How The Artist's Way Is Helping My Mental Health And Creativity

I’d seen The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron on bookshelves for years, but had never picked it up. To be honest, I only picked it up in January because it was the main read of a class I had signed up for through Literary Arts. Sifting through their website a few months ago, I was drawn to the course because it said it was dedicated to helping students cultivate a writing habit, which is something I felt I was missing.

I could have never imagined what the first six weeks of the class - and of working through The Artist’s Way - would actually entail. True to its name, it is a recovery workbook and it weaves into more than just your creative life. I still have six weeks to go in the program, but I have already felt such a shift in my own process.

This is why I want my biggest disclaimer to be that you don’t have to be a creative to benefit from The Artist’s Way. The only requirement I think is necessary is for you to be open to changing your habits to better serve your purpose and better guide you away from bad self-talk, procrastination, or whatever else is standing in your way.

Now with that been said, here are some of the top questions I’ll answer now that I’m six weeks in.

What is The Artists’s Way?

The Artist’s Way is a book by Julia Cameron that focuses on a 12-week program to help you become better friends with your inner-creative (inner-child and overall intuition). In the first six weeks it has focused on limiting beliefs, our relationship to money, setting boundaries and protecting your space and energy. There are tasks for each week that help support each chapter’s main point.

What are Morning Pages?

Morning pages are 3-pages of brain dumping every morning. The habit is meant to encourage you to be less judgmental of your thoughts, while also helping you sort through what you’re even actually thinking. My main tip for someone starting out is to choose a notebook for this that makes 3-pages doable. Set yourself up for success. I used a small journal for it and filled it up in 6 weeks. The pages are a third of 8.5x11 pages, but it’s honestly what helped me commit to writing out morning pages 6 out of 7 days each week.

Do you have to do pages every day?

Don’t judge your process. I do them 5-6 days per week but am intentional about taking days off because sometimes I just don’t want to have to write. It’s okay to take what works for you from this process and leave the rest.

What are Artist Dates?

I was the most skeptical of Artists Dates during the intro. The premise, as Cameron explains, is to encourage you to basically date yourself at least once a week. The biggest difference between this and any other solo time you may already have built into your schedule is your artist date is meant to spark wonder and you’re meant to do it alone. You’re meant to do something not because it’s what you normally do or think you’re “supposed” to do, but instead, you get to do things that will make you feel happy just because. One of Cameron’s example is she goes to pet bunnies at the local pet store and that brings her such joy. I love the concept of doing things for just pleasure because it reminds you that inspiration doesn’t have to always be hard work. You need to be able to fill your cup in order to produce anything and the artist date helps you do that. Especially because you’re not allowed to bring anyone else on it with you. It forces you to tap into your “inner-creative” and what makes them smile, hence the comparison to dating yourself.

What has been the hardest part of The Artist’s Way thus far?

I’ve had a ton of ups and downs while pushing through the last six weeks. Mostly about my own identity and the space I don’t tend to give my creative. I force my inner-creative to produce, produce, produce, but up until doing this, I never thought of it as a part of myself that required its own self-care and self-love routine in order to feel good about itself. I’ve had to come face to face with the ways I hadn’t been taking care of my inner creative and that’s been rough. I’ve had to double down on my commitment in order to not run away from it. I think it’s helped that I’m doing The Artist’s Way with others. If you can, find someone else who has also done The Artist’s Way to check in with. It’ll help you feel more grounded in the process. If you don’t have anyone in your inner circle, feel free to DM me on IG or comment below, always happy to help.

As I think back I realize that especially in the last year, I’ve rarely taken solo time to spark creative joy within myself. I didn’t prioritize my creativity, which meant that my boundaries were nonexistent. I would get upset, for instance any time Chauncey our pup would distract me from writing, but until now, I didn’t put in the right boundaries to help set myself up for success. It’s been rough having these conversations with myself, but it’s helped me honor the part of me that makes me who I am and find ways to properly protect that energy.

How has working through The Artist’s Way helped your mental health?

I can write an entire series of posts on just this. My mental health and my ability to pour into the world are so intertwined. It shouldn’t have surprised me that The Artis't’s Way really impacted my mental health for the better in the last six weeks, but it so has. It became my lifeline especially as I’m navigating the hardest time I’ve had with my mental health in a really long time. Having a structure and a workbook that helps kindly guide me to let go of bad self-talk and prioritize anything that makes me feel good, safe, and happy, has become so important. Many of the habits I’m learning through The Artist’s Way are ones that are benefiting me across the board. It’s made me be more intentional about pouring into myself if I feel drained or setting boundaries so that I don’t resent those around me. It’s pushed me out of a victim mentality because it helps remind you that you do have agency.

Has it impacted your writing?

So so so much. I’m writing more than I ever have, but more importantly for me, I’m writing regularly. It’s helped me get to a place where I can turn to writing (as a skillset) whether I’m having a good day or a bad day. For me that’s transformational because so often I think I have to be in the “right mood” or all the stars have to align in order for me to be able to create.

I’ve learned so much about myself in the last 6 weeks. It’s helped me stand up for myself and my inner-creative more. I take up more space, both in and out of my career, which is something that I’ve always struggled with. I’m looking forward to the next 6 weeks and what I will learn from them. If you’ve done The Artist’s Way or are thinking of doing it, I’d love to hear!