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A review of The Artist's Way

by Julia Cameron

An inspirational guide to rediscovering your creativity

Reviewed by: Beth Williams
About Beth Williams

The Artist's Way The Artist's Way is an inspirational journey in which author Julia Cameron encourages readers to participate in the discovery of their creativity through morning pages, a weekly artist's date and other introspective writing activities over twelve weeks. Inspirational quotes are peppered through the pages to keep you inspired and energized throughout the process.

Don't let the name fool you. You don't have to be an artist or even a writer to benefit from the Artist's Way. All you need is an open mind and enthusiasm. Cameron opens by explaining the origins of the Artist's Way, which has become so popular it is being used in university classrooms, and there are even Artist's Way seminars held by certified instructors.

Each chapter, which coincides with each week of the program, deals with a different aspect of recovery: from chapter one, "Recovering a Sense of Safety," to chapter twelve, "Recovering a Sense of Faith."

One of the key elements of the Artist's Way is the morning pages. Cameron encourages participants to set their alarm clocks a half an hour early every morning, wake up and write three pages before doing anything else. Then, after spilling your thoughts onto paper, put the morning pages away. You'll bring them out again at the end of the twelve week journey to see the changes. Morning pages are a way of emptying your mind and freeing your creativity. And, it really works! I was enjoying the writing so much that I started afternoon and evening pages on really energized days. I found that after awhile I got all the garbage and everyday complaints out, allowing me to write creatively without anything weighing me down.

Another key element is the weekly artist's date. Again, don't let it fool you! An artist's date can be anything you want: going to a movie, renting an old movie, going to the museum, painting a picture or baking a cake, as long as it nurtures you and your creativity. A great benefit of the artist's date is it teaches us to carve out time to take care of ourselves.

Each chapter features a variety of exercises designed for self-exploration and discovery. An example of an exercise from chapter one is to write a list of five other lives you would lead, if you had the chance. Would you be a painter? A lawyer? An athlete? Don't be surprised if, as you go through the weeks, you notice a pattern start to emerge. Often you'll discover a love, a passion or an interest you've neglected or maybe didn't even realize was there.

A lot of people choose to do the Artist's Way with friends because the group offers support and encouragement to keep working. However, it is just as possible and beneficial to embark on the Artist's Way solo. It's all a matter of personal preference.

The Artist's Way is definitely a journey you want to at least try. You'll be amazed at how much you learn about yourself through the morning pages, artist's dates and exercises. You may even discover a passion that you've forgotten about or didn't even know you had.

Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: The Artist's Way

Copyright © by Beth Williams, 2002

Reviewed by Beth Williams:
-- The Lost Diaries of Iris Weed - by Janice Law
-- The Artist's Way - by Julia Cameron
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-- The Fibromyalgia Relief Handbook - by Chet Cunningham
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-- Man's Search For Meaning - by Viktor E. Frankl
-- This Side of Paradise - by F. Scott Fitzgerald
-- We Are Witnesses: Five Diaries of Teenagers Who Died in the Holocaust - by Jacob Boas
-- The Beautiful and Damned - by F. Scott Fitzgerald
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-- The Nazi Officer’s Wife: How One Jewish Woman Survived The Holocaust - by Edith Hahn Beer









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