Why you should DO The Artist’s Way (and not just read the book) – Reflections on my Artist’s Way journey
For roughly the last third of 2021 (September - December), I did the creativity course as outlined in the book, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. If you haven’t heard of the book, it’s essentially a twelve-week course in ‘discovering and recovering your creative self.’ The components of this ‘course’ are: the daily morning pages, and the weekly essays, tasks, and artist dates.
I’d heard of the book years before (it was originally published in 1992, so it’s been around for a while), and I’d heard various people refer to doing the morning pages – I’d even tried them for a week or so myself during my PhD after I’d read a blog post. But, I really didn’t know that much about the book until this year. It was on sale on the Kindle store, so I spent my 2 AUD – how could I go wrong? I can’t even buy a coffee for that much! – and wondered what this whole Artist’s Way thing was all about.
I read the book straight through and loved it! Although, while I was very inspired at the time I was reading the essays, I didn’t think about the book that much afterwards, and I certainly didn’t do the morning pages, artist dates, or tasks. I read the book, but didn’t do the course.
Then, by chance, I got chatting with fellow writer Dani J Norwell over on Instagram and she mentioned the idea of doing the course together to keep each other accountable. Well, one thing led to another, and pretty soon we’d gathered some other creative souls and had formed a beautiful little accountability group. We agreed to meet up to chat via video each week about each chapter and how our week went.
And so, that’s how it came to be that I did The Artist’s Way, and I’m so glad I did. You can read the reflections of members of our creativity cluster in this article over on the Sincerely, Spain blog. For today’s article, though, I’m going to dive in a little deeper and take you through my own personal journey week by week. Be warned: this is a long article! You might want to break it up, or read it week by week as you go through the course yourself.
My hope is that if you’re considering doing The Artist’s Way, you will find some inspiration here and some evidence of just how transformational this process can be. First up, I say: if you are at all creatively inclined (or you want to be, but are feeling a bit stuck), get this book and commit to the twelve weeks. It will change your life – and I don’t say that lightly. Take the essay that follows as one big argument for why you should do it (the operative word here being ‘do’, do not merely read it – it really isn’t the same thing!).
Here’s my journey week by week (this is based upon notes I wrote along the way), and at the end I’ve listed some further resources.
Week one – Recovering a sense of safety
Morning pages
I cried during my first morning pages session. I think it had to do with the sense of release I felt, and that it had been so long since I’d allowed myself to freely unleash my thoughts and feelings in an uninhibited way. It felt very therapeutic.
I’ve been doing them by hand: even though I normally type most of my writing, as I wanted to keep the morning pages separate from my other kinds of writing, closer to me, more visceral, more personal.
I surprisingly haven’t felt too much resistance to doing the morning pages. Even though I haven’t always felt like doing them each day, I know ultimately that they are good for me. Plus, I want to give this course a real go and do everything ‘properly’.
They’ve been taking approximately twenty to thirty minutes to do. I do them at 6am, right after I wake up.
Artist Date
A simple artist date turned into quite an abundant couple of hours out. I’d ventured out thinking that I would go and get a coffee. I walked around an area of Munich that, while close to my home, is not a part I go often.
I walked into an English secondhand bookshop, half keeping my eyes open for a physical copy of The Artist’s Way. I was almost going to walk out the door, when I spotted the ‘books about writing’ section. And there was a copy! My copy – it felt like fate. I was so excited about having a physical copy of the book because I wanted to make this a very visceral process, one that grounded me.
I continued on up the street, with my book in hand, and went to this fancy secondhand clothing shop and palmed my way through their soft cashmere jumper collection – more visceral beauty. I also chose to wear nice clothes on my first artists date: a floaty grey top that I’d brought with me from Australia but hadn’t worn the whole time here – it felt like I was revisiting and refreshing a past version of myself, and bridging the gap between my former and present life.
Note: If you are after some more artist date ideas, check out my list of 89 simple and wonderful self-nurture activities (simply sign up to my email list here for instant access). This list was inspired by doing The Artist’s Way, and many of these ideas could make fantastic artist dates.
Synchronicity
Julia Cameron recommends looking out for moments of ‘synchronicity’ and how they play a role in your creative recovery. I won’t define it here, but instead use an example to explain what synchronicity is: This week, I posted a quote from the book, ‘leap and the net will appear’, on Instagram. Someone commented and said that she happened to open up one of her own notebooks from when she’d done The Artist’s Way and found that she’d written that very quote on the page she opened! Not only that, but the advice she’d written on that page was very helpful for her current creative project. That is synchronicity.
Week 2 – Recovering a sense of identity
General thoughts
This was a big week for me – huge, in fact – I could’ve seen that coming (based on the title of this week’s chapter), but even still it kind of shocked me.
I ended up naturally reaching back toward my past and thinking about some things I hadn’t thought about in a long time: some of the ‘crazymakers’ (as Julia Cameron labels them) who have stirred up trouble previously, listening to music from my teenage years (Tori Amos, Little Earthquakes album), old friends…
Coincidentally, I was sick this week – and it brought up a lot of resentment and lashing out.
This process doesn’t ‘feel’ good – well, maybe some parts do – but, despite this, I do feel deep and (potentially) lasting change occurring. I think also that doing this process along with my creativity cluster is so good for me – it has forced me to reflect and articulate these reflections along the way. It is incredibly helpful; way more than I would’ve ever imagined it to be.
But, I did also feel like someone’s taken off my foggy sunglasses and has put them back on clean and clear: now I can see, I can feel, and I am aware of things I wasn’t before.
It’s as if I’m on a sort of automatic pilot hovercraft of good things, somehow now being able to do good things that feel hard – like flossing, and calling the bank.
Morning pages
The pages are becoming a cosy place of safety and warmth: I feel drawn to do them, I don’t feel resentment toward them, and I feel like I am getting to know myself for the first time.
Artist date
I shopped online to buy some birthday presents for myself (my birthday is next week). This comes at a good time to go along with the theme of this week – I’ve been considering more deeply what I am drawn to, what I want, how I want my life to be.
Week 3 – Recovering a sense of power
General thoughts
In comparison to last week, this week has felt much more ….ordinary, banal, mediocre.
But, Julia Cameron has just the right comforting words:
‘Growth is an erratic forward movement: two steps forward, one step back.’ I’m definitely feeling like I’m taking that one step back this week.
Morning pages
I did the morning pages every day, but I now feel a bit bored writing them – that I’m circling around the same things repeatedly. But, as I write this, I can barely remember what my morning pages actually contain. As Julia Cameron suggests, I am not reading them for now.
Again, Julia Cameron has just the right words (I’m feeling like she can read my mind):
‘Very often, a week of insights will be followed by a week of sluggishness. The morning pages will seem pointless. They are not. What you are learning to do, writing them even when you are tired and they seem dull, is to rest on the page. This is very important.’
Artist date + my moment of synchronicity
I’ve been working my way through the house, trying to touch every item and declutter old things. I came across this Merck notebook that must have been from a science conference. The cover was so ugly, but the inside is good.
For my artist date, I covered the notebook with brown paper and then I did a drawing class on YouTube and drew on the brown cover. It was just lucky that I found the notebook – now I have a new notebook ready for when I finish the current one (which I will well before the twelve weeks are up), and I created it out of things I already had; I didn’t need to buy anything.
Some more thoughts about artist dates
This week, I had a thought about Artist dates and how they are weaving their magic through my life: I feel like purposefully creating this space and time when I prioritise myself and get to indulge, is making me aware of the plentiful (albeit, sometimes tiny) opportunities to do an artist-date-like-activity every single day.
(This is why I came up with the idea of doing a self-nurture week and wrote my list of self-nurture activities – which you can access here).
Julia Cameron says to ‘practice being kind to yourself in small concrete ways.’ I feel like, for perhaps the first time in my life, I am learning how to do this.
The tasks + guilt
I feel like I haven’t being doing the tasks as deeply as I feel I should. But, I did think of an antidote to this feeling: the onion approach, and knowing that I can revisit these tasks again and again. I don’t have to do them all now, I don’t have to do them all deeply now. There will be more opportunities.
Week 4 – Recovering a sense of integrity
Reading deprivation week!
I didn’t even realise it was coming so soon (even though I’d already read the book!). As soon as I realised this week was the week (during our creativity cluster call), I immediately started freaking out. Just how was I not going to read? Plus, after a discussion with the others, I realised that I should probably up the ante even more and deprive myself of another love of mine: podcasts.
The reading (and podcast) deprivation week was both easier and harder than I’d predicted. Instead of reading fiction before sleep, I decided to use this time as a pre-sleep creative writing session – just allowing myself to go a bit wild with my thoughts and deep with ideas. I ended up generating so many ideas in these small 10-15 minute sessions each evening, and it really helped me to push through some blockages I’d had with certain pieces I’d been working on.
Instead of listening to a podcast while doing the dishes, I listened to music (actually, more music from my teenage years). I started thinking about why it is that Julia Cameron says you can still listen to music during the reading deprivation week – after all, songs are texts too. I think it’s because the reading deprivation week is really aimed at reducing/removing mindless consumption. Music encourages you to engage, to be active: you sing, you dance, you feel it in your body, you make unconscious associations. I think that’s the difference.
But, even though it went well, I did feel really really tired by the end of the week. I guess that means I did a good job of really stopping the mindless consumption that perhaps I lean on a little too heavily? I don’t know. But, I do think it was a good thing to do for a defined period of time. I would consider doing a week per year, or maybe one day a month.
Morning pages
I’m still doing them every day and it’s getting easier to write the three pages. I even did them when I needed to go to a dentist appointment at 7 am!
Artist date
I kept it simple and did a yoga session. I had a really bad headache on the day I’d planned to do my artist date and I couldn’t bring myself to do my planned activity of decorating the top of the chest of drawers in the living room for autumn.
Synchronicity
Some of the things Julia Cameron writes about in this chapter feel like she’s reading my mind! She talks about decluttering, mirrors being wiped clean as a metaphor for realisations and understanding, and about remembering dreams. These are all things I’ve been thinking about/have been happening this week and the past couple of weeks – the mirror cleaning analogy is uncannily similar to my sunglasses metaphor!
Week 5 – Recovering a sense of possibility
General thoughts
I didn’t feel so creative this week – I have a feeling it has to do with all the creativity of the previous week. I really did enjoy reading and listening to podcasts again! Although, I was a lot more mindful of how I was using these things.
I really enjoyed the tasks this week. And I had an idea about clearing off the balcony so that I could use it as a writing space. Funny, because this has always been a possibility, I’d just never thought to do it before.
Morning pages
Still doing them every day! I’ve starting putting a little star next to ideas/realisations I might want to later come back to (I do this as I’m writing the pages; I’m still not reading over them).
Artist date
I ended up enacting my plan for last week’s Artist Date: which was to decorate the top of the chest of drawers for autumn (you can see it in my IG reel here).
I have still been thinking about the idea of incorporating mini-artist dates into my every day life, and I came up with this line in our creativity cluster call:
‘Dotting my days with little indulgences.’
Synchronicity? Or, just a thought?
I’m becoming more aware of what’s going on inside my head, and I’m often pausing to think a bit more before saying or doing something. I also feel like I now have less barriers to new ideas.
Week 6 – Recovering a sense of abundance
General thoughts
This was a really fun week that involved indulging myself in some physical items (I’ll discuss them below!), which I would normally stay away from.
We also had a really good weekly creativity cluster call – it seems like there’s abundance in all manner of things in these calls: including ideas.
Morning pages
These are happening every day like clockwork. It is definitely an ingrained routine now.
Artist date
I went to a secondhand shop and found lots of little plates and cups – some beautiful items that I’m excited to use here and take back with me to Australia. All these little indulgences came to the grand total of 3.40 euros!! I also enjoyed the autumn leaves blowing around on this surprisingly windy Munich day. The day started out cloudy and then the sun came out.
I continued to cultivate even more abundance by buying my diary for next year, as well as a five year journal – which I’m really excited about. To think that this journal will take me through until 2026!!
Synchronicity
I applied a few weeks ago to promote an Affirmation Card deck from Mål Paper, and I finally received my free pack! Since Julia Cameron talks so much about affirmations, this feels like the perfect time to receive this card deck – a gift from the universe. (If you would like to purchase your own pack, here is the link!).
Week 7 – Recovering a sense of connection
Morning pages
I missed my first day of morning pages! I didn’t beat myself up about it though: I had been sick the night before with what felt like an awful stomach bug, but it only ended up lasting for the night – I slept in the next morning and woke up feeling much better. Whatever it was, my body was obviously yearning for some extra sleep so I leaned into that.
Artist date
I had a fun Artist date! I went and bought knitting and watercolour supplies. Then I came home and decided to continue the fun by ordering in lunch. This is not something I would ordinarily do but hey, this process is really encouraging me to try out different things. I put the 1.5 to bed for his nap and I ordered some Bavarian food, which I ate out on the balcony in the autumn sun (yes, the writing space that I was talking about a few weeks ago – I did manage to set that up!).
Week 8 – Recovering a sense of strength
Morning pages
I finished my first notebook, which feels like quite an achievement.
I’ve been doing the morning pages every day, but they’ve been getting a bit more difficult to do. I’m feeling a bit bored, and like I’d rather be spending the time working on my ‘real’ writing projects. My head is buzzing with creative ideas at the moment, that I just want to get on with my day and do it.
Artist date
I actually had a few experiences, each of which could be considered an artist date:
I taught myself to knit, with a YouTube video. I’m going to make a scarf.
I did some watercolour painting one evening when my husband decided to go to the movies by himself.
I did even more watercolour painting with my four-year-old over the weekend.
I’m finding it easier and easier to fit mini artist dates into my everyday life.
Week 9 – Recovering a sense of compassion
Morning pages
I was a bit up and down with how I felt about them, but overall, I wasn’t really that into them. I decided on a couple of occasions to do a shorter one to two page version instead of the three pages.
Even though Julia Cameron has said that we can start reading through our morning pages now, I still haven’t gotten around to even beginning to read them. I haven’t felt the pull to do this yet.
Artist date
I painted my nails right at the end of the week. It did feel indulgent – I actually haven’t painted my nails in at least six years – but I would have like it to have felt a little less rushed.
General thoughts
I’ve been feeling a bit flighty lately; like I want to do too many things in too little time. A far-cry from the grounded feelings I was having in the first few weeks!
Week 10 – Recovering a sense of self-protection
Morning pages
Still doing them every day.
Artist date
I don’t actually know! I stopped writing notes, and can’t find anywhere where I wrote down what I did for my artist date this week. I have no recollection of it!
A realisation (about competition)
Julia Cameron says: ‘You pick up a magazine and somebody, somebody you know, has gone further, faster toward your dream.’
This was funny to read because I’d just had a similar experience: I was looking through Facebook and found out that a girl I did my PhD with just received a huge grant. I was jealous for a few seconds, until I realised that that is no longer my dream – I actually wouldn’t even want what she’s got anymore. I’m different now. It was a good realisation to come to.
Week 11 – Recovering a sense of autonomy
General thoughts
I really enjoyed this week’s chapter. I would be writing out quotes for days if I were to reference everything I loved about this chapter, so I’ll just let you read it for yourself.
This was the week that I stopped doing some things….
I had stopped morning pages completely by the end of the week. It wasn’t necessarily intentional: we ended up booking a last-minute holiday, and I was going to attempt to continue doing the morning pages on the trip. But, after a day or two of trying, it just wasn’t working. My four-year-old was waking up too early and I was just exhausted.
But, I did have a completely different perspective of the trip: I was really soaking everything up – all the little details – taking photos of lots of things, and indulging into some really special notebooks. I don’t think pre-Artist’s Way me would have been so immersed in the trip.
Week 12 – Recovering a sense of faith
Continuing the stopping…
Because we were still on our trip for the whole of week 12, I also didn’t do Morning pages during this week.
General thoughts
Two things that Julia Cameron says in this final chapter struck me:
‘It is also true that such bright ideas are preceded by a gestation period that is interior, murky, and completely necessary.’ I really feel like this is true.
‘Working with our morning pages, a new – and gaudy? – life takes form.’ This has really happened. I’m drawn to more colourful and patterned things. I’m constantly taking photos of little things while being dragged along by my four-year-old. I feel like a different process.
Final thoughts
I hope you enjoyed reading my insiders week-by-week account of doing The Artist’s Way. As I said at the beginning of this extremely long article, I am so glad that I did The Artist’s Way; it has revolutionised my life.
I really appreciate what Julia Cameron writes in the Epilogue:
‘Growth is a spiral process, doubling back on itself, reassessing and regrouping.’
I feel this way – no matter how far I’ve come, this creative healing and growth will be a continuous process. I am going to continue on doing artist dates and morning pages (probably not every day, but sometimes), and I am definitely going to return to the course itself. I can imagine repeating it – perhaps even once a year – as a reminder to myself that my inner artist needs to continue to be nurtured.
Have you done The Artist’s Way? What was your experience? Let me know in the comments!
Feel free to reach out to me if you are interested in forming a The Artist’s Way creativity cluster in the future – I really enjoyed doing it alongside like-minded individuals, and would definitely consider doing it in this way again.
Further Resources
If you have done it (or even if you haven’t) and are thinking: What’s next? Here are some resources I came across in this process that I found particularly helpful.
Other books by Julia Cameron
The Artist’s Way Every Day. This is a collection of tiny little mini-essays (most are only a paragraph long) about creativity, with one essay for every day of the year. I am reading this for 2022, to stay inspired! Note: I think most of these snippets come from The Artist’s Way, or other Julia Cameron books, so it’s not new material but I like this format anyway.
The Right to Write. I’m reading this at the time of writing this article, and I’m really enjoying it! If you liked The Artist’s Way and you are a writer, then this book is for you. This book is much less spiritually-focussed than The Artist’s Way, and much more about Julia Cameron’s own writing experiences.
Understanding more about The Artist’s Way
Tim Ferriss interviewing Elizabeth Gilbert about her creative path. She discusses the impact The Artist’s Way has had on her creativity in this interview.
Books by other authors that are similar to The Artist’s Way
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. You can read my mini-review of it in this post (right at the end). This is a great book!
The Creative Cure by Jacob Nordby. This was another excellent one (also reviewed in this article). Like The Artist’s Way, there are plenty of tasks and exercises to apply his ideas.
Make Your Art No Matter What by Beth Pickens. I haven’t read this one yet, but it’s touted as being ‘The Artist’s Way for the 21st Century.’
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