The Artist's Way at Work: Riding the Dragon

The Artist's Way

by Mark Bryan, Julia Cameron, Catherine A. Allen

After the publication of the bestselling book The Artists' Way, Julia Cameron and Mark Bryan, co-creators of the country's most successful course on creativity, were often told that their techniques helped people achieve their business goals. This spurred them to refine the methods to help people perform more creatively and effectively at work. The program is revealed in The Artists' Way at Work: a twelve-week encounter with your own ingenuity, struggles, strengths and dreams -- as well as the political guidance to enable you to get things done.Through powerful self-assessment exercises with intriguing titles such as "Power Inside vs. Power Outside," "Developing Creative Continuity," and "Finding Your Truth," readers learn to release their creative spirit at work and tap reserves of energy, vision, and passion. The Artists' Way at Work will help you excel in your job, launch the business of your dreams, or find the career you love. Best of all, you will learn to "live in the paradox" -- to develop a personal philosophy of excellence that sustains you, whatever the future holds.

The processes in this book are rooted in cutting-edge principles of human development, organizational behavior, and the arts. They have been rigorously tested among business audiences and will unleash a degree of satisfaction at work (and in life) you may never have believed possible. For every one of us who works, The Artists' Way at Work reveals a completely new way to thrive.

Genres: Art, Writing, Nonfiction, Self Help, Business, Psychology, Leadership

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Arezu Wishka · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتابی که خیلی از باگ های کتاب راه هنرمند توش رفع شده بود و روندش جالب بود برام با اینکه تکرارهای زیادی داشت

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, this book is pretty cheesy and New Age, but it has some good ideas. The point of the book is to teach you to cultivate yourself outside of your job, so you're not just some work robot. The exercises are just generally good practices, like keeping a journal, trying new things you've been intimidated to try, etc. My favorite one was to make a list of things under $20 that make you feel luxurious, and then surround yourself with them to make your work space feel more personalized (like decent coffee, nice stationery for business letters, potted plants). An interesting book for those looking for some self-reflection.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book much slower than I originally intended. It has taken time to digest and implement the principles.

Currently studying: The Eighth Transformation, Living with Passion.

Quoting from page 209: "No longer frightened by either failure or success, you are free to live your dreams unfettered by the opinions of others or by self-imposed limits."

[Susie · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Number a page from 1 to 3892636388. Make a list of everything you would do if space and time could be controlled by your mind and you were a billionaire. Now do them all. Set aside 14 hours and write a letter to yourself about how much you love this book. Now list 84 people who upset you and ruminate deeply about it. Cut up some magazines. Now you are healed.”

[Gayle Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having "completed" a 12-week Artist's Way group that grew into 16 weeks I'm setting the book down with every intention of picking it up again in a few weeks and taking my dragon on another ride.

Every time I have worked my morning pages and invested in time outs/artist's dates I have grown.

I'll be traveling for most of next month and I'm looking forward to playing and returning to work invigorated.

[Melissa Muirhead · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I bought years and years ago and never got around to reading. I seem to be on a bit of a Julia Cameron kick at the moment and decided to finally start. And it was perfectly what I needed at this moment in my life. Sometimes I think we read certain books at a certain time for reasons we can't understand logically.

[Hella]

The Artist's Way toegepast op de werkvloer, om met meer creativiteit en voldoening te werken!

[Punita R. Arora · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent exercise book for our lives at work. Addresses competing agendas in our desires, various personas within our intentions. This book is a means to finding one's own path forward.

[Paige Etheridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love dragons and art and creativity and being affirmed and being taught new things and everything related to study of the Tao. This book was a journey in of itself!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Artist's Way at Work" by Julia Cameron and Mark Bryan is another brilliant addition to the collection of books by Cameron that I've explored, and it certainly lives up to the high expectations set by her previous works. As a long-time reader of Cameron's books, I found this particular collaboration with Bryan to be an incredibly valuable resource for bringing creativity into the professional sphere.

This book expands upon the foundational concepts from Cameron's earlier work, "The Artist's Way," but offers a fresh perspective that specifically targets the workplace. The exercises, such as "Morning Pages" and "Artist Dates," are thoughtfully adapted to fit within the confines of a busy professional life, making it easier to integrate creativity into even the most demanding of schedules.

Cameron and Bryan address common obstacles to creativity—like self-doubt, burnout, and the fear of taking risks—with a perfect blend of empathy and practicality. Their combined wisdom offers clear, actionable steps to overcoming these barriers, whether you work in a creative field or a more traditional corporate environment.

Mark Bryan’s contributions add another layer of depth, providing practical insights that complement Cameron's nurturing approach. The result is a comprehensive guide that speaks to a wide range of readers, emphasizing that creativity is not only essential for artists but for anyone looking to thrive in their career.

Having read many of Cameron's books, I found "The Artist's Way at Work" to be one of the most applicable to real-world professional challenges. It’s a must-read for anyone looking to bring more creativity, purpose, and fulfillment to their work life. Julia Cameron and Mark Bryan offer a compelling and inspiring guide that helps readers embrace their creative potential, no matter their profession. Highly recommended!

[Jordan Thomson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second day of the decade, second self-help book. Clearly I’m craving something. I haven’t read The Artist’s Way, and I probably should have before listening to this on Audible, but I’m not sure it’s necessary. It might also be a good idea to get a physical copy of the book as it is a sort of work book. Oh, well.

I find myself being turned off by some of the language in many self-help books. I suppose it could be a part of my religious upbringing that makes me think I have to take or leave all. But I eventually realize that I can take what I like and leave what I don’t. Some of my take-aways:

-morning pages. I love the idea of starting the day by writing and without the pressure of it being good, or the perfect account of the day, or anything, really. I did my first 3 pages this morning and it was basically a glorified to-do list. I’ve wanted to be a better journal-er and this gives me permission to do it without the stress.

-time outs. Taking a hour or two per week to be by myself to do something fun sounds so refreshing. They say you can go for a walk or to a museum or to an antique store while you live in your thoughts. This is the exact thing I need in my life.

[Elina Tu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Một cuốn sách thực sự khá khô vì có rất nhiều kiến thức – đa phần rất bổ ích. Mình mất 3 tháng để đọc dù không đi theo trình tự của cuốn sách. Mình cũng không thực hiện theo kế hoạch của cuốn sách – đơn giản chỉ là đọc để tham khảo và lấy kiến thức. Mình nghĩ một phần do giọng dịch khiến cuốn sách trở nên khô vì khi mình thử dịch một số từ “chuyên” sang tiếng anh thì cảm thấy dễ chịu và dễ hiểu hơn nhiều. Dù rất khó để đọc hết, nhưng kiến thức nhận được qua cuốn sách thì rất nhiều.
Mình không chắc sau này sẽ dành thời gian đọc lại cuốn sách. Nhưng những ghi chép trong quá trình đọc chắc chắn sẽ giúp ích cho mình rất nhiều.

[Evil Secret Ninja · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay and I feel that a person could become more artistic by following the guides in the book. I don't' think it is the only avenue. When it talks about getting up earlier to write in a journal. I already get up early I don't want to get up earlier and I still have to get to work and get the children up and do things in the morning before I go to work. I have been able to set time aside at work to write but it is not first thing. Also I did not like how the idea of making lots of money is a goal for people. No matter how creative I am I will not make more money at work that is just the nature of my profession.

[Hermione Laake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book as well as The Artists Way by the same author. It is great to dip into when you are feeling like giving up, and helps to keep you centred when the pay cheques aren't coming in. I particularly enjoyed Julia's dragon metaphors in this one. I often return to it when I need motivation.

[Heidi Arata · Rating 5 out of 5]

This and her other book the artists way are so transformative. I return to the process rereading them every few years. They always help me to transform my processes and deepen my connections to myself and what I am creating

[Robin Pendergraft · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for a class. Not my thing.

[Bella · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book is much much much better and provided a more fulfilling experience.

[Brenda Ritter Metcalfe Fish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, but not much different than her other books. I have retired since reading this, so perhaps it is not as directly applicable.

[Anahita · Rating 5 out of 5]

اگر فقط بخوام یک کتاب از کامرون انتخاب کنم این کتابه.

[Kuan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 would give morning pages a go. Rest seems quite practical too, but not too new and revolutionary, heard or read it somewhere before

[James Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

rivers from weezer recommended this to me via a podcast and laura from against me did the same so i finally read it lol

[slowmokim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rất có hiệu quả 💪💪

[Blaire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great points, just dunno about the morning pages…

[Linda]

Not for this time of my life.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this version of the Artist's Way program nearly as much as others and set it aside before finishing.

[DH · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5⭐️Enjoyed this book a lot, many subjects discussed made me reflect on life. Recommended and will be re-reading in the future.

[Jeff Lampson]

Remarkably similar to the earlier Artist's Way with Julia Cameron but nice job of customizing so it is more directly applicable to work. I really like the bridge between work and creative whole person living.

The topics range from the core process to awakenings, the abyss, learning, passion and authenticity. I believe all are topics that will resonate with individuals motivated for increased whole person living.

This book presents a tried and proven process for bringing more power, joy, creative spirit and thrill to one's life. The morning pages when done routinely and coupled with regular exercise enable the individual to make powerful shifts. It really works. This book seems so consistent with the Hudson approach and much of the language is similar. A core perspective I have learned at Hudson and this book reinforces is that consistent, small, and almost imperceptable changes lead to huge shifts in a surprisingly short amount of time. We will seldom find large chunks of time and space to huge shifts at once. Start where you are and act is the message I receive.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I FINALLY finished this book. I was motivated to read it after being inspired by the original book, The Artist's Way. However, it was not nearly as good, nor as inspirational. It was actually quite a disappointment. I did get some good insights out of the early parts of the book. It is a 12-week kind of "course" with morning pages, and artist dates and time outs, and a LOT of exercises to help you explore your direction in life. However, it seems to be geared more toward people who work in a corporate environment, thus not applicable so much to my life.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

So helpful for the creative ones out there. For those who need an extra push to achieve whatever they want to. This book provides you with the proper tools and insight and inspiration to get the work done! It's a self help book that talks directly to the delicate creative artist soul. Just like me!

[Marian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read this a few times now, and just finally have to admit I don't like it as much as The Artist's Way. I think it focuses too much on one kind of work:corporate/business/white collar culture. It isn't as helpful for a fitness specialist, and it's hard to imagine a nurse or firefighter getting any use of it.

I much prefer Julia Cameron's version. You can't hear her voice in this at all.