It’s so hard to be creative if you don’t genuinely like yourself.
The culprits that can undermine your serenity are shame, negative thinking, and self-sabotage.
These negative habits are often linked to the past in one way or another.
It doesn’t matter if the negativity was being directed at you and you took it on, or if the negativity took the form of lies you told to yourself about yourself: self-destructive beliefs have got to go, if you want to thrive creatively.
The good news is that there are many wonderful resources for creative recovery that can help you move forward.
One of the most well-known books on creative recovery is Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way.
If you struggle with self-loathing, paralyzing fear, relationship challenges, or addictive habits of any stripe, you will find comfort and inspiration in The Artist’s Way.
In it, Cameron offers simple wisdom and tools to help you begin actualizing your creative potential.
The book and the author have been guiding lights for me. I can thank Julia Cameron for bringing my husband and I together and for continuing to provide practical, powerful examples and advice on living the creative life.
I have seen Cameron speak. I have attended her workshop one weekend. I even interviewed her once.
But by far her greatest gift to me is the words in The Artist’s Way and the common sense wisdom that permeates all of her books.
What books have been instrumental to your creative self-expression?
Comments on this entry are closed.
LOVE The Artist’s Way. Many yrs ago, two creative friends and I formed our own little “support” group based on Cameron’s instruction: morning pages, artist dates and helped each other see the potential lying beneath the surface. Tow more of my favs: Bird by Bird (Anne Lamott) and Writing Down the Bones (Natalie Goldberg) Thanks for the reminder, Christina. I’ve been stuck lately and need to turn to some of these sources of support…
CHAPTER AFTER CHAPTER and PAGE BY PAGE by Heather Sellers are my go-to books for creative self-expression and inspiration.
Funny you should just now write about Ms. Cameron – she is my shaman, my absolute, my life-savior. I have just returned from a weekend at Kripalu in Lenox, Massachusetts with her (my first) and haven’t the words to describe my experience. If anyone is hesitant about this “type” of book – don’t be. Read it, skim it, peruse it – you WILL NOT be disappointed.
I would have to include Sarah Ban Breathnach (of Simple Abundance celebrity) and Stephen King’s “On Writing” was a breath of fresh air in terms of “how to write.” Very succint, no flowery language, just straight-talk. Awesome.
Thanks for the reminder. I’ve had this book recommended to me many times over the years. Going to order it right now. No more negativity. Creative blessings to you.
Thanks for the suggestion.
I love the 3AM Epiphany so much that I have a hard copy and digital. It expands your writing styles and forces you to step outside your comfort zones. It helps me fight through the “negative habits” you mentioned. Most of my current projects are consciously and subconsciously a result from the exercises in this book.
This book LITERALLY changed my life when I completed the course a month ago. My understanding of myself, my relationship to the world, and my beliefs in “god” were challenged. I found the truth through soul-searching, and I learned to love my creative self.
I’m a little freaked out that you mention this book at this time. I was just struggling with myself this morning over whether or not to publicly confess that I have been doing her program with the book for the last month now, after owning and ignoring it for a couple of years. I thought it would be embarrassing to admit that I’m just now coming to it. Aren’t I so behind the times? And yet, I’m starting to believe in the wisdom that the right guides appear in our lives exactly when we need them most. And boy howdy, do I need some guidance right about now. Thanks for being psychic!
Thanks for sharing, Kate. 🙂
I like SBB, as well. Haven’t read “On Writing” because I don’t read King’s books. Would I like it even so, do you think?
Oh golly, it’s a must read. Have fun!
Hmmm, I’ll have to check it out. I’ve not read that one. Thanks, Tara!
Nice, Mindi. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Welcome! 🙂
One book I love which is timeless is Brenda Ueland’s book, If You Want to Write. It’s hard to believe it was originally published in 1938. Here’s one quotation (of many) that encouraged (and encourages) me: “This is what I learned: that everybody is talented, original and has something important to say.”
Amen.