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Permalink Reply by Andrea Adams on July 7, 2009 at 12:09pm

K, I think I told you that I did 'The Artist's Way' at Art Center. I used it as a sort of art-therapy session. Honestly, it worked like a charm, but that may have been for several specific reasons, including the fact that I was in the middle of pounding out a ton of core curriculum work that was brutal and 'The Artist's Way' seemed like a nice mental break from all of it. I definitely felt, though, that it helped spur me on into later terms in school where I approached my work more confidently.

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Permalink Reply by Rebecca Thomas on July 10, 2009 at 9:45am

For me personally, I didn't find it all that helpful. I felt that it was heavy on building routines (of which I already have plenty), motivation by reward (which doesn't motivate me) and getting in touch with who you are (I'm naturally a very reflective person).

For someone who could use help in any of those areas for someone who is creatively stumped, I could see this being a good starting point.

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Permalink Reply by brea grant on July 10, 2009 at 6:01pm

i found certain chapters helpful - particularly the work on loss and mourning as well as creative u-turns.

i'm currently working on it on my own. while not everything is helpful, i found that the morning pages have really inspired me.

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Permalink Reply by Christi Craig on August 5, 2009 at 11:52am

I worked through the Artist's Way as well. For me, it was a great experience in that it got me off my bum and into writing (instead of sitting around complaining that I want to write but....but....).

I still do the morning pages. I love those, even though I'm not sure how much they actually help. I guess, I at least feel like I'm writing something every day. But, the artist's dates were always a challenge for me (and continue to be a challenge). I have two small kids at home, so getting a few minutes away to do anything is pure luck. An hour a week, out on my own, is unheard of. That's the only part of the artist's way that I thought was a little out of reach. The rest of it was helpful in getting my goals focused on what I really wanted to do, and then showed me that I can take action and accomplish some of them.

Christi
Writing Under Pressure

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Saunders on August 5, 2009 at 12:05pm

Christi - I had the same trouble with Artist Dates! I've got two under five and well, the artist date time just always slipped away. And yet, I think it's probably one of the most important things about the Artist's Way. Demanding that time for ourselves is part of taking ourselves seriously as artists. And, when I break out of my rut, hey, imagine that, I generally wind up with a burst of energy that makes me want to write something.

Christi Craig said:

I worked through the Artist's Way as well. For me, it was a great experience in that it got me off my bum and into writing (instead of sitting around complaining that I want to write but....but....).

I still do the morning pages. I love those, even though I'm not sure how much they actually help. I guess, I at least feel like I'm writing something every day. But, the artist's dates were always a challenge for me (and continue to be a challenge). I have two small kids at home, so getting a few minutes away to do anything is pure luck. An hour a week, out on my own, is unheard of. That's the only part of the artist's way that I thought was a little out of reach. The rest of it was helpful in getting my goals focused on what I really wanted to do, and then showed me that I can take action and accomplish some of them.

Christi
Writing Under Pressure

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Permalink Reply by Midge Raymond on August 5, 2009 at 1:01pm

I did The Artist's Way years ago and loved it -- I really needed it then! I haven't done morning pages in years -- until recently. I began doing them again just to be writing something that wasn't part of a project -- i.e., for fun and for brain-clearing. And of course, it's ended up indirectly with my other writing as I'm more focused and more organized thanks to the morning pages.

Haven't done an artist's date in a while but I'd love to get back to those, too. : )

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Permalink Reply by rjleaman on August 5, 2009 at 9:02pm

I have read it. A close friend recommended it highly - in fact, she gave me a copy. I tried hard to share her enthusiasm, but I'm afraid that I couldn't sustain it past the first few chapters. For me, it was a bit too "new age" and "touchy-feely," I think - but I don't mean that in any critical way, simply that it was not a good match for a hard-headed non-fiction writer/editor. My guess is that the book can be a tremendous help to someone who wants to write fiction or poetry - something more "creative" if you will. But I do find it rather interesting that I have held onto the book, for some reason reluctant to let it go completely... :)

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Permalink Reply by Pamela Jane on August 6, 2009 at 4:18pm

I find Julia Cameron very comforting and reassuring; I also have some of her books on my ipod and I walk to her WALKING IN THS WORLD. But somehow I always fall off the wagon with the morning pages and exercises. I think of THE ARTIST'S WAY more as a friend I visit every now and then rather than a strict routine I have to follow. I think the Artist's Dates are a brilliant idea because I tend to be a little over-disciplined and not faithful about taking breaks.

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Permalink Reply by Heather Summerhayes Cariou on August 6, 2009 at 4:44pm

A book I prefer to the Artist's Way is Marry Your Muse: Making a Lasting Committment to Your Creativity by Jan Phillips.

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Permalink Reply by Pamela Jane on August 8, 2009 at 10:43am

Hi Kendra,

It's good to see you here and thanks for posting this! I'd be very interested to hear what you think about Cameron's methods.

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Permalink Reply by Nancy White on August 10, 2009 at 2:16pm

I found that "morning pages" was too constrictive; why did it have to be morning? After experimentation, I found I did need time when the day could not come crashing in, and that in fact for me the night was better. I moved morning pages to the last 15 minutes before I went to sleep, and it worked like a charm. Not only that; I slept better too.

Overall, her program has a big impact when it comes along at just the right time in your life. Its faith-based element (ye olde 12-steppage) was a challenge for me, but in a good way. The universe wants me to create? The forces of good are pleased when I take time to write? I can create at any time, in any place, in any way, conceivably all day, every day? These were wonderful messages for my Puritanical heritage to wrestle with.

Did I produce suddenly better work as a result of her exercises? Of course not. Craft evolves slowly, steadily over time--but it does need the fuel of optimism and joy to keep it chugging with a purpose. I recommend her any time a friend or students says she's stuck, and I don't regret the time I put in, trying her out.

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Permalink Reply by Desiree on August 11, 2009 at 2:12pm

I found and still find the morning pages exercise to be indispensable.

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