What is The Artist's Way program?

What is The Artist’s Way? It is a 12-week program of self-discovery and creative recovery. Such a simple sentence to describe an enduring and trusted program that is more than 30 years old. Personally, I have done the program on several occasions and each time I get more out of it than I expected. The practices learned in The Artist’s Way have become like old and trusted friends, a place I can truly rest and reflect in safety and compassion. I consider myself fortunate indeed that I get to share the experience regularly with those new to and those familiar with the seminal work of Julia Cameron.

At Imaginal Coaching we have created a 14 week program called Becoming Your Life's Work which uses The Artists Way as the foundation to start the meaningful conversations required to engage in deep self learning. Julia Cameron encourages devotees of The Artists Way to begin workshops and groups in their community to bring this learning opportunity to others. She asks only that we do not change the name or intention of the content. In order to be more accessible to people I have created a program called Becoming Your Life's Work via The Artists Way to honor her request and generosity.

Why does creativity matter? The educationist Sir Ken Robinson, proponent of the encouragement of creativity among children said, ‘My contention is that creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.’ Why would he say that? The ability to imagine things that don’t exist is the first step in design and innovation. Imagine not having Wi-Fi these days, or flushing toilets, never mind sending aging actors into space for real instead of in front of a green screen. These things were imagined long before they were brought into existence.

Art brings people together. Our beliefs, values and ideologies are represented in art, stories, symbols, rituals and songs. These are the tools we use to bring large groups of people together to act on common goals. Khufu didn’t motivate 100 000 men to build his great pyramid at Giza using whips and chains, he inspired them to act on their ideologies with stories, rituals and symbols. Sporting clubs, political parties and chocolate companies alike all rely on songs, stories and colors to build tribelike connections and a sense of belonging.

Engaging with our personal creativity allows us to explore our own ideas and feelings and thoughts. This helps build self-reliance and confidence by making it possible to express ourselves clearly to others and ask for what we need. Humans have used art and language to collaborate and communicate since the cognitive revolution 70000 years ago. Our ability to relay information through language and symbols – here is the good water, there is the bad merchant – has been attributed to homo sapiens out surviving the 6 other sapiens species. People confronting life changing events such as divorce, malignant diagnosis, death of a loved one often attribute being able to explore their feelings creatively with part of their personal survival.

What happens in a journey of self-discovery? To discover oneself is the act or process of gaining knowledge or understanding of your abilities, character, and feelings. There are as many ways to go on a journey of self-discovery as there are ways to paint the sky. It may involve a pilgrimage, going on retreat, working alone or with a trusted guide, following a set program or working it out as you go. Most likely it is going to be a combination of several things over several years – or a whole lifetime, the only constant in our lives is change after all. The Artist's Way “helps de-mystify the creative and self-discovery process by making it part of your daily life”. It tackles your self-doubts, self-criticism and worries about time, money and the support to pursue our creative dream and purpose.

“Know thyself” is a classic platitude that continues to offer a valuable reminder today. It is only through the discovery of self that we can identify our purpose and actualize our potential. On the other hand, failure to embark on a pilgrimage of self-discovery will cheat us of the opportunity to understand who we are and what we want out of life, as well as how we can help others during our life. Committing to a self-discovery process will bring a deeper sense of satisfaction and fulfillment to your internal and external life.

What is the benefit of doing the program with a Master NLP Practitioner? When you attend a workshop facilitated by a Master NLP Practitioner you can be assured that you are in partnership with someone who is committed to mastering communication and sustainable self-excellence. Master NLP Practitioners are trained to ask powerful and relevant questions, assisting you to explore your insights in a safe and productive manner. There are of course also the benefits of doing anything in a group. It is always easier to remain accountable when there are other people involved, having a group to meet with each week helps keep us on task, especially on those slightly more challenging weeks we all come up against from time to time. Sharing something with a group of like-minded people deepens your enjoyment and learning and helps to provide multiple perspectives to your experiences.

What does a typical week on the program look like? You will do your weekly pre-reading before each week’s workshop session; each workshop participant will have purchased their personal copy of The Artist’s Way book. The weekly reading will set the theme for discovery and contemplation for the next 7 days. With a maximum of four people in each course, the weekly 90-minute session provides everyone with ample opportunity to share as much, or as little, of their insights, challenges, and enjoyment as they are comfortable with. We will start each session with a recap of the previous 7 days and provide each other with support and compassion. Then we will talk about the topic of the next 7 days and discuss some strategies to help overcome any potential barriers to or resistance towards any of the tasks. Sessions are help via Zoom to allow for greater accessibility and where circumstances permit, week 14 is held in person to allow us to celebrate everyone's achievements.

Alongside of this is the participation in the cornerstones of The Artist’s Way program – Morning Pages, weekly Artist’s Date and the weekly tasks. Morning Pages is a cathartic, ritualistic writing process that clears your mind, builds confidence, and creates a path for greater creativity. To quote Julia Cameron: ‘Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. *There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages*– they are not high art. They are not even “writing.” They are about anything and everything that crosses your mind– and they are for your eyes only. Morning Pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and synchronize the day at hand. Do not over-think Morning Pages: just put three pages of anything on the

page…and then do three more pages tomorrow.’

An artist date is a way to devote time to your creative self. It should be done solo, and the time is just for you. Julia Cameron, the author of The Artist's Way, describes them as assigned play. It may be walking through an art supply store or visiting a museum, going for a walk in nature or taking a class —anything you find creative and enjoyable.

The weekly tasks are designed to encourage you to go deeper with your reflection and self-examination. Julia says: ‘I usually tell people to do about half of the tasks in each chapter. If there is one you missed that is conspicuously haunting you, go back and do it. I suggest doing the tasks you are most drawn to and the ones you are most repelled by. But the "medium" ones, just leave them lie.’ This is a no judgment space, and we are all adults here, it is up to you how much you get out of the program by how much you put into it. Some weeks you will do better with doing the tasks than others, do what you can and remember it is a long life, you can always go back and revisit anything you like.

Who will benefit from doing The Artist’s Way? It seems like the obvious answer is artists. And they most certainly will benefit from doing The Artist’s Way program. Creativity is a defining characteristic of all humans. It is the use of imagination or original ideas to create something. Therefore, I feel the truly obvious answer is all humans will benefit from doing The Artist’s Way program. Certainly, anyone who is feeling stuck in their life, who feels like they are missing the answer to something or someone who simply wants to invest some time and effort in their own self-discovery will gain great benefits from their endeavors. The benefits will show up in many areas of your life: at work, in business, in your relationship with yourself, spouse, children, friends, colleagues. It will show up in your commitment to yourself and your enjoyment of life.

Whether you choose to undertake The Artist’s Way alone, and many, many thousands have done so successfully, or you choose to engage with a group, you will not regret the time and effort you invest in yourself over the 14 weeks. If you are interested in joining a group near you, please call Lisa on 0449 912 157 or email imaginalcoaching@internode.on.net. If you would like to have a group facilitated at your establishment for your customers or team please do contact me to organize that also.