Three Surprising Impacts of Reading the Artist’s Way
The Artist’s Way: A Course in Discovering and Recovering Your Creative Self by Julia Cameron is world renowned for its transformative effects. In the author’s words, "No matter what your age or your life path, whether making art is your career or your hobby or your dream, it is not too late or too egotistical or too selfish or too silly to work on your creativity.” Its hard to even think of “reading” the Artist’s Way because in reality you work the Artist’s Way. It takes a 12 week commitment and you spend anywhere from 30-90 minutes daily to complete tasks and routines laid out by the book.
When I started, I expected to have creative breakthroughs with my pottery, maybe start painting more, or begin to sell my work. I have experienced all these things, plus a new stream of creative consciousness and presence with my artistic work. What I didn’t expect were the benefits I experienced in other aspects of my life outside my art.
The most unexpected way that my life improved was that after 26 years of biting my nails, I finally quit. I have tried countless times to quit and every time it was a miserable failure. Today, its been two months since I have bitten my nails down to nothing, and I attribute it to working the Artist’s Way. They may seem unrelated, but by creating daily habits like morning pages, I was able to be in a mindset of making change. Its as if my brain had the capacity to break a habit because it was so busy making new ones! On top of that, I was able to really examine the habit with the help of the book’s framework. I could see there was no reason to cling to a nasty impulse that only served to make me embarrassed. Finally, I was willing to spend the money on manicures which acted as a visual reminder not to bite. My openness to splurging on myself was surely due to the chapter which focuses on our relationship to money. All these things together have allowed me to quit a lifelong habit, and I am so proud every time I look at my nails.
Another unexpected benefit from the program is that I have been exercising more. I didn’t know the book would cover anything outside the creative realm, but it dives into all aspects of our lives that need attention. I had gotten out of the habit of regular exercise, but by finding the connection between movement, joy, and creative energy, I am more motivated to get outside and go for a run or put on music and dance. I am moving for the fun of it, not working out to look a certain way. This shift was critical to my creative growth, as I find so much inspiration while hiking or doing yoga. I don’t have a regimen that I follow, rather I move my body in ways that feel good and spark joy. I am so pleasantly surprised that my growth has expanded beyond the artistic realm.
Lastly, through the workbook, I realized how much I love facilitating creative expression in community. Even though I already was teaching pottery a few nights a week, I wanted more ways to share the experience of creative and personal growth, which led me to launch this website and blog. I rediscovered my love of writing, and was able to overcome the fear of publishing some of my work on my blog.
With deep and intensive reflection guided by the Artist’s Way, I uncovered what I truly needed creatively and projects that were different than my expectations, but even more aligned with my passions. It goes to show that the process Julia Cameron has developed is aimed at reaching your true desires and talents, not just meet your preconceived expectations of yourself.
I can’t recommend this book enough, and I am sure that anyone who commits to working through the book will have profound changes and benefits beyond what they expect.
