The Artist's Way - Julia Cameron
Creativity Book Reviews
This book made it into my ‘Six books that shaped my life’ list. You can read it here.
Why? Because I completely changed my career and life, after I read it the first time around.
An all-time classic. Find out more:
The Artist's Way - Julia Cameron
What’s in it
You know how sometimes you are alerted to a book?
You read about it. People talk in blogs about it or on social media. You read reviews about it. People have been inspired by it, have changed their life as a result of reading it. It’s everywhere!
Now I don’t believe in fate, but I do believe that - when you’re open to something - it will come to you. No surprise then that - without actively looking for it - I had to find this book in a charity shop.
The Artist’s Way is a book setting out a 12-week programme helping you to re-discover your creativity.
Since I first bought it - six years ago - I've done The Artist's Way programme THREE times. The last time with a group - imaginatively named The Artist's Way Group.
The book teaches us that for your creativity to come to the table we need to nurture it, protect it, and FEED it. FEED it with Artist’s Dates. Let it speak through daily Morning Pages.
And, of course, by DOING creativity. By doing creative THINGS, by immersing ourselves in creativity, and enjoying the process.
Why I like it
The book teaches me new lessons every time.
The first time around I only got to week 8. Back then it taught me about self care and about writing 'morning pages' to regulate my emotions and awaken my creativity.
The last time it gave me a shock reminder of the concept of being a Shadow Artist: someone who is in the vicinity of artists, but never quite the creator herself.
Whilst that's what we're craving to do.
Be the creator of your life and your career, I mean. Be a creator full stop.
A classic. Life-changing. I can’t say more than that.