This is part 2 of a series of reflections on Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. 

My journey began last week. Catch up with week 1 reflections here.

I’ve reached the skeptical phase of my journey. Well, that was fast. It’s only the second week of the Artist’s way. Is this what’s known as refusing the hero’s call?

What is the Artist’s Way?

It is a book published by Julia Cameron in 1992 to teach people how to embrace being an artist. Former artists can also rediscover and regain their creative self by following a twelve week program. It is a journey for you and your inner artist. What does being an artist mean to you? Is it a child needing attention, love and care? Or a small seed that’s never sprouted without the right nutrients. Or a plant that’s been neglected and desperate for sunshine?

While last week the focus was on the past, the hurtful and helpful people over the years, from childhood and on. This second week is about the present. Paying attention to what is happening right in front of us. Acknowledging the skeptical voice that is trying to sabotage us, or realizing there are people who may prevent us from recovering our creative spirit, maybe unintentionally or purposefully. For an artist to regain a fulfilling life Cameron wants you to be in charge of the journey that will change your life, supposedly.

 (Ooh, did you see that sneaky skeptical thought sneaking in at the end.)

Inching toward a new Artist Life

The changes begin with morning pages, three handwritten pages every morning when you first wake up. I resisted them several times this week. My hours are limited, you know. Mornings are prime activity time. On Tuesday I used them to write what I wanted, and not morning pages. Curiously, it took about the same amount of time, I wrote about three pages, and more dialogue than usual.

Then one morning I woke up desperate to vent my frustrations with work and my boss and it felt good to let go of those negative emotions, or at least acknowledge and process them, before moving on. 

Tasks for the Journey

Every week Cameron provides ten tasks to help you engage and think about how you can improve your life. You’re not required to do all of them.

One of our tasks this week was to write down five major activities. Work, playing Elden Ring (I’m terrible but love the challenge), eating or preparing food, YouTube (Not my fault this week was the premiere of the new In Space with Markiplier. It was fantastic, and I had to play through it twice. I recommend if you like a good choose your own adventure movie, or just good sci-fi story told in an unconventional way, and clearly I do. Evidence is linked here, my own adventure game called Glitch. In Space with Markiplier is available on YouTube for free. Here is a link to the trailer.) And so, writing and drawing activities barely made the list. (And I think that was six, not five. Oh well.)

Actually, there were a lot of lists this week. Another was listing your favorite activities: what do you like to do? This frustrated me because I do a lot of the things I listed, like Wordle nearly every day, or reading comics every Sunday, (Can you believe what’s happening in One Piece!! Epic!) and walking by the lake, playing games, or reading a good book. None of these are creative; they are consuming. So much entertainment is right there at your fingertips and social feeds can feed you, while also draining your soul of its energy. 

At least, it feels like they’re dragging down my soul and turning my brain into this mushy soup. But I’m learning to recognize what actually helps and what hurts. The news feeds do. This article about quantum go fish doesn’t. 

And maybe I don’t enjoy every webtoon. That means I shouldn’t read them for hours, just check in with my current favorite. (My in-laws are obsessed with me is one webtoon I highly recommended reading. For a romance with time traveling and reliving your life and learning to accept yourself and that you deserve happiness. You do Perry, you do deserve to find happiness and love. Embrace it!)

The lists were also supposed to give you artist date ideas. Well let’s discuss…

The trouble I have with dating

I’m shy and introverted. Dating scares me.

But in this case, we’re talking about dates with your inner artist ( and not with a partner). I am struggling with these. Why? Why do them, I ask. So much work to plan. What do you mean play with your inner child. A play date? Are they a necessary frivolity, really? (Oh dear, the Skeptic returns.)

Well, what are they not? They’re not art studies or practice drawing poses, not tutorials or the Udemy lessons I pay for but never finished. They’re not writing your book. They’re not reading a book or watching a movie — unless I went out to a theater — that would count, because its been years since I did that. 

I originally planned a very ambitious and frivolous Beach Day, until I saw the weather report and did not want to build sand castles in the rain, no thanks. The library finally reopened the large spiral of nonfiction books, three stories tall in Seattle’s downtown library, but only on Wednesday, and that day work was exhausting. I couldn’t find the energy after dinner, not even for the library. It’s too early for dyeing Easter eggs. I took a walk, but never touched my sketch book. Listen to all those excuses. I am trying to follow the artist’s way, I swear. Maybe the dates are supposed to counteract all the internet brain-drain. If that’s so, then I need to work harder on them.

Actual check in, week two:

Morning pages written: Seven of seven (as long as you count the morning I didn’t journal, but wrote a story. Then one morning I was writing poetry. Lots of line breaks.

Artist Date: None. Why are they so hard? Since I took a week off, I’m definitely going to plan ahead for it.

Other breakthroughs or significances: Interneting is tough and its easy to get distracted. Phew. Bring on the next week.