Trying Out The Artist's Way

I've heard of the book, The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, in passing as you pick up on book titles through cultural osmosis just by existing in the world.

I don't consider myself an artist which kept me from thinking this book would be relevant to me. All it took was a mention of this pervasive book in an article I was reading for me to finally investigate.

I learned through a generous online reading sample of two main tasks to implement: morning pages and artist dates.

Morning pages is a ritual I've read about extensively through other people's first hand accounts. I never knew where it originated but now their pursuits seemed more valid. People either find it magical or tedious to write first thing in the morning.

After reading through the section detailing morning pages, I decided to give it a shot before buying the book. As a writer I thought it would be helpful at clearing out the junk ruminating in your mind all night and then some. I usually have echoes of dreams and ideas that keep dancing on the periphery of my mind with nowhere to go until I forget them.

Morning pages are sanctioned at 3 pages but the night before starting I couldn't go to sleep on time because my foot cramped up. I decided at least one to two pages would be good enough. I still wrote three pages the next morning and wasn't late for work which is a minor miracle.

Stream of consciousness writing is fun because it feels like you are producing a lot of work with little effort. Sometimes I will re-read some of it and be glad no one else has read it. This gets the sludge out of my brain along with any anxieties I'm dealing with and half baked dreams.

It all comes pouring out over 3 pages and I emerge calm and ready to take on the day. The first two days were like this with incomprehensible thoughts and ideas flowing onto the page through my pink ink with hardly anything worth remembering.

The third day is when I saw some real revelations come onto the page. Without meaning to I started scribbling a diatribe against social media and how can we discern what is real or fake anymore. What do people really think or feel? Is anyone sharing anything they genuinely care about that they would tell you about face to face?

A couple of years ago, they would have shown you and told you why it mattered to them instead of just posting and forgetting it. And what about regurgitating popular opinions or echoing others sentiments for validation from followers, family, spouses or work colleagues.

It was only 7:20 in the morning but I was writing a social media thesis I never would have thought to articulate or think about at all just from a simple writing ritual. Contemplating the artifice of social media and how we are all just performing different versions of ourselves is a lot to take in this early but I think it was a personal revelation that I needed to have.

Anyone participating in social media does it, me included. This won't turn into a social media rant but reevaluating your habits periodically and questioning your motivations is never a bad thing.

If the thought of blearily writing in the morning when you wish you were asleep gives you hives, don't worry. You don't have to show this work to others, thankfully.

I've learned from past stream of consciousness re-readings that what comes out is usually incomprehensible but sometimes hidden nuggets of wisdom or truth can sneak in. I'm going to keep up the practice because it makes me feel alert and ready to take on the day.

Also it seems to unclog the creative parts of my brain. After morning pages, I will be inspired to write down other thoughts, fragments of sentences or ideas and that never happened to me in the morning. This ties in with my new philosophy of create more consume less.

Morning pages helped me fulfill another desire which is to remember my dreams. I usually remember them in a half formed way not really able to articulate how they made me feel beyond surface level descriptions.

I can't speak for the rest of the book but I enjoy having a new habit that fosters my creative impulses and gives me clarity.

Artist dates are something I've frequently wanted to do but wasn't sure how to express it. This is a new excuse to go out on creative excursions and not feel guilty about it.

You are supposed to carve out two hours each week to nurture your inner creative child. I know this sounds vaguely psychological but it's in the book. For my first creative excursion, I'm not going anywhere, physically.

I've wanted to try and make a new collage but all the usual excuses kept getting in the way. This weekend I will dedicate some uninterrupted time to work on my project and see what happens. No matter the outcome of the final project I will be having fun.