An Organized Route to Creativity

About 20 years ago I decided it was time to give up the notion that I had zero artistic talent, even though my dad informed me when I was a young child this was so. He was an artist, so he should know, right?

In spite of this, I gathered my courage and my long suppressed desire to be creative and signed up for an adult education class at a local high school in Marin County. The class, called The Artist's Way, was based on the book written by Julia Cameron, an award-winning writer with credits in film, television, theater and journalism.

We gathered in a classroom, about 25 of us, mostly middle-aged women, hoping to discover our latent artistic selves. It was a 12 week foray aimed at freeing people's creativity. Ms. Cameron believes The Artist's Way is a spiritual path toward creativity and I agree. There isn't any praying, chanting or any of that sort of thing, however, a belief that there is a "something" greater than us is a huge help in uncovering our creativity. According to the artist, Robert Motherwell; "In the brush doing what it's doing, it will stumble on what one couldn't do by oneself."

There are two pivotal tools in creative recovery: The morning pages and the artist date. The morning pages are three pages of writing long hand in a notebook or journal first thing in the morning - "stream of consciousness writing". Simply write whatever comes to mind for three pages and if you run out of ideas - write: "I've run out of ideas" repeatedly until three pages are filled up. More than likely, something will pop into your mind to put on the paper. Then do it again tomorrow. It's non-negotiable. I'm a daily journalist - always have been, but even for me, three pages was a lot. Yet, I did it religiously for 12 weeks.

More fun is the artist date. This is where you set aside a few hours once a week to take yourself on an excursion committed to nurturing your creative consciousness. This is a date sans friends, family, children or errands. Yes, you are completely on your own. I have taken myself to the movies, to museums, botanical gardens, to bookstores to browse and read and purchase whatever yummy novel or non-fiction caught my attention.

According to the author: "Doing your morning pages, you are sending - notifying yourself and the universe of your dreams, dissatisfactions, hopes. Doing your artist date, you are receiving - opening yourself to insight, inspiration, guidance."

These exercises "fill the well, and stock the pond" of your creativity, she advises us. It worked for me and hundreds of others.

Don't tell yourself it's too late, or that people will think you've lost it, or creativity is a luxury. You are a creative. All women are. We were born that way - even if you're not quite certain what your creative avenue is yet. We get so busy having careers, being moms and wives and partners and being
supportive to others. This may be your time - to support yourself in a creative endeavor.

xo