I'm forcing myself to do The Artist's Way
And I think you should join me.
Yesterday, when I thought about what I might write for this newsletter, I realized something: I was kind of…out of ideas.
It happens, especially now that I write twice a week, but usually I’m able to sit down with my journal and write my way towards a concept. But I didn’t do that. Instead, I waited until 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday to throw something together (if this is your first time reading…maybe dig into the archives after, I promise we’re usually a bit more fun).
I could say that the reason I didn’t write is because I spent the weekend with family in the Adirondacks (had plenty of free time) Sunday on a four hour drive (left at 10am, got home at 2pm), Monday in the office, and Monday evening visiting an extremely special new baby (!!! but still, I got home from that visit at 6:00 p.m. and summarily spent four hours looking for a thick, cropped-ish gray cardigan that does not cost $2,400).
I realized I’d gotten to the point where I needed a forcing function to drive me towards creative insight. It’s been a while since I’ve done this, but it’s time: I’m going to start The Artist’s Way. And mayyybe some of you will do it with me?!
If you have NO idea what I’m talking about, allow me to FILL YOU IN.
The Artist’s Way is a 12-week program for ANYONE looking to get in touch with, then sharpen, then amplify their creative focus. The program was created in 1992 by film director Julia Cameron. Also, I hateee to be anti-feminist and mention her ex-husband as a way of getting your attention, but her ex-husband is Martin Scorsese and he loves the book, so…do with that information what you will!
I cannot stress this enough: you do not have to be “artistic” or even “creative” to do The Artist’s Way. As Cameron writes frequently throughout the book, even the most corporate-forward people have used it to make their lives, and, in turn, their work, better. It’ll also show you all the ways in which you are creative (I firmly believe everyone on earth has creative capacity), many of which you may not have realized. Business ideas, big career moves, positive life changes, and major shifts are all VERY common program outcomes.
I know I haven’t given much functional insight yet, so let’s discuss how it’s structured. The Artist’s Way (I’m annoyed at myself for making the creative choice to bold and italicize it every time I mention it, but I’m in too deep now) is a workbook, broken down into twelve weeks.
Each week has a theme, a reading, and a number of tasks affiliated with it. In addition to the reading and tasks, you start every morning with “morning pages” (you’ve probably heard this term thrown around), three written, ideally 8x11, free-flowing pages in a journal. You’re not planning what to say, it’s just stream of consciousness writing. These pages get very frustrating, but it’s crucial you complete them every day you’re doing the program—Cameron claims they’re the most important part, and that all the petty bullshit you write about in the morning is what stands in the way of you and creative focus. Essentially, it’s a daily purge—goal being: get the small stuff off your chest, direct your attention towards things that actually matter.
In addition to the morning pages, there’s an “artist’s date,” where you need to spend one hour each week doing something alone that you feel enhances your creativity. Once you finish the program, you sign a “contract” to continue the morning pages for another three months (which…I may be in breach of).
I’ve done The Artist’s Way twice. The first time was between November 2020 and February 2021. The second was January to April 2023. I found it difficult and frustrating but also incredibly rewarding. In fact (and I didn’t even realize this until this very moment), I hit send on the first ever edition of this newsletter on the final day of my first round of The Artist’s Way.
Days after finishing my second round, I shared my updated website and Literally Obsessed rebrand with the world.
I came across the book thanks to Dianna Cohen, who has indirectly awarded me a LOT of career opportunities via the Crown Affair (if you get nothing else out of this newsletter, at least buy their fucking FANTASTIC leave-in conditioner, which works even for the fine and oily-haired girlies comme moi) mentorship program, Seedling, which I completed in 2020 (shoutout to Carolyn Bothwell). I owned the book (honestly, no clue how it got into my possession, may have been a gift), but coming across this Instagram post in fall 2020 is what finally sold me.
I realized Dianna was in the group with Lara Marie Schoenhals (host of my ALL-TIME FAVORITE, incredibly irreverent Vanderpump Rules recap pod, Sexy Unique Podcast) and Elizabeth Kott, who was once the co-host of what I believe is the second podcast I ever listened to (after Serial, because that was everyone’s first podcast journey, right?), the now defunct That’s So Retrograde (RIP. I so invested that I bought merch, which I spilled on and had to throw out, but it was cool). I learned this when Kott and Schoenhals teamed up to co-host Too Niche, which is a “haul” podcast about...everything . In one episode, they ranked all of the American Girl dolls. In another, they tried celebrity wine brands, and another they tested all of the sparkling waters on the market. If memory serves, they conceived the Too Niche podcast idea while they were doing the program. Also, if you’re not going to do it, at least you just got some solid podcast recs.
I’ve had it in my head that I’ve needed to do it (can you tell by how many times I’m saying “it” that I’m avoiding retyping The Artist’s Way?) again for a while now (as a lot of my friends can attest, because I’ve asked them to join me—with mixed results<3), but there was no official PUSH. And then: last week, Kott did a Too Niche podcast episode on The Artist’s Way, which I happened to listen to yesterday morning, which she ended with: “if you’ve been waiting for a sign to do The Artist’s Way, here it is.” AND THEN: I ran out of ideas for my newsletter! So here I am, stream of consciousness writing to all of YOU to let you know that I’m going to do it again.
HERE’S WHERE YOU COME IN (bet you’ve been waiting): anyone and everyone is invited to do it with me!!!! I PROMISE you that no matter who you are and how creative you do or don’t feel, you will get something out of it. Plus, I’ve never done it in a group, and it seems more fun—easy way to stay accountable. I’m planning on starting on August 1st, so if you’re INTERESTED, DM me, comment, etc and I’ll get you added to my little group. If you don’t want to join me, hopefully you’ll still benefit — the goal is to use TAW to make THIS letter better.
And with that, I’m concluding tonight’s ~evening pages~.
See ya Friday!