This past summer, I worked through Julia Cameron’s masterpiece, The Artist’s Way, a book designed to help you recover spiritual alignment and creativity over the course of twelve weeks. The Artist’s Way is a treasure trove of wisdom—there’s a reason it’s a classic! I filled page after page of my daybook with scribbled notes. I highly recommend you work through the book yourself, since there’s lots more to learn than I could cover in a blog post. For today, however, I distilled all my notes down to the 10 most life-changing ideas.
1. Creativity is our true nature.
There’s a common idea, engrained in our society, that creative endeavors are frivolous unless it produces value or makes money. In contrast, The Artist’s Way argues that creativity is essential to being human. Creating art, however imperfect, is a way of processing our thoughts, expressing ourselves, and making something beautiful. We create in order to live well.
2. Morning Pages
Morning pages will, quite literally, change your life. As the backbone of this course, Julia Cameron requires you to write three pages of stream-of-consciousness every day. By emptying your mind of all your clammed-up thoughts, you clear up space for creativity and inspiration. In other words, it’s airing out the mental closets. Writing these consistently will help you separate your “official” feelings from your “unofficial” (real) feelings. You will understand yourself, work through things you struggle with, find clarity of purpose, and adjust your course.
3. The Nature of Creativity
Creativity, writes Julia Cameron, is not “thinking something up” but rather “getting something down.” Art already exists in its entirety in a higher dimension of thought. Our job, as artists, is to tune into the higher frequency and pay attention. Often, the right song or the right dialogue will come along when you need it. All you have to do is create, the best you can, by the light you have to see by.
4. Trust Your Intuition
Deep down, you know exactly what you’re capable of. You know exactly what you want from life. Reaching your dreams is a matter of dispelling doubt, working through negative thought patterns, and reorganizing your mental space. As you replace your fears with action, you reinforce the idea that you can do what you want. “What we really want to do,” Cameron writes, “is what we are really meant to do.”
5. God Loves and Supports Creativity.
If you look at the world, you’ll quickly notice how much our God loves to create. Being made in our Creator’s image, we are created to create. Of course God will provide whatever we need to get the job done.All we have to do is ask, and we’ll receive in abundance. As The Artist’s Way puts it: Creativity is our gift from God, and our use of creativity is our gift to God. When done reverently, being creative can be an act of worship.
6. Be Open to Possibility
Too often, we worry about being “original.” The truth is, everything has been said before. You are the origin of your work—therefore, being original is the act of remaining true to yourself. Inspiration is not scarce; it’s everywhere! God is unlimited in resources. Again, ask and you will receive—you need only to open yourself up to magic and mystery.
7. Watch for Synchronicity
Synchronicity—or what my mom calls “God winks”—are signs that God is “conspiring with you to make your dreams come true.” Be open to unexpected help. Pay attention to serendipity, coincidence, things that keep recurring. Some call it manifestation; I prefer to think of it as collaboration with God.
8. Learn From Your Negative Thoughts
Anger reveals what matters to you. Jealousy is a map of repressed desire. Regret points to lost chances you wish you had taken. Procrastination is not laziness, but fear. We label all these emotions as “negative,” but really, they exist to teach us about ourselves.
9. Create for the fun of it!
Life is art. When life gets dull, so does our art. “Art requires not discipline, but enthusiasm,” writes Cameron. She points out that the word “enthusiasm” originates from the Greek “filled with God.” Enthusiasm is the energy of life. Enthusiastic, playful creativity brings a mysterious joy to life.
10. Stay True to Yourself
“Our truest dream for ourselves is always God’s will for us,” says The Artist’s Way. Your inner dream is meant for you, if you only have the courage to admit it. Trust in the mystery and magic of creativity, do the work, and have fun!
What a great list! I agree with all of it! Thanks for writing this as it reinforces my belief on being a creative. I have always know that I am a creative. I have much to think about this week.
Thank you, Mireya! I’m glad you liked it. I can’t wait to see what inspiring art you bring to the world!