Nourishing our creativity: A 12-step approach in The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

Nourishing the seeds of creativity

The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron is a fantastic and inspiring book is about the things that block our creativity and specific techniques for freeing it up. Julia Cameron uses a model similar to 12-step drug and alcohol programs and in fact refers to her audience as “recovering artists.” Apparently we are recovering from the destructive patterns we have set up out of fear to avoid following our calling as artists. The chapters are set up as a progressive 12-step course, each setting up a problem and possible solutions, and ending with a set of specific assignments to help you master the concept and get your creativity flowing. For example, weeks one, two, and three are titled Recovering a Sense of Safety, Recovering a Sense of Identity, and Recovering a Sense of Power.

I did find many useful practices in this book, some of which I already do. For example, one of her linchpin techniques is to get up in the morning and write down your stream-of-conscious thoughts for three pages long hand. I don’t do this first thing, but I do it.

The first thing I do in the morning is make a pot of coffee. The second thing I do is exercise for at least 30 minutes, because that is the biggest pain and if I don’t get it over with first thing, I probably won’t do it at all. There are so many things the gurus want you to do first thing in the morning: write down your dreams, do your Bible study, write, walk your dog, kiss your significant other….but there is only one first in the morning and I use that time to brew coffee and maintain my body. I figure my body is my foundational tool for doing everything else for the duration of my stay on this planet, so I’d better keep it maintained.  Like paying my bills or getting the oil changed. Besides, I can thank God for another day and gather my thoughts while I work out.

Cameron says that we need to acknowledge, worship, and seek guidance from the God of Creation. She seems to assume that acknowledging a god is outside of her readers’ comfort zone. I gather this because she tells us she is not talking about the old Christian god, which presumably we’ve already rejected and grown beyond and are too sophisticated to believe in. She says it doesn’t much matter what you call the God of Creation, as long as you realize that he wants you to create and that if you follow your artistic desires you will be following him.

Well, I am not too sophisticated to believe in the old Christian God but I see her point. Often we do believe that God is this stern disapproving parent figure who wants us to shut up and do our duty and never to indulge ourselves by having fun or acting on our most cherished dreams. This view of God has more to do with our fear and social conditioning than with the nature of God. But I believe that it does matter very much what you call God. The Bible is all about identifying who this God is and what He is like and also what He is not. I also believe that is not only possible but quite common to have all manner of desires that are not within God’s will.

But if your desires are to use the gifts He has given you, and you honestly seek to be true to what you were created to be, then yes, ideally your desires would be in perfect accord with the desires of your Creator. That would the best possible life.

Cameron indicates that if you believe you are an artist by nature, meaning any kind of creative person – writer, painter, sculptor, film maker, etc. – then your art should be your highest priority, even if you have to sacrifice other things, such as time with your family. Again, I agree with this concept up to a certain point. Every choice you make eliminates other choices. Not that I can’t multitask. Today I actually drew illustrations while driving between errands. Please don’t report me! I only drew while stopped at traffic lights. I had to try out some new colors I just bought at Jerry’s Artarama.

 

 

But writing and art demand focus and attention and preclude spending your time on other things, such as socializing or keeping up with reality shows. There was a certain period in my life when I had to draw the line and decide to focus on something other than my creative desires. It was a long period, beginning with the birth of my first son 18.75 years ago and lasting until approximately now. The balance between raising children and pursuing one’s creative dreams and goals is a big huge subject for me that has dominated my life and thoughts for …well 18.75 years. That is a subject for another post.