The Artist's Way: A Course in Discovering and Recovering Your Creative Self
by Julia Cameron
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List Price: ££12.99
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Manufacturer: Pan Books
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 158
EAN: 9780330343589
ISBN: 0330343580
Label: Pan Books
Number Of Pages: 240
Publication Date: 1997-06-06
Publisher: Pan Books
Studio: Pan Books
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Releasing Creativity!
Comment: Much creativity is lost between the time we are young children and when we become adults. The school system, societal influences, and even maturity itself eventually whittles away the artist in most people.
Julia Cameron systematically addresses subjects to release the enormous creativity we all have. I found the book useful for stimulating an artist's though processes. Improving one's creativity is a key element in developing the right brain for Critical Thinking.
The Artist's Way validated several ideas that I had picked up through the years. I have been fortunate to have a very creative family. My sister has created amazing miniatures for many years. After retirement my father became an amazing wood carver ( I have a ship he carved on my mantle in the living room) and my mother an excellent painter (some of her painting are displayed prominently around my house).
This book's twelve week system is a good common sense approach to using the right side of the brain much more effectively. The book chapters each focus on twelve subjects. They are: Recovering a sense of safety, identity, power, integrity, possibility, abundance, connection, strength, compassion, self-protection, autonomy and faith.
There are many great ideas to ponder in the book. For example, in the chapter: ecovering a sense of Power, Cameron writes:
"Remember that creativity is a tribal experience and that tribal elders will initiate the gifted youngsters who cross their path. This may sound like wishful thinking, but it is not. Sometimes an older artist will be moved to help out even against his or her own wishes. "I don't know why I'm doing this for you, but..." Again, I would say that some of the helping hands may be something more than human."
Some people may like the considerable connection to the universe (or God) that Cameron uses. Others may not. However, the force of the universe is something that no man or woman completely understands and it does seem to govern many of what happens in our lives (Karma etc). Accepting there are things that we don't understand and striving to have these forces on our side is a good thing!
The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide To: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking
Customer Rating:
Summary: Hugely Dissapointing.
Comment: I was hugely dissapointed upon reading this book.Having seen numerous positive and glowing reviews, as well as it being widely stocked, I did not hesitate to buy this book when I attempted to start painting again after a period of acute illness.
Unfortunatley, my hopes were not met. Wishy-washy and pseudo-psychological opinions really started to grate with me, as well as the authors dramatic use of theatrical language. There is also an obssesive reliance on God which could possibly become a crutch for some recovering creatives.
The book is not pragmatic, is not practical, is very linear , and very, very boring. It is not empowering, enlightening and unfortunatley delivers nothign it promises, at least for me. I simply, and much to my dismay, cannot understand why this book is so highly regarded.
Customer Rating:
Summary: There are many reasons for reading this book.....
Comment: I am not an artist, and when I read this book I was not hoping to recover my creative self. I was, however, suffering from severe depression and this book was recommended to me. There are many books on depression - I think I must have most of them! - but this is the only one that really helped me on the road to recovery.
It's an easy read, which sets out a simple program that anyone can follow.
Perhaps what it is really about is helping people who feel trapped in a rut make their great escape, by setting out a number of simple, practical steps which are easy to follow. The thinking behind all of the these tasks is explained, but many give additional benefits to the particular person who is reading it.
It contains no mumbo jumbo or pop psychology, just a series of practical things anyone can do in order to move forward. Some may seem odd, but all are easily done.
Above all, this books contains nothing that could harm or mover you backwards.
My personal recommendation is that it cured my depression, and actually made me much more creative.
Customer Rating:
Summary: What a saviour this book is...
Comment: This book was recommended to me by a friend, and now I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to read and work through this book. It "spoke" to me immediately, and I have continued with the course with a real sense of change occuring in my thoughts and perceptions about myself and others.
Most of all, of course, I have started painting again, and finally I am painting pictures of the type I always wanted to. Even though I didn't think I was blocked, I was. Each week revealed something else about me, and revelations are still coming out in my Morning Pages Journal.
All in all, if you are recovering, or discovering your creative self, this book is for you.
You won't regret it!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Not for everyone
Comment: The blurb on the back tells us this is the seminal book on the subject of creativity. However, you need to understand one very important thing: this book is not about how to be more creative, it's about freeing your creativity. This implies that your creativity has been blocked, which in turn implies that something has gone wrong which should be put right. Julia Cameron tells you the causes of the block, and the Artist's Way is a course of therapy to help you recover. (In each chapter you Recover a Sense of something, eg Compassion, Possibility).
I think the Artist's Way was developed for women of her generation who as children were discouraged from being creative and as adults expected to always put others' needs first. Such experiences mean that a) one doesn't believe in one's own creative abilities, and b) one doesn't have time or space to be oneself. If this is true for you, you may find the Artist's Way very useful.
It is divided into 12 units, one for each week. Although there is a different theme for each week, they didn't seem particularly differentiated to me. Each unit contains a couple of essays on living a better life, as well as some tasks to do; many of them seem to consist of making lists of what you would do/be/buy if you the had time/permission/money. You are also instructed to write 3 pages every morning on whatever is on your mind, and do something enjoyable by yourself as a "date" with your "artist child" every week. Although she says you don't need any religious belief to follow the course, she does talk a lot about spirituality. It has a New Age feel and I think I gave up at the point where I was expected to build an artist's altar and listen to recordings of myself reading aloud my favourite sermons from her book!
Overall, I was disappointed with this book and don't think it did anything to make me more creative. Some of what she writes is interesting, and I liked doing the morning pages - in fact I still do them. However, for me, developing creativity has really been a case of getting into the habit of painting, drawing and taking photographs regularly. I don't find it particularly helpful to blame other people for discouraging me, or to fragment my life into ever more activities and self-indulgences in order to discover my creative self.
If you are thinking of doing the Artist's Way I would recommend you read several units first to see if what she says is true for you. I didn't, and stuck with it for several weeks, hoping all would be revealed, but in the end decided my time would be better spent developing my artistic skills...
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Editorial Reviews: |
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Releasing Creativity!
Comment: Much creativity is lost between the time we are young children and when we become adults. The school system, societal influences, and even maturity itself eventually whittles away the artist in most people.
Julia Cameron systematically addresses subjects to release the enormous creativity we all have. I found the book useful for stimulating an artist's though processes. Improving one's creativity is a key element in developing the right brain for Critical Thinking.
The Artist's Way validated several ideas that I had picked up through the years. I have been fortunate to have a very creative family. My sister has created amazing miniatures for many years. After retirement my father became an amazing wood carver ( I have a ship he carved on my mantle in the living room) and my mother an excellent painter (some of her painting are displayed prominently around my house).
This book's twelve week system is a good common sense approach to using the right side of the brain much more effectively. The book chapters each focus on twelve subjects. They are: Recovering a sense of safety, identity, power, integrity, possibility, abundance, connection, strength, compassion, self-protection, autonomy and faith.
There are many great ideas to ponder in the book. For example, in the chapter: ecovering a sense of Power, Cameron writes:
"Remember that creativity is a tribal experience and that tribal elders will initiate the gifted youngsters who cross their path. This may sound like wishful thinking, but it is not. Sometimes an older artist will be moved to help out even against his or her own wishes. "I don't know why I'm doing this for you, but..." Again, I would say that some of the helping hands may be something more than human."
Some people may like the considerable connection to the universe (or God) that Cameron uses. Others may not. However, the force of the universe is something that no man or woman completely understands and it does seem to govern many of what happens in our lives (Karma etc). Accepting there are things that we don't understand and striving to have these forces on our side is a good thing!
The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide To: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking
Customer Rating:
Summary: Hugely Dissapointing.
Comment: I was hugely dissapointed upon reading this book.Having seen numerous positive and glowing reviews, as well as it being widely stocked, I did not hesitate to buy this book when I attempted to start painting again after a period of acute illness.
Unfortunatley, my hopes were not met. Wishy-washy and pseudo-psychological opinions really started to grate with me, as well as the authors dramatic use of theatrical language. There is also an obssesive reliance on God which could possibly become a crutch for some recovering creatives.
The book is not pragmatic, is not practical, is very linear , and very, very boring. It is not empowering, enlightening and unfortunatley delivers nothign it promises, at least for me. I simply, and much to my dismay, cannot understand why this book is so highly regarded.
Customer Rating:
Summary: There are many reasons for reading this book.....
Comment: I am not an artist, and when I read this book I was not hoping to recover my creative self. I was, however, suffering from severe depression and this book was recommended to me. There are many books on depression - I think I must have most of them! - but this is the only one that really helped me on the road to recovery.
It's an easy read, which sets out a simple program that anyone can follow.
Perhaps what it is really about is helping people who feel trapped in a rut make their great escape, by setting out a number of simple, practical steps which are easy to follow. The thinking behind all of the these tasks is explained, but many give additional benefits to the particular person who is reading it.
It contains no mumbo jumbo or pop psychology, just a series of practical things anyone can do in order to move forward. Some may seem odd, but all are easily done.
Above all, this books contains nothing that could harm or mover you backwards.
My personal recommendation is that it cured my depression, and actually made me much more creative.
Customer Rating:
Summary: What a saviour this book is...
Comment: This book was recommended to me by a friend, and now I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to read and work through this book. It "spoke" to me immediately, and I have continued with the course with a real sense of change occuring in my thoughts and perceptions about myself and others.
Most of all, of course, I have started painting again, and finally I am painting pictures of the type I always wanted to. Even though I didn't think I was blocked, I was. Each week revealed something else about me, and revelations are still coming out in my Morning Pages Journal.
All in all, if you are recovering, or discovering your creative self, this book is for you.
You won't regret it!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Not for everyone
Comment: The blurb on the back tells us this is the seminal book on the subject of creativity. However, you need to understand one very important thing: this book is not about how to be more creative, it's about freeing your creativity. This implies that your creativity has been blocked, which in turn implies that something has gone wrong which should be put right. Julia Cameron tells you the causes of the block, and the Artist's Way is a course of therapy to help you recover. (In each chapter you Recover a Sense of something, eg Compassion, Possibility).
I think the Artist's Way was developed for women of her generation who as children were discouraged from being creative and as adults expected to always put others' needs first. Such experiences mean that a) one doesn't believe in one's own creative abilities, and b) one doesn't have time or space to be oneself. If this is true for you, you may find the Artist's Way very useful.
It is divided into 12 units, one for each week. Although there is a different theme for each week, they didn't seem particularly differentiated to me. Each unit contains a couple of essays on living a better life, as well as some tasks to do; many of them seem to consist of making lists of what you would do/be/buy if you the had time/permission/money. You are also instructed to write 3 pages every morning on whatever is on your mind, and do something enjoyable by yourself as a "date" with your "artist child" every week. Although she says you don't need any religious belief to follow the course, she does talk a lot about spirituality. It has a New Age feel and I think I gave up at the point where I was expected to build an artist's altar and listen to recordings of myself reading aloud my favourite sermons from her book!
Overall, I was disappointed with this book and don't think it did anything to make me more creative. Some of what she writes is interesting, and I liked doing the morning pages - in fact I still do them. However, for me, developing creativity has really been a case of getting into the habit of painting, drawing and taking photographs regularly. I don't find it particularly helpful to blame other people for discouraging me, or to fragment my life into ever more activities and self-indulgences in order to discover my creative self.
If you are thinking of doing the Artist's Way I would recommend you read several units first to see if what she says is true for you. I didn't, and stuck with it for several weeks, hoping all would be revealed, but in the end decided my time would be better spent developing my artistic skills...
With the basic principle that creative expression is the natural direction of life, Julia Cameron and Mark Bryan lead you through a comprehensive 12-week program to recover your creativity from a variety of blocks, including limiting beliefs, fear, self-sabotage, jealousy, guilt, addictions and other inhibiting forces, replacing them with artistic confidence and productivity. This book links creativity to spirituality by showing how to connect with the creative energies of the universe, and has, in the four years since its publication, spawned a remarkable number of support groups for artists dedicated to practising the exercises it contains. --Amazon.com
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