Sherry Scott's Blog, page 2
December 3, 2012
Journey through the Artist's Way, again.
I was in a very dark place nearly five years ago when someone casually mentioned The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativitywritten by Julia Cameron. I checked the book out of our local library and started on a journey that would eventually lead me to write my own memoirThe Year My Mother Died: A Memoir.
The book is divided into a twelve week course, drafted from an actual class in which the author instructed other artists on how to unblock and reclaim their artistic dreams. I went back to the library and checked the book out as many times as I needed in order to read each section of the book on a week-to-week basis, per the author's instruction. Julia Cameron became my creative mentor, my teacher and a blessed conduit for restoring and nurturing my lost dreams.
I am back at it again, only this time, I am working my way through the Artist's Way within a class setting. I'm not here to summarize the book, or discuss the author's techniques and tools, rather to share my own experience and my observances of those around me, as we work our way toward "higher creativity."
We have completed our first week that "initiates our creative recovery", entitled: Recovering a Sense of Safety. I was determined to bring a fresh and current agenda while working through the tasks at the end of each chapter, instead of recounting and regurgitating what I had five years ago. What fascinated me after completing chapter one, was the fresh pain I witnessed on the faces of my colleagues, as they shared tales from their pasts regarding individuals who had trampled on their creative self-worth.
One woman related with indignation how her fourth grade teacher had taken up her creative journal that she doodled and drew in, because she was not paying attention. But,the topper was, "she threw it away, she threw my notebook away!" Another friend told how a relative, whom he admired for her artistic abilities, crushed his dreams of ever becoming an artist in one fell swoop. After diligently attempting to copy one of her paintings with his own water colors, his masterpiece was snatched from his hands with "See, I told you, you couldn't do it!" He was around six-years-old at the time, bear in mind, our class is made up of middle-aged individuals.
I hope to gain some fellow travelers as I journey through this book for the third time, in addition to this unique class of individuals I meet with on Thursday nights. The invitation is open, come along, its not too late- stay-tuned for WEEK 2: Recovering a Sense of Identity.
Sherry Scott
Goodreads Author
The book is divided into a twelve week course, drafted from an actual class in which the author instructed other artists on how to unblock and reclaim their artistic dreams. I went back to the library and checked the book out as many times as I needed in order to read each section of the book on a week-to-week basis, per the author's instruction. Julia Cameron became my creative mentor, my teacher and a blessed conduit for restoring and nurturing my lost dreams.
I am back at it again, only this time, I am working my way through the Artist's Way within a class setting. I'm not here to summarize the book, or discuss the author's techniques and tools, rather to share my own experience and my observances of those around me, as we work our way toward "higher creativity."
We have completed our first week that "initiates our creative recovery", entitled: Recovering a Sense of Safety. I was determined to bring a fresh and current agenda while working through the tasks at the end of each chapter, instead of recounting and regurgitating what I had five years ago. What fascinated me after completing chapter one, was the fresh pain I witnessed on the faces of my colleagues, as they shared tales from their pasts regarding individuals who had trampled on their creative self-worth.
One woman related with indignation how her fourth grade teacher had taken up her creative journal that she doodled and drew in, because she was not paying attention. But,the topper was, "she threw it away, she threw my notebook away!" Another friend told how a relative, whom he admired for her artistic abilities, crushed his dreams of ever becoming an artist in one fell swoop. After diligently attempting to copy one of her paintings with his own water colors, his masterpiece was snatched from his hands with "See, I told you, you couldn't do it!" He was around six-years-old at the time, bear in mind, our class is made up of middle-aged individuals.
I hope to gain some fellow travelers as I journey through this book for the third time, in addition to this unique class of individuals I meet with on Thursday nights. The invitation is open, come along, its not too late- stay-tuned for WEEK 2: Recovering a Sense of Identity.
Sherry Scott
Goodreads Author
