The Artist's way is more than just a book. It's a 12 week program that will coach you through self-discovery and creativity and ultimately, that will teach you the art of self-love and self-acceptance!!! If you can't afford the support of a coach, I HIGHLY recommend you to spend the $30 on this book... It's been one of those life changing books, full of tools and exercises to discover or recover your creative self.
The artist's way by Julia Cameron :
Written like a guide, The Artist's way, by Julia Cameron, is a powerful way to reconnect with yourself. Each week, there is one chapter to read, with a series of tasks to help you understand yourself better & unleash your creativity.
The author introduces two weekly practices :
the"Morning Pages," where individuals are encouraged to write three pages of stream-of-consciousness thoughts every morning to help clear the mind and tap into creative reservoirs.
The weekly "Artist Dates," which are solo excursions to engage in activities that inspire and rejuvenate creativity.
J.Cameron helps readers identify & overcome creative blocks, self-doubts and fears, while providing tools and exercises to confront and dismantle these barriers.
What I liked about this book
Childlike curiosity : Some of the weekly tasks she offers are good ways to venture into who we were as a child. And by jumping into childhood with fun & creativity, you will probably explore your world through a complete new lense, one of curiosity and playfulness.
Tools for everyone I also really appreciated the diversity of the tools she offers, from collage to writing, from excursions to cleaning out your closet, this book felt like a huge spring cleaning of my own life, of my self.
The artist's date revolution. The artist's dates were a brand new practice for me and it made a huge difference in my relationship with my self. By spending time intentionally, every week, on my own, I've discovered the secret joy of solitude. A milestone on my self-healing and self-love journey!! Just for that, I'd recommend this book a 100%.
What I less enjoyed about this book
It's a big commitment : Though this book is one of the bibles of any creative soul out there, it requires time and commitment. It involves reading a chapter of the book every week and doing the exercises that you feel you need to explore. With our busy lives, it’s easy to miss a week and fall out of the program... & trigger feelings of shame, disappointment, frustration,...
It can feel very difficult and heavy : Even though the book is based on creativity and playfulness, some of the tasks may involve confronting some difficult past experiences. It requires to do some digging into your past to identify where your creative blocks are coming from. It can really feel like too much. So be prepared, look for support. I was lucky to do this as a group and it was really helpful.
Spirituality & Creativity as something derived from God The author mentions a few times that “Creativity is a Spiritual force” & refers to it, throughout the book, as something that is derived from God. If this does not align with your beliefs, you will need to think about what creativity means to you & where it may stem from. This can be hard to do alone. It was quite hard for me to detach her words from the usual meaning the word "god" has in my head.
In conclusion, I really recommend this book, especially for the sensitive souls out there, looking for self-love and self-acceptance tools, but if you struggle with commitment on your own, I really recommend you to find a group of people to do it with, it will be easier !!
I often launch a series of facilitation workshops around this book so if you're interested, please get in touch!
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