Walking Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way"

When you hit a brick wall, find a way around

If you followed what I’ve written in the past ten days, it seems clear I hit a brick wall in where I thought I was going. First, I worried about becoming exactly what I set out to be - am I woman enough? Then I tried to psych myself back up with the conclusion I don’t need to be man enough in the face of obvious persecution of the transgender community.

What the past two weeks have taught me - fortunately - is that I lost my path slightly. I wrote “fortunately” because I could let this sit. I could stew in my depression and be wholly justified - life isn’t easy, after all. But losing my path is different from walking the wrong path, and I realize I can learn and grow from the experience of the past two weeks.

Cultivating creativity

A brick wall can provide value: sometimes we go the wrong way, and failing fast means we preserve energy better used in a different approach. But sometimes - when we know the path forward is right, even if difficult - a brick wall forces us to consider who and what stands in our way.

Recently, I stood in my own way. I erected my own brick walls. I have more to write about this topic, and I acknowledge I began building these walls in childhood, but the point is that the blocks I felt in the past couple weeks are real. They are caused by reaching a plateau in my life and gender transition, but finding the path didn’t end there.

Of course, the path never ends. It always keeps going, and we must unlock what is inside to find the fortitude to continue walking. We must cultivate ourselves, encourage our own growth, to ensure a path forward. We must find how to bridge our inner beauty into our outer existence.

Julia Cameron and "The Artist's Way"

A friend of mine - Jill Eng - brought up Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way” months ago. I bought the book in 2022, fully intending to take advantage of its claim to be “a course in discovering and recovering your creative self.” But life has a way of happening even when we aren’t trying to live purposely, and the brick wall I hit reminded me there are practices to keep ourselves moving.

I haven’t read “The Artist’s Way.” I have little clue what it entails. The subtitle calls it “a spiritual path to higher creativity.” The preface describes an author who hit a brick wall, but found small, simple methods to keep going. The methods are introduced, encouraged, and reinforced over a 12-week course laid out as chapters in the book.

I intend to begin walking The Artist’s Way, and I invite everybody to walk with me.

Vernal Equinox 2023

The Vernal Equinox is next Monday - 20 March 2023. This week, I will read the introduction to “The Artist’s Way.” On the Vernal Equinox, I will begin the first week of the 12-week course, which I will document here on Substack as I learn and grow.

An Equinox - astronomically - results in a day composed of equal duration light and dark. An Equinox is a liminal time - the balance could favor either light or dark. In the Northern Hemisphere, the day will exceed the night as we continue toward the Summer Solstice.

My life is liminal as well - I stand between two careers, two genders, two lives not yet lived. Perhaps The Artist’s Way is the course I needed the whole time. I hope over the next twelve weeks, we learn and grow together.

You may find Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way” at Amazon with this link. I invite you to walk with me and to share your experiences. This series will be open to all subscribers, including the ability to comment. Let’s get moving.