Julia Cameron has spent 35 years in the arts and 25 years teaching people to make the most of their creative and intuitive impulses. She is the author of The Artist's Way, which has sold over two million copies. In this sprightly volume, Cameron taps into the wellspring of her imagination and shares ideas, strategies, and practices that can jump-start your artistic endeavors. The result is a creative companion consisting of a combination of essays and matching tasks. Of course, the author makes reference to her foundational practices of Morning Pages, Artist Dates, and Walks.
Those who have taken workshops with Cameron will appreciate the relaxed and intimate tone of these essays as she shares insights into the importance of the place where you live, how to survive periods of droughts, methods for dealing with self-sabotage, ideas on working with your muse, and suggestions for utilizing the encouragement of others as a spur to creativity. One of the most helpful tips is about the importance of finding a rhythm for your life. Cameron calls it "a grid" or "a schedule of blocked-out time in which daily expectations are met." Many of us still have an aversion to regular practices and yearn for the excitement of new daily adventures. But the author wisely states: "There is something very productive about having days that unfurl with cookie-cutter sameness, leaving the drama where it belongs — in the work itself." This bit of wisdom is typical of the little gems scattered throughout this book. For Cameron, imagination is the juice of life and its calls must be heeded.
