey brain and let it all out. Morning pages is a form of writing meditation. Do it enough and watch it center you.ย
Artist Dates
Artist dates are a scheduled alone time to nurture your inner artist. Cameron calls this time a โplay date.โ A time with yourself to โfill the well.โ
She recommends blocking out at least 2-hours to do things alone. That means lovers, friends, children, family, or coworkers are not allowed.ย
Find activities that you enjoy and make you curious. It can be anything from enjoying cultural food in a different neighborhood, a day at the beach, to a weekend getaway.ย
The only rule is: do it alone, in solitude.ย
Artist Date Ideas
- A walk in the park, beach, or countryside
- A museum
- Window shopping at your favorite stores
- Go to an apothecary storeย
- Cooking a new meal at home with some wine
- Picnic in the park
- A bike ride through the city
- Take your camera outย
- Go to the farmerโs market
- Go vintage shopping
- Julia Cameron herself also has a fantastic list ofย 101 ideas.
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Manifestation, Spiritual, & Well-being Journey
