The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron- Week 1 and How I Got On

The premise of the 12-week course set out by the Artist's Way is that every week there are a number of exercises to be done relating to a different topic. Week 1's topic is "Recovering a Sense of Safety" which looks at using positive affirmations to help drown out all of those negative things you've learnt or absorbed over the years about being creative and artists in general. Now I have a confession to make. I didn't actually get round to doing the affirmations themselves.

However... throughout the 12 weeks there are 2 exercises that must be done each day and/or each week. The daily exercise is known as the morning pages, which is basically journalling, that you do every day when you wake up. This involves writing 3 pages of anything you can think of (or not think of- you can simply write "I don't know what to write" for 3 pages) as long as 3 pages are filled and it's done when you wake up. This acts as a sort of information dump. I'm happy to say that I have done this every day this week but I do find it a challenge to write first thing in the morning so I think it might be worth experimenting with times of day that I write, be it in the evening before sleep or on the train to work.
I have found though that writing does give me insight and a sense of calm when thinking problems through, even issues that I didn't even know were bothering me!

Then the exercise to be done each week is the Artist's Date. This involves spending some time- a couple of hours to an afternoon- alone, being creative or doing something that inspires you. My first Artist's Date was pretty spontaneous when I found myself walking down Dale Street where I discovered a community-led art space called the Fallout Factory. I went into to see the current exhibition, an interactive show called Mak?ing Sense, and had loads of fun!

The giant ball of squishiness was the first piece that grabs you- this is a photo I took from outside.

It's a huge ball of multi-textured goodness, that looks, feels and sounds like a cat toy (if you hit it!) I spent ages feeling the different materials and even sticking my head in some of the deeper grooves (yes, because that's what I do!) Haha! But search further into the space and you'll find a basement in which was a single light source and a mirror . It took me some time for my eyes to adjust to the semi-darkness but it was so peaceful down there and I ended up playing with the light creating this shape on the legs...

A broken heart! I live a life full of love- my friends, my family and my boyfriend and I am hugely lucky and grateful for them all- but I think and feel that I could love and value myself more, a worthwhile lesson that I took away from this week's exercises. I can only wonder what discoveries Week 2 holds! And if you're in Liverpool, take a trip to the Fallout Factory- it's well worth a look! 

Love

Losing My Way and Finding It Again.... The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

I am a creative soul. I think we all are. I believe we all have the desire (and capacity) to be creative, no matter what the means. It can be singing, dancing, cooking, crafts, art (in any form), writing, whatever and the best thing is- you don't have to be any good at it! Being creative isn't about being perfect, it's about being free, giving yourself space to breathe, express yourself and just be in a manic world.

So with this year being as crazy as it has been I found myself with less and less time to be truly creative. I still had the occasional time to crochet but it wasn't for me. I crocheted gifts for people and I did enjoy it but there always seemed to be a deadline, a focus and I found myself crocheting with hunched shoulders and tense fingers trying to get whatever project I was making done in time. So I couldn't say it was truly relaxing!

Having finished my Access to Health course last week I've realised I need to be creative, it nourishes my soul and I need to dedicate some time to find my creative way again.

So I'm enlisting the help of this book The Artist's Way: A Course in Discovering and Recovering your Creative Self by Julia Cameron.

It's a 12 week programme that aims to help you discover and reconnect with your creativity through a number of different exercises. Although the book talks a lot about writing, its teachings apply to any craft, art or activity. Each week there is a different focus but underpinning everything are two basic activities, which remain constant throughout the 12 weeks. These are the morning pages (done everyday) and the artist's date (a weekly activity).

So I'm going to be following this programme and keeping you updated on my progress each week. If you have a copy of the book and are following it yourself, or have any words of wisdom, please leave a comment and let me know.

Love