According to creativity expert Eric Maisel’s Coaching the Artist Within, we must all learn to create in what he terms “the middle of things” — things being both external and internal constraints limiting what we believe we can accomplish. Facing External and Internal Barriers Certainly we must create while life goes on, whether we face […]
If you have ever said I’m “too old” to chase my dream or too this or too that … I have two words for you: Susan Boyle. We have all kinds of rational and irrational reasons to justify why we can’t create today or this week or whatever. But sometimes, even though all that may […]
Are you guilty of work abuse? In Week 10 of The Artist’s Way creativity program, Julia Cameron asks us to consider whether we might be workaholics. While forward progress requires steady work, there is an emotional difference between that and being a work addict. Addicted to Work or Just Busy? There is a difference between […]
Estee Lauder said, “First comes the shy wish. Then you must have the heart to have the dream. Then, you work. And work.” A similar thing could be said about the creative process. You might have an initial inspiration, a spark, an idea, a feeling. But to bring that creativity to life, you must take […]
According to Julia Cameron, many creative people spend years mislabeling themselves. When we do not create the way we think we should, we label ourselves lazy when in fact we are blocked by fear. The way past fear, asserts Cameron, is through love for your inner artist. Your inner artist is like a child in […]
“Filling the form” means to respect the creative process by making the commitment each day to take the next required step, and then the next step after that. We simply make small changes and take small actions right now where we are, with what we have available, to ultimately shift the trajectory of our creative […]
Take a look at this Sonia Simone post: “Obey Me or Fail” for tips on tailoring your step by step learning/action curve, aka creative trajectory.
In Chapter 8 of The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron labels the belief “I’m too old to create” excuse a “Great Block Lie” and considers it on a par with that other old saw, “I don’t have money for it.” Using the “too old” excuse is so convenient. And the longer you wait to begin, the […]
Week 8 of the Artist’s Way program discusses how to nurture hope and the courage to create despite the pain and loss of failure. I’d say, “Non illegitimi te carborundum*” pretty much sums it up; the chapter title is “Recovering a Sense of Strength.” Many Kinds of Artistic Loss Julia Cameron considers artistic survival to […]
In good times as well as in bad, our beliefs about money can restrain our creativity. Do you, like many creative types, feel it is inevitable to be struggling and broke because we want to be an artist, actor, writer, musician, fill in the blank instead of working at a “real” job? Do you think […]