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36th out of 154 books
—
206 voters
Finding Water: The Art of Perseverance
This third book in Julia Cameron's bestselling trilogy on the creative process-beginning with The Artist's Way and Walking in This World-offers guidance on weathering the periods in an artist's life when inspiration appears to have run dry.
Julia Cameron presents a new twelve-week program for addressing those periods in an artist's life when inspiration is lacking. Findin...more
Julia Cameron presents a new twelve-week program for addressing those periods in an artist's life when inspiration is lacking. Findin...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
December 28th 2006
by Tarcher
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After reading The Artist's Way and Walking In The World, I didn't know what to expect when I opened Finding Water. I thought everything had been said, discussed and done. And I was wrong!
I must say that Finding Water is my most favorite book of the series. This book is much more focused on inner guidance and reveals more details of Julia's life in New York. As a New Yorker who loves her city, I know the places Julia writes about, I know the wonderful changes of Central Park throughout the year,...more
I must say that Finding Water is my most favorite book of the series. This book is much more focused on inner guidance and reveals more details of Julia's life in New York. As a New Yorker who loves her city, I know the places Julia writes about, I know the wonderful changes of Central Park throughout the year,...more
This book kept me interested. It encouraged me to pay attention to my creative life. There were many exercises that were short and helpful, and some more extended exercises that I sometimes did and sometimes skipped. I picked up this book because I found The Artist's Way very helpful, and I hoped this book would help me increase my perseverance on projects I choose. However, it turns out to be focused not on perseverance in general but on perseverance with an artistic career. The focus is very m...more
I enjoyed this book, though not as much as The Artist's Way and some of Cameron's others. That said, I must admit I read the book without doing the exercises--something that doubtless would have improved my overall rating, as Cameron's exercises have been helpful and illuminating for me in the past.
The essays were well-written glimpses into a working writer's life (Cameron's) during a trying time, when depression loomed large and perseverance was more difficult than ever. Cameron's bravery in t...more
The essays were well-written glimpses into a working writer's life (Cameron's) during a trying time, when depression loomed large and perseverance was more difficult than ever. Cameron's bravery in t...more
Back when The Artist's Way first came out, I read it and I was into it. It inspired me. The format suited me. Anything where you are asked to make a list is for me. I love my lists! So recently I saw this on the shelf at the library and decided to read it. It was the beginning of a new year and seemed like a good time to read something like this, to ignite my creativity and feel motivated. To be fair, I skipped the second book in the series since it didn't happen to be on the shelf at the librar...more
It is easy to look at a work of art, like an exquisite poem, and assume that one could never create anything as inspired. Cameron reminds me that great art requires more than inspiration -- it also requires working long hours when one is feeling less than inspired.
A friend recently sent me clip of a Malcolm Gladwell talk in which he critiques popular notions of genius and achievement. We tend to focus on Good-Will-Hunting-style acts of genius – seemingly effortless and performed in isolation.
Gl...more
A friend recently sent me clip of a Malcolm Gladwell talk in which he critiques popular notions of genius and achievement. We tend to focus on Good-Will-Hunting-style acts of genius – seemingly effortless and performed in isolation.
Gl...more
I appreciate the author's willingness to share her personal story and have compassion for what she has been through and admiration for the path she has chosen. I enjoyed all the famous quotes and especially liked the stories about the dogs (I would enjoy reading a book based solely on the dog's antics). What would have made it better for me: 1) It was too "twelve-step" for me, I would have liked less mention of that 2) less repetition ("list creative actions....you might manicure your nails brig...more
"So here I am in New York. As you'll find out in 'Prosperous Heart ' I'm absolutely freaking miserable. But at the time I was expending a great deal of energy convincing myself otherwise. I can 't let YOU in on that faithful reader, because I'm Miss Creativity guru. But here are some useful exercises for those times when something is deeply wrong and you just don't want to admit it to yourself."
Julia Cameron's core principles have some issues (for example, there's no advice for those of us who can't do daily walks due to disability or bad neighborhoods or low spoons) but her writing about writing lights a fire under me like no one else, except Natalie Goldberg.
Also, this book presents a very powerful and intimate view of someone struggling with depression.
Also, this book presents a very powerful and intimate view of someone struggling with depression.
Jan 07, 2009
Gloria
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Creative People
Shelves:
for-the-spirit
There are many more candid references to her experience as a sober alcoholic in this book than the previous two. This 12-step program is perhaps not so accidentally modeled after AA's 12-step program. The best advice is similar to the title: just do it. Create a little bit each day, but just do it.
Finished the 12 week series, and I got a lot out of it. Not as compelling and strong as the first two books, but it's about the slog. The slog isn't compelling. It's necessary. Some really good habits taken away from this book.
This book was like a friend guiding me to my better self. If you struggle with the grind of the artistic journey, this book will help. It is work though. It might take you several months to get through it but it is worth the journey.
Mixed feelings: Her writing sometimes feels forced. Her particular approach to spirituality is often personally offputting for me, and occasionally politically offensive, and it is far more intrusive in this book than in earlier ones. Yet she has significant insight into how writing happens and how writers work, and reading what she has to say often brings me a sense of expansive possibility, which are worth the other stuff.
Excellent book by writing coach, playwright, screenwriter and nonfiction author, Julia Cameron. It is about keeping on in the creative process no matter what. Great book to do with other creative friends.
As much as I have loved Cameron's other books, The Artist's Way, Vein of Gold, & Walking in this World, I did not enjoy Finding Water: The Art of Perseverance.
Maybe this writing was cathartic for Cameron. And maybe it will be helpful for those who are at a critically low point to feel they're not alone. I don't know, however, if it will help to energize them into the next level of creativity, however - & that's really one of the main reasons for using Cameron's tools. She's a master!
The...more
Maybe this writing was cathartic for Cameron. And maybe it will be helpful for those who are at a critically low point to feel they're not alone. I don't know, however, if it will help to energize them into the next level of creativity, however - & that's really one of the main reasons for using Cameron's tools. She's a master!
The...more
Sep 05, 2012
William DuBois
added it
I am pretty certain that I had this one at one time. I am now wondering where it has gone to?
Julia Cameron is my kind of self help. Another great book.
Having read The Artists Way some years ago I was looking forward to this one. While I liked it,I found it seemed to echo a lot of what had been said, if I remember correctly, in that previous book, so I didn't get as much out of it as I had expected to. Maybe it's me and I was not in the right frame of mind but I stuggled to go back to it each time, which is why it took me so long to get though it. Perhaps at another time it might work better.
So far the author is talking about writing Morning Pages. This is a form of meditation. When you get up in the morning you write 3 pages of whatever your mind is streaming.
I enjoy this book so far, although I'm not reading it very fast. It isn't one of those books you read in one night because it is teaching you methods for persevering through your troubles; specifically with writing.
I enjoy this book so far, although I'm not reading it very fast. It isn't one of those books you read in one night because it is teaching you methods for persevering through your troubles; specifically with writing.
This book was not as good as what her others were. Julia came across as depressed in her writing of this book. I know she struggles with that so it is not a critcism just an observation. Julia always has good advice to get the creativity flowing. I was just a little disappointed to not have anything new in this one to add to the previous volumes.
I have been part of a study group using this book. I expect to go through the book again, either alone or with a different group. For me the most memorable advice was that as a writer my job is "to just show up at the computer". It's true. We let things hold us back when if we were willing to "just show up", who knows what the potential might be?
I read through this book at a time when I was struggling to stay positive. The author wrote the book at a time when she was struggling to stay positive, as well. I found that her gentle honesty regarding how hard it is sometimes to just keep at things was really helpful.
With nothing really new to offer, and a confessional Cameron sharing how depressed she is, this was not a book I enjoyed reading or from which I drew any inspiration. For more:
http://satiasreviews.blogspot.com/201...
http://satiasreviews.blogspot.com/201...
1 like · like · see review
Julia Cameron got me going on my creative journey when I read Artists Way in 1997ish, and I am still a sucker for her books. But this one was a little Too Gentle for where I'm at right now. And her god stuff is starting to annoy me. ;)
I need some perseverance....
Turns out I needed perseverance to get through the book. Most of it is filled with self-indulgent angst. If I wanted that I could read Anne Rice...
Turns out I needed perseverance to get through the book. Most of it is filled with self-indulgent angst. If I wanted that I could read Anne Rice...
This is the third and weakest of the trilogy. Julia seemed tired in this one. It lacked passion. She quoted lots of conversation and it got monotonous at times.
I just took this one out of the library today. I can't wait to read these.. I took out a bunch of her books, lately, she really speaks to me, as a writer.
This book has helped me keep perservering toward artisitc goals I have. Great affirmations and quotes inside!
Oct 06, 2011
Marydanielle
added it
I think this might be an expression of The Artist's Way that suits me nicely.
May 22, 2013
May
marked it as to-read
May 20, 2013
Katerina
marked it as to-read
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Julia Cameron has been an active artist for more than thirty years, with fifteen books (including bestsellers The Artist's Way, Walking In This World and The Right to Write) and countless television, film, and theater scripts to her credit. Writing since the age of 18, Cameron has a long list of screenplay and teleplay credits to her name, including an episode of Miami Vice, and Elvis and the Beau...more
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“God does not give us more than we can handle," I am told but I wonder if God doesn't overestimate me just a little. Or perhaps, and this is likely, I underestimate God.”
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39 people liked it
“It takes constant vigilance not to slip into negativity or simple apathy. It takes courage to believe over any given period of time that we are getting better and not sliding into decline.”
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16 people liked it
More quotes…
May 05, 2008 07:00am