The Artists Way and How It Helped Me
Have you guys ever heard of The Artists Way? I’ve been wanting to do a post about this for a while, and I’m finally doing it. It feels like it’s back in the zeitgeist, not that it ever left, but there are certainly ebbs and flows with how much you hear about it. My first foray into this book was winter of 2011. I was only 1 year into living in NYC and still trying to figure out how to make a living here. I was living off an incredibly meager amount for what it takes to live in NY. At the time I was waiting tables in the city and one of the girls I worked with was a dancer and choreographer, and she mentioned that she was doing The Artists Way. After having a very positive experience, she said that I should really give it a try, so I did, and it honestly changed my life. I had seen the book many times before, but I had never actually thought about doing it. I thought was some weird New Agey type of book that I might not be able to get into, but I’m glad my friend pushed me to do it. At the time I literally had nothing, barely any money, and no connections in my industry, so I got to work on the book. There is nothing more igniting than being a creative person with no money. All you have is yourself, and the tools you have picked up along the way. I had a website, but it was geared towards portrait work, which I realized I needed to create something new to book wedding clients. I scrapped my old site, and built it from the bottom up to create a whole new look and brand to attract different clients. During this time, I fully committed to doing The Artists Way as if it were my religion. It became my daily practice, and the one thing that I had to turn to when I needed guidance. After completing the book, many doors began to open for me, and I do not think it was magic. I think I honestly took the time, to create a space for myself that would eventually lead me onto the path that I am still on. My morning pages are something that I have kept with me throughout the years, on an on again off again basis. This year, I have recommitted to my morning pages as a daily practice, and I am so happy that I did, because it’s something I truly believe in, and believe that it can be valuable to anyone who wants to do the work.
An Important Note about the book: Some people really get caught up in the semantics of her God talk, but it’s not important. I’m not religious at all, but that does not mean that I don’t believe that there aren’t forces larger than me, and that is essentially all she is referring to. A type of surrender that helps you get out of your own ego. This is all to say, don’t let that stop you from doing it. The greatest tool this book gives you, is accountability. That’s all the book is really about, and how to set up parameters for you to do that on your own. There are also some things that will make you cringe and make you maybe want to put the book down, but I assure you, it’s worth it. The last bit of advice is be gentle with yourself, and don’t feel like you have to do every single things she suggests. I honestly got the most out of my morning pages, and sometimes just went on walks as my artists date, since I really didn’t have any money at the time. Ok, just wanted to make sure you can do this without feeling like it’s so bad!
P.S. This is not a sponsored post. I just love it, and wanted to share it with you too.
Best of luck on your journey, and I hope this book changes your life too!
xo
Amber