I decided to read and complete “The Artist’s Way” program. This is my second week of it and I wanted to let you all in on my journey.
What is the Artist’s Way?
“The Artist’s Way” is a book by Julia Cameron. It is also a 12-week course designed to help people recover their inner creativity and overcome creative blocks.
The book aims to guide readers through a process of creative recovery, using various tools and exercises to unlock their artistic potential.
The two main tools introduced in the book are:
- Morning Pages: Three pages of longhand, stream-of-consciousness writing done first thing in the morning.
- Artist Dates: Weekly solo outings to explore and nurture your inner artist.
Chapter two, “Recovering a Sense of Identity,” is the chapter I read this week and the topic of today’s blog post.
Why the Artist’s Way?
Recently I have gotten into drawing. I eventually want to be able to sit down and draw anything, but I still have a long way to go before I get to that level. A few weeks ago I was looking up videos on YouTube on how to draw better and how to be more creative.
This video popped up in the feed and I pressed play. It was awesome. (I recommend watching so this makes more sense.) I didn’t exactly know what the guy was talking about when he talked about “The Artist’s Way”, but it sounded cool.
As soon as I finished that video more videos followed. Videos of people being so grateful for this book and the impact it had on their lives. Some cried. “Completely life-changing” was a repeated phrase. YouTube kept recommending videos about “The Artist’s Way.” And I kept watching.
It didn’t take too many videos of people swearing by “The Artist’s Way,” to have me convinced. I bought the book on Amazon, and an accompanying “Morning Pages” journal, and decided I would start this week. You can buy the main book here and the morning pages journal here.
The Artist’s Way Chapter 2 Review: Recovering a Sense of Identity
Chapter 2 is titled “Recovering a Sense of Identity.” This chapter is a transformative step in reclaiming your true creative self, buried under layers of self-doubt and societal expectations.
Chapter 2 is all about peeling back the layers of external influences to rediscover your authentic self. Cameron emphasizes that many of us have lost touch with our true identities due to the pressures and criticisms from the outside world. This chapter encourages us to reconnect with our inner artists and embrace our unique creative voice.
Key themes of Chapter 2 of the Artist’s Way
Chapter 2 focuses on the importance of embracing one’s identity as an artist and the challenges that come with it. Here are the key themes and insights from this chapter:
- Claiming the Artist Identity: Julia Cameron encourages readers to recognize and claim their identity as creative individuals. This involves overcoming societal pressures and self-doubt that can hinder artistic expression.
- Navigating Self-Doubt: The chapter acknowledges that the journey of reclaiming creativity can feel erratic, with emotional highs and lows. Cameron emphasizes that experiencing self-doubt is a normal part of the creative process.
- Setting Boundaries: Cameron discusses the necessity of establishing boundaries to protect one’s creative time and space. This includes identifying and distancing oneself from “poisonous playmates”—individuals who may undermine or discourage creative pursuits.
- Trusting the Process: Cameron highlights the need to trust in the creative process and the universe’s support. She encourages readers to embrace synchronicities (we’ll talk more about this in week 3- stay tuned!) and view them as affirmations of their artistic journey.
Embracing Affirmations
Affirmations play a significant role in Chapter 2. These positive statements are designed to combat the negative self-talk that often hinders our creative progress. By repeating affirmations like “I am a talented and prolific artist” or “My creativity is limitless,” we can start to shift our mindset from one of doubt to one of confidence and possibility.
After reading Chapter 2, I wrote a list of creative affirmations I wanted to start telling myself. Some of these are from the book, others are ones I came up with. I read this paper aloud every morning after writing my morning pages.
As I mentioned above, some of those affirmations are ones from the book. Others are ones I decided to write down myself. Reciting these to myself every morning helped me so much. It helped me shift my mindset about creativity. I feel like during week 2 I was more willing to be creative and make art.
Creative mindset
I think sometimes I tend to think that being creative is a waste of time. It was cool to tell myself every day that I am following God’s will for me by allowing myself to be creative. I mentioned in my Artist’s Way week one post that I believe creativity is a way to honor and serve God, and it is something God gives us. He is a creator, and as His children, we are creative by nature. We have that desire to create from Him.
(I talk more about this in week one, which you can read by clicking here, but while this book uses spiritual terms and talks often about God it’s not written just for a Christian audience. I highly recommend it even if you aren’t Christian.)
This week I finger-painted in my journal. It wasn’t of anything specific. It’s seriously just abstract colors on a page. And then I stamped a whale cookie cutter on the top because I felt like it. I think it looks cool. But, I was only mixing and layering colors and having fun. Letting myself destress a bit.
I think, at least for me, I get this idea in my head that art has to look a certain way. My dad is an artist. For the longest time, I have told myself a lie that I am not creative. I am not an artist. I am a writer, not an artist.
This book is helping change that mindset I have.
I’m currently writing a poem about how your artwork doesn’t have to hang in museums or galleries for you to be an artist. You are an artist in the way you live your life. You don’t have to be a professional to be creative. Creativity is something we have and use because God is creative too. I’ll share the poem when it is finished. 🙂
(Just like my dad is an artist, my Father in Heaven is one too. He wants me to explore the creativity inside me. I believe that creativity is something we inherited from God.)
Morning Pages and Artist Date
Two fundamental parts of the Artists Way program are the Morning Pages and Artist Date.
The morning pages are three pages of stream of conscious writing every single morning. The Artist Date is a scheduled solo outing or activity to nurture your inner artist. You go alone and the sky is the limit on what you do. You can read more about them here.
The morning pages are going well. There have been a couple of days this week that I did not know what to write, but for the most part my thoughts flow freely and it is easy to fill three pages.
It has been a great start to my days. I feel like my head is clearer and I am better able to focus the rest of the day.
My Artist Date this week
This week for my Artist Date I went to the Springville Art Museum. It is one of the main things Springville is known for. I haven’t been in almost a year though! It has been a while. It seemed like a fun Artist Date to go to so that is what I did. In the Springville Art Museum is one of my favorite paintings ever, “Flight Practice with Instruction,” hangs in the Springville Museum of Art.
Artful
Also, one of my favorite TV. shows is called “Artful.” It is free on BYU.tv and you can watch it by clicking here. It is all about art and being creative. In every episode, they interview two artists. Actually, Brian Kershisnik (who painted “Flight Practice with Instruction“) is the first artist they interviewed in Artful. Watching his episode is what made me obsessed with the Flight Practice painting.
(I could not recommend Artful enough! It is AMAZING! They have started on season 5 now. I love the whole show so much. It’s time for another rewatch!)
Anyway, season one of Artful is mostly made up of Utah artists. As the show got bigger they started interviewing artists from other parts of the United States and the rest of the world. Many of the artists in season one of Artful have art pieces in the Springville Art Museum, which is super cool. It has made going to the art museum even more fun because I recognize some of the pieces (and the artists who created them) and know the story behind them.
There is also a quilt show on the first floor of the Springville Museum during this summer so those were fun to see as well. Quilts are pretty impressive.
It was good to be alone for a couple of hours. I had a great time at the art museum. It was a fun Artist Date. I felt inspired and grateful for the Artist’s Way book.
Favorite Quotes from Chapter Two:
“You will learn that it is easier to write than not write, to paint than not paint, to create than not create.”
“The capacity to revel in moments of joy is a product of paying attention.”
“We are all creative beings. We are all artists.”
“The refusal to be creative is self-will and is counter to our true nature.”
“Creativity is a spiritual experience.”
“We can only be as creative as we are willing to be.”
Final Thoughts on the Artist’s Way Chapter 2
Final thoughts? Chapter wise, I don’t think I loved Chapter 2 as much as I loved Chapter one and chapter 3! (I’m excited for that blog post.) But, I still enjoyed reading it and loved saying those affirmations. I am definitely keeping that up in week 3.
To end, I wanted to add a poem I wrote that is a similar topic to chapter 2. It’s called My Inner Artist.
My Inner Child
By Mack Fontano
My inner child loves to skip
But sometimes when I skip, I trip
Sometimes I fall flat on my face
And people say, “she has no grace.”
I try to speak to break the spell
To laugh it off, say “all is well”
I answer their “Are you okays?”
“You sure biffed it,” some of them say
Then I start to trip over my words
I’m sure they think skipping’s absurd
I might just die of embarrassment
Right now I don’t feel any merriment
My cheeks turn red, I start to blush
And tell my inner child to please “just hush.
Can’t you be normal just for once?
You clumsy two-left-footed dunce
I’m afraid that you’ll embarrass me
I’ll lock you up so others can’t see
When will you learn skippings only for kids
Just grow up already, I wish you already did”
So I try to lock my inner child away
I make the rule “you can’t come play”
But sometimes I stare at the road and look down
I can’t see anyone for miles around
So slowly… my walls start to slip
And I let my inner child start to skip
I feel the wind and I start to smile
I skip down the road for nearly a mile
Soon the mile turns to two
I realize skipping is what I love to do
But then I see a passerby
Down the road and I start to sigh
I’m sure he’ll think I’m clumsy and odd
So I must keep playing this graceful facade
The skipping stops immediately
The walking starts indefinitely
From keeping my inner child locked in
I slowly start to feel chagrin
I think I lock a part of me away too
When I keep my inner child away from view
I think I lose some creativity
When I keep her in captivity
I think I lose some happiness
When I tell myself “You’re such a mess”
Skipping is part of me, you see
And so I’ll set my inner child free
My inner child loves to skip
But sometimes when I skip, I trip
Sometimes I fall flat on my face
And jump up quickly with much haste
“Well, wasn’t that embarrassing?”
I say then promptly return to my skipping
I’ve learned people aren’t counting the times you fall on your face
They’re busy focusing on their own walking pace
Afraid they’ll trip, they’re concentrating hard
And the least of their concerns is your disregard
So I’ll skip, I’ll dance, I’ll color with crayons
I’ll sing extra loud in my one man band
I’ll skip along to a wondrous beat
I won’t be scared, I’ll follow my feet
My inner child’s prison I start to destroy
Because skipping is what brings me joy
I sit down with my inner child
And speak to her in a voice soft and mild
I dry the nervous tears on her face
And draw her in to my embrace
“You made me who I am today
I love that part of me,” I say
You and I are in this together
Come with me and let’s skip forever