I have joked in the sidebar about being the “last person on earth” to read this book, but I think it very nearly might be true. A phenom in the early nineties, the book caught my attention at the time only briefly since I had to get back to the important business of smoking, drinking, and being a wild and crazy singleton.
It has come around to me again by way of being actually pressed into my hands and accompanied by the words, “You HAVE TO read this.”
For the unaware, the book is essentially a textbook for getting in touch with your inner creativity, information on what stops people from doing this, and exercises designed to break through one’s creative barriers.
I haven’t exactly engaged in each and every exercise, okay, I'll be honest, in fact I haven’t performed any. The book’s main device is something called “morning pages” an exercise in which one grabs a pen and paper immediately upon awakening and jots down (unedited and, at first even unread) all the thoughts ping-ponging around in one’s head at the time. According to the author, Julia Cameron, this has the effect of draining distractions from the creative mind, freeing the artist up to focus on the business of being creative.
I haven’t tried this because, as anyone who knows me will tell you: I AM NOT A MORNING PERSON. It’s something of a miracle I respond to the alarm at all.
On the other hand, there is something else that is also true about me: The Mormon Tabernacle Choir lives in my head.
Trouble is, instead of belting out inspiring renditions of The Hallelujah Chorus, they are all talking at once, each about something different: the grocery list, that bathroom that needs cleaning, whether or a not I’m a good enough parent, musing on why my wave petunias haven’t sprouted, reminding me to make that appointment to get my oil changed, wondering if my patent leather faux croc pumps would work with my new denim Capri pants…
You get the picture.
And, before you point out that hearing voices is a sign of mental illness, let me just say, YES I KNOW THAT, THANKS! See, my voices aren’t telling me to KILL anybody or anything like that and, besides, according to my good friend, Julia, it just MEANS I’M CREATIVE.
Ahem. As I was saying, even though I’m not actually doing it, the whole philosophy of needing to drain away distractions really rang true with me, as did many of the other concepts in the book.
Julia talks a lot about the creative process being divinely inspired; more of a channeling of something than a thing that is actually conjured up all by one’s lonesome. And, I have had the experience, not often mind you, but at times, of feeling like what I am writing is not being written by me per se but rather that it is being written through me, if you will.
I realize that none of these concepts are really new, but they are certainly presented in a way that is very accessible and inspirational. I recommend the book for creatives and constipated creatives everywhere.
And only a mere fifteen years late! Next I'll be rhapsodizing about the wonders of the cotton gin and extolling the virtues of the horseless carriage!
Now, if you’ll excuse me, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir just reminded me of a few hundred chores that need tending to.
I will leave you with this from “The Artist’s Way”:
One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.
-Andre Gide
It has come around to me again by way of being actually pressed into my hands and accompanied by the words, “You HAVE TO read this.”
For the unaware, the book is essentially a textbook for getting in touch with your inner creativity, information on what stops people from doing this, and exercises designed to break through one’s creative barriers.
I haven’t exactly engaged in each and every exercise, okay, I'll be honest, in fact I haven’t performed any. The book’s main device is something called “morning pages” an exercise in which one grabs a pen and paper immediately upon awakening and jots down (unedited and, at first even unread) all the thoughts ping-ponging around in one’s head at the time. According to the author, Julia Cameron, this has the effect of draining distractions from the creative mind, freeing the artist up to focus on the business of being creative.
I haven’t tried this because, as anyone who knows me will tell you: I AM NOT A MORNING PERSON. It’s something of a miracle I respond to the alarm at all.
On the other hand, there is something else that is also true about me: The Mormon Tabernacle Choir lives in my head.
Trouble is, instead of belting out inspiring renditions of The Hallelujah Chorus, they are all talking at once, each about something different: the grocery list, that bathroom that needs cleaning, whether or a not I’m a good enough parent, musing on why my wave petunias haven’t sprouted, reminding me to make that appointment to get my oil changed, wondering if my patent leather faux croc pumps would work with my new denim Capri pants…
You get the picture.
And, before you point out that hearing voices is a sign of mental illness, let me just say, YES I KNOW THAT, THANKS! See, my voices aren’t telling me to KILL anybody or anything like that and, besides, according to my good friend, Julia, it just MEANS I’M CREATIVE.
Ahem. As I was saying, even though I’m not actually doing it, the whole philosophy of needing to drain away distractions really rang true with me, as did many of the other concepts in the book.
Julia talks a lot about the creative process being divinely inspired; more of a channeling of something than a thing that is actually conjured up all by one’s lonesome. And, I have had the experience, not often mind you, but at times, of feeling like what I am writing is not being written by me per se but rather that it is being written through me, if you will.
I realize that none of these concepts are really new, but they are certainly presented in a way that is very accessible and inspirational. I recommend the book for creatives and constipated creatives everywhere.
And only a mere fifteen years late! Next I'll be rhapsodizing about the wonders of the cotton gin and extolling the virtues of the horseless carriage!
Now, if you’ll excuse me, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir just reminded me of a few hundred chores that need tending to.
I will leave you with this from “The Artist’s Way”:
One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.
-Andre Gide
1 comment:
That's so crazy. I remember listening to this book on tape (yes, on TAPE) several years ago and being truly inspired. I still have the tape case but only one tape. It goes without saying that even the one remaining does me no good as I haven't seen a cassette player since my hair was the size of Marge Simpson's.
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