Posted by Erik Skramstad:
There are few things in life more intimidating than staring at a blank page trying to think of how to begin. You go back and forth, maybe writing a word or two before deleting it all and starting over. I know this because I just did it for ten minutes before I started writing this. A few months ago, it would have been easily twenty to thirty minutes just for me to get this far. I may write a sentence or two, but then I find excuses to get distracted. I might remember a task of little importance and suddenly I’m on Amazon shopping for toothbrush heads for forty-five minutes and wouldn’t you know it? I’ve run out of time to write. Whoops! Guess I’ll have to postpone it to another time. This was my terrible rhythm for a very, very long time.
For the better part of last year, I was working on a screenplay for a short film that I’ve had in my head for about a year before that. Turnaround hasn’t been my strong suit. I agonize tiny details, I scrutinize every word. I will get down and dirty with some punctuation details if it means not looking at the big picture and making real creative decisions. Because that’s easier for me. Editing is always easier than creating, at least for me. Creativity means honesty. It means taking risks and putting yourself out there, and that sucks. Sucks big time. This is why writer’s block is such a devastating presence. We are drawn to be creative. We need it. But as soon as we’re prepared to do it, all of our anxieties and second guesses and insecurities come out to tell us our ideas are stupid and we are stupid for having them.
Enter: The Artist’s Way. This book had been on my radar for some time. I’ve seen it referenced in articles, praised by writers and comedians and directors, and talked about on podcasts. I’d heard people from all angles describe the impact it had made on their lives, and I figured, hey, maybe I’ll check that out someday before promptly exiting out of the window. After a year of panic inducing writer’s block, I finally caved and bought it after reading about it and hearing Neal Brennan talk about it on a podcast (synchronicity is real!). I was desperate and willing to try anything to heal my affliction. I cracked it open and read the introduction before bed one night and I felt an immediate change. I’m not kidding.
I want to be up front. I have never read a “self-help” book before. I am an admitted skeptic. I don’t believe in astrology or keto or most things, so even though I tried to keep an open mind I still had thoughts of other ways I could have spent the $25 instead of a frilly book about the magic of creativity. Julie Cameron literally got in my head and broke down all of my criticisms as I was thinking them. As I read through the intro, she introduces herself and her background and why she decided to write this book. As I got through the main principles and reasons Cameron wrote the book, I couldn’t help thinking, “That’s me!” over and over again. The main premise of The Artist’s Way is that we all possess an inner Artist and that creativity is a gift from God. It flows through all of us and our gift is to use it and be creative.
Anyone who knows me will raise their eyebrows at that last sentence. I sure did. But I tried to be open minded and Cameron, herself, says that if the idea of calling it God makes you grimace, then just call it Creativity or Creative Energy or whatever. The idea is that Creativity is a gift, an energy that inhabits all of us and we just need to cultivate it. Sprinkled throughout the book are quotes from famous historical minds that highlight each of her points. The book, itself, is a twelve-week program to unblock and recapture your creative self. An enticing thought. Each week focuses on a new concept, a new piece of the blocking puzzle. There are suggested exercises each week, but the book’s foundations are the Morning Pages and the Artist’s Date.
Morning Pages are just that. Wake up and write three pages longhand, single side. You do it in the morning, so you don’t censor yourself. Your ego is still groggy so you can get it all out. It’s stream-of-consciousness to the max. Complain, meander, write about a duck. It doesn’t matter. What matters is you crank them out and you do it every day. It’s a brain dump. It gets you writing without analyzing every word. You just do it. First time I did it, it took me almost an hour. Now I’m down to twenty minutes. The other pillar is the Artist Date. This one is tougher. Each week carve out two hours to go do something fun alone. Date yourself. If the morning pages are a brain dump, the artist date (I do hate the name) is a way of filling your brain with new images and experiences. It can be tough, but it’s rewarding. Last week I went to a restaurant and got dim sum by myself. It was amazing.
I am currently on week three of the program, so I can’t tell you how it ends. All I can say is the effect this book has had on my day-to-day was immediate and powerful. I love doing the morning pages, the weekly assignments are challenging but eye-opening, and it’s been a trip to watch my overanalytical brain, my Censor, step aside and let me write some dang words! I love this book and I’ve been telling all my friends about it like a freaking cult member. So, if you’ve been struggling with writer’s block or any kind of creativity block, I highly recommend this book. Don’t let a year go by like I did. Check it out! As for results, I only looked at Facebook once during this whole thing so I think the progress speaks for itself.
If you'd like to give it a try click on the image above and see what kind of creativity comes your way.