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The Artist’s Way Every Day
A Year of Creative Living
Julia Cameron

Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin
October 2009/ ISBN 978-1-58542-5
Inspirational Nonfiction
Amazon


Reviewed by Leslie Halpern

From the prolific author of the international bestseller The Artist’s Way comes this new inspirational guidebook for everyday creativity. Broken down into 12 months, the book offers 365 suggestions for opening one’s mind to new ideas through spiritual awakening. Primarily aimed at writers, artists of all kinds can benefit from the mind-expanding thoughts included in this book.

Julia Cameron’s suggestions range from the general (February 8), “We are so skilled in the art of negative imagination, we are adroit at the art of writing out of anxiety, what might our writing and our world look like if we allowed ourselves to inhabit our positive imagination” to the specific (August 4), “Deadlines create a flow of adrenaline. Adrenaline medicates and overwhelms the censor. Writers procrastinate so that when they finally get to writing, they can get past the censor.” Similarly, some of her entries explore deep philosophies while others indicate superficial behaviors that can increase creative output (such as “Complete the following sentence: If I didn’t have to do it perfectly, I would try _____.”) In short, there’s something relatable for every kind of artist in this book.

Essentially The Artist’s Way Every Day reads like a boxed calendar with a thought for the day – only bound and with days of the month for any year. It’s part spiritual guide, part prayer book, and part instructional how-to for anyone involved in a creative endeavor. Its broad appeal, however, may also present a weakness. Someone seeking only practical writing tips or only lofty philosophical ideas on creativity may find some of the suggestions irrelevant. The ideal readers for this book will approach it with an open mind to exploring something new and challenging each day even when its immediate benefit may not be apparent.

Reviewer's Note:

Reviewed 2011
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