The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

This was more of a guidebook on how to become unblocked, as a "blocked" artist. So I was supposed to read a chapter a week, and do homework. It took me a while to get into the habit of following the directives, so it took me a while to get through the book. I never considered myself blocked, though I could always create more art. Sure. Mostly, I was looking for tips on gaining the confidence necessary to put more words on pages.

Cameron insists on invoking the great Creator, from whom our work flows. They are in charge of the quality of our work, and we are in charge of getting it done. If we accept that our creativity is a gift from God, any fault in our work can be directed to Him. And there are a lot of things like that in this book, much like a twelve step program.

And while I've made a few changes to my habits and my thinking about art, it's yet to be determined whether this book has had a profound, positive impact on my artistic path. That being said, I haven't done all of my homework, and I haven't gotten much better at nurturing my inner artist. Maybe, by the time I've finished all of the homework, I'll no longer feel so bitter about how some things have turned out for me, and I'll have more courage about the work I share.

But The Artist's Way did help me to find a sense of direction, better aligned with my values. And for anyone out there who is a blocked artist, and would like to get back into the habit of doing creative things, I do recommend this book. I think it would help a lot, at least to get the ball rolling.