The Artist's Way Should Be Required Reading for Gender Dysphoria

How two simple tools can alleviate many troubles in our lives

Loving yourself da Vinci-style - image via DALL-E by the author

As I work my way through Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way," I continue to wonder at the simplicity of the tools: Morning Pages and the Artist Date. I admit I was underwhelmed when I read about them. Write three pages in a journal every day. Take a rest once a week.

Is this not what I've done for almost 20 years? I began writing in a journal in 2005 - the first time I was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric ward. Every weekend I rest - I used to drink myself into oblivion; surely that was relaxing, right?

So why was I still feeling like hell?

In reading about the Artist's Way tools, I felt like I'd seen a commercial for the "Bass-o-Matic." Is it really just that easy? I was skeptical.

But I continued plugging my way through the process (as well as plugging the process itself through weekly articles about it), and after six weeks, I am convinced. There is magic in the tools that sparks wonder. It's even better than the Bass-o-Matic!

Although I wrote in a journal, I did not truly purge my difficult thoughts. Although I stayed away from the office on weekends, I did not truly rest. The magic of the tools has to do both with consistency (write three pages every day) as well as intent (rest without a purpose).