I’ve just started reading “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron so I can’t quite fully review it yet. This comes highly recommended by several people in the comments of my journaling posts from quite awhile back – if you’re reading, thank you so much for the recommendation!
This book is one that I think I will read more than one time. It is filled with so many nuggets of wisdom. I did, however, want to share several ideas and quotes from her that spoke to me and are from the beginning of the book:
On discovering your own creativity —
“Remember, your artist is a child. Find and protect that child. Learning to let yourself create is like learning to walk. The artist child must begin by crawling. Baby steps will follow and there will be fails – yecch first paintings, beginning films that look like unedited home movies, first poems that would shame a greeting card.“
On not being afraid to fail or look awkward as you discover and learn —
“Instead, go gently and slowly – progress, not perfection is what we should be asking of ourselves.There will be many times when we won’t look good – to ourselves or to anyone else. We need to stop demanding that we do. It is impossible to get better and look good at the same time.”
Here is a quote by someone else on the same subject that she had in the book which also resonated for me —
“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.” – Joseph Chilton Pearce
And lastly, on facing our fears and negative beliefs —
“Most of the time when we are blocked in an area of life, it is because we feel safer that way. None of your core negatives (fears) need be true. Our business here is confronting them. Negative beliefs are exactly that: beliefs, not facts. What you are is scared. Core negatives keep you scared. Core negatives always go for your jugular. They attack whatever vulnerability they can latch on to.”
I liked that Julia recommends finding positive alternatives to negative beliefs and starting with the idea and the knowledge that we all have the capacity to be loved, responsible, capable, goal-achieving, successful, joyful, content, happy, and surrounded with community and purpose.
The book is about so much more. The author encourages the practice of “morning pages”, or 3 pages of stream-of-consciousness journaling every morning. I’m looking forward to reading more about her perspective on that.
Have you read “The Artist’s Way” ? If you have, what were your favorite takeaways?
Have a great week!
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This is the only self help book I’ve ever found helpful, not that I’ve read many of them. I loved the idea of taking yourself on artist dates.
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I know, I’m so surprised by how much I’m liking it. An artist date sounds like a fun idea :)..
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Aw yis, morning pages are my jam, so I’m definitely curious how the entire artist’s way will turn out for you if you decide to do it. Great that you like it so far. Thanks for sharing!
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I do want to try this once I finish the book. Glad to hear a vote of confidence on the morning pages 🙂
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I’ve heard good things about The Artist’s Way, though I’ve not read it yet myself.
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I’d definitely recommend giving it a try if you can check it out at the library — especially if you like books on creativity..it does make you step back and think. Thanks for stopping by..
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