Notes from Walking in This World (WITW): The Practical Art of Creativity by Julia Cameron author of the Artist’s Way. WITW is the second book in the Artist’s Way trilogy. 

Week 3: Discovering a Sense of Perspective

Developing our creativity and making it a part of our lives does not happen in a vacuum. The changes we make affect everyone around us. Julia writes, “Art is a tonic and medicinal for us all. As an artist, you are a cultural healer.” Taking the time to develop our creativity may feel selfish at first, taking private time alone to listen to our inner artist brings up feelings of guilt and those around us may feel abandoned. However, the continuous practice enriches our lives. When we live a fulfilling life, one of satisfaction and creativity, those around us are blessed and prospered. 

First Section: Medicine

Julia believes we are all creative, “we are all artists.” She was an artist before she started teaching creativity thirty years ago and in all those years she has “never, ever encountered a person who was not creative in some form.” We all possess creative energy. This creative energy manifests itself in the outer world in many forms. Some of us make an art of keeping house, cooking, baking, raising children, dressing, or being very creative in our businesses or jobs. These pursuits and many other daily activities are forms of art and a way of expressing creativity. 

Julia defines these activities performed in a creative spirit as art. Many of us find deep satisfaction in living our lives in an artful way. For those who have not found a creative outlet, their creative energy manifests itself in behaviors some would call “crazy.”

Julia presents the idea that the lack of creative outlet leads to behaviors like being “high-strung, nervous, nutty, even crazy.” Is the drama queen at work, or your “crazy-making” mother, spouse or best friend really a frustrated creative? Chances are good, this is the case. What would happen if we started putting the drama in our art form instead of creating it in our daily lives and relationships? 

The “quick fixes” we so desperately seek through the next workshop, author, therapist, medication, or lover may be found in simply doing the art our heart desires us to create. Wow! That sounds way to easy. But how do I create the art of my heart? Julia strongly recommends Morning Pages, Artist’s Dates, Solo Walks and a wide assortment of Artist’s exercises found in her books. Julia promises, if done regularly with an open willing heart, your mood will lighten, energy steady, optimism return or make its first appearance in your life. Through Julia’s process creativity will grow wings in your daily projects. Instead of being “crazy, we can be crazy about doing our art,” our life’s work, no matter what our day jobs may be. Yes, and we’ll even find more creativity in our daily work, as well. 

Our block is fear. Often we are so scared, we do not even try to make art, whether writing, painting, sculpting, dancing, performing, or acting, whatever the dream, we avoid what it is we truly desire to do in our lives. What is your secret dream? What did you really want to do as a child, but were told you were not good enough, or you would end up poor or crazy? What dream have you abandoned? 

Julia’s process can help all of us find “the courage to dream again.” Julia can help us welcome back the lost parts of our selves. Our neurosis may just be “creative knots,” as Julia calls them. She recommends, “getting rid of the nasty labels- ‘crazy,’ ‘grandiose,’ ‘flaky,’ ‘neurotic.’ Our true nature is creative.” By learning to express our creativity we discover a rich and varied universe within ourselves, treasures to live a life full of personal expression and satisfaction.

Julia suggests we become miserable when we avoid our creativity. Our creative selves exist and are “too large for the cage we have put them in, the cage we call ‘normal.’” Often we live in a world were it is dangerous to show our true creative natures. Not only do we hide from others, we also learn to hide from ourselves fearing punishment and loss of love. The lauded “critical thinking” taught in schools and the painful self-examination forced upon us by parents, religious leaders and teachers often leaves us with an overly critical view of ourselves and others.

Creativity in inventions and science are often considered worthy efforts by our society. Why then are the arts considered to be less worth our efforts? When I told my mother I wanted to be a writer as a young girl? My mother informed me I’d better plan on a career where I could make some money? Following her well intentioned advice, I spent most of my life trying to make money so I could write. It was not until I started to write that I really started to make money and enjoy how I made my living. 

My first efforts at writing were lousy. Once I had a boss who criticized and discouraged my writing efforts on every page. It was not until I begin practicing the Artist’s Way and allowing myself to write really badly that I found the courage to practice my writing everyday. Guess what, I got better. Now my current boss praises my writing and communication skills. If I had listened to that early criticism, and stopped writing, I would not be where I am today. 

Julia believes that if we express ourselves, we will heal ourselves and others. “Creativity is medicine.” Our happy healthy selves have always been there inside us patiently awaiting our discovery. Julia’s tools can show us the path to our creative dream, if we are willing to take the time to practice them each day.