Julia Cameron (1) (1948–)

This is now one of my favorite books! Funny how when you first look at a book it is just a piece of wood or paper, and then after you read it, it becomes this representation of an immense thing of something wonderful.

When I first heard of this book, the reference to Spirituality in the subtitle, 'A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity' put me off and I imagine may put some others off as well. To some 'Christians' the reference to spirituality makes them think of new-age stuff they don't like, show more and maybe some of the 'spiritual' people or people of other faiths may think it may be too 'Christian', and maybe atheist's will put off by all of it. I think it is written to not give offense to all the groups mentioned and that anyone who is dealing with creativity can recognize that inspiration needs to be allowed in and recognized from whatever source it is.

First I want to talk about how well written this book is. I collect quotes, the ones I enjoy and want to read over and over again. This book is so well written it makes me want to copy out almost all paragraphs to my list of favorite quotes. So much wisdom and deep thoughts. It is a book I want to read over and over.

Second, it is so so practical to help a person be creative. One main focus is to break through blocks, and a lot of chapters are written to help a person hunt down reasons for blocks and break through them. The author prescribes reading one chapter a week and gives some tasks to do. I was doing that, one chapter at a time, but when the end was getting closer I wanted more now and to get through all. If a person wanted to read it through, they could easily go back and do one chapter at a time, or cherry pick chapters and recommended tasks.

One of the first tasks is to write 'Morning Pages' every day, which are 3 pages of longhand writing, strictly stream-of-consciousness. I have been doing this and think it is sheer genius. For many, the missed step in the process is to start and bring something forth. Some part in us stops us from just letting the creativity flow. This process helps to get the flow going, to help analyze any things in our life that is blocking us, and to create writing which then helps us to keep the flow going to our other art or projects.

I think it is a must have book for someone in a creative line of work, and for the rest of us, some outlet of creativity makes our life better. For this reason I would recommend this to everyone.

Lastly, I see Julia Cameron wrote other books to follow this one. As this one is so full and seems so complete in covering everything, it makes me wonder if the others are rehashing what is in here. I will be interested in hearing others opinions and reviews on them. show less

Julia Cameron, autrice di questo fantastico libro, ha creato un capolavoro che spazia tra spiritualità, arte, creatività e lavoro su stessi.

Il testo si sviluppa su 12 capitoli principali, corrispondenti alle settimane di esercizi pratici che l' autrice consiglia ad ogni lettore. Ogni capito è strutturato con una parte teorica e motivazionale, seguita da una sezione di compiti e una di verifica sul lavoro svolto. Aforismi ai margini delle pagine, intercalano i vari argomenti, show more accompagnando il lettore nella riscoperta di Sé, della sua creatività, di ciò che potrebbe averlo bloccato e di come fare per superare tali ostacoli.

Sono elencati strumenti da utilizzare durante il percorso, tecniche e consigli pratici che ho ritenuto davvero fondamentali per la mia crescita sia artistica che spirituale. Vi sono persino dei contratti da stipulare prima e dopo determinati compiti/imprese che ci possono sembrare inizialmente "titaniche". Fondamentali, per chi come me non vuole rinunciare alla parola data. Aiutano durante i periodi "bui", privi di volontà e/o ispirazione ad andare avanti e fare il necessario per non mollare.

Molto più che un semplice libro sul come fare arte e far crescere l' artista interiore. L' autrice coglie subito il segno collegando l' aspetto artistico con un percorso spirituale e il Divino.

Un testo che consiglio a tutti coloro che non si sono mai condiderati degli artisti, o che non hanno mai pensato di poter apprezzare l' arte. Come è successo per me, avulso da sempre dal mondo artistico, ho riscoperto un mio lato creativo, una parte di me che avevo sempre trascurato e per la quale avevo sempre provato forti pregiudizi. Non fate gli esercizi pensando al giudizio degli altri. Fatelo per voi, divertitevi ed esprimetevi per come siete in quel momento. Prendete il lavoro come un gioco, un modo per evadere dalle preoccupazioni quotidiane, evadere dai pensieri. Una forma alternativa per meditare o essere presenti (in mindfulness, parola molto in voga).

Consiglio la lettura anche a chi si occupa di spiritualità, che sta facendo un percorso di consapevolezza o una Via iniziatica. Ci sono tanti spunti utili e l' autrice evidenzia come sia essenziale riconoscere la presenza di qualcosa che vada oltre la nostra normale comprensione delle cose.

Distruggete i condizionamenti verso lo stereotipo dell' artista, riscoprite un mondo ricco di cuore, creatività, passione e vita.

Un' esperienza a cui vale la pena dedicare del tempo.

Buon cammino. show less

This is now one of my favorite books! Funny how when you first look at a book it is just a piece of wood or paper, and then after you read it, it becomes this representation of an immense thing of something wonderful.

When I first heard of this book, the reference to Spirituality in the subtitle, 'A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity' put me off and I imagine may put some others off as well. To some 'Christians' the reference to spirituality makes them think of new-age stuff they don't like, show more and maybe some of the 'spiritual' people or people of other faiths may think it may be too 'Christian', and maybe atheist's will put off by all of it. I think it is written to not give offense to all the groups mentioned and that anyone who is dealing with creativity can recognize that inspiration needs to be allowed in and recognized from whatever source it is.

First I want to talk about how well written this book is. I collect quotes, the ones I enjoy and want to read over and over again. This book is so well written it makes me want to copy out almost all paragraphs to my list of favorite quotes. So much wisdom and deep thoughts. It is a book I want to read over and over.

Second, it is so so practical to help a person be creative. One main focus is to break through blocks, and a lot of chapters are written to help a person hunt down reasons for blocks and break through them. The author prescribes reading one chapter a week and gives some tasks to do. I was doing that, one chapter at a time, but when the end was getting closer I wanted more now and to get through all. If a person wanted to read it through, they could easily go back and do one chapter at a time, or cherry pick chapters and recommended tasks.

One of the first tasks is to write 'Morning Pages' every day, which are 3 pages of longhand writing, strictly stream-of-consciousness. I have been doing this and think it is sheer genius. For many, the missed step in the process is to start and bring something forth. Some part in us stops us from just letting the creativity flow. This process helps to get the flow going, to help analyze any things in our life that is blocking us, and to create writing which then helps us to keep the flow going to our other art or projects.

I think it is a must have book for someone in a creative line of work, and for the rest of us, some outlet of creativity makes our life better. For this reason I would recommend this to everyone.

Lastly, I see Julia Cameron wrote other books to follow this one. As this one is so full and seems so complete in covering everything, it makes me wonder if the others are rehashing what is in here. I will be interested in hearing others opinions and reviews on them. show less

I'd felt creatively flat and had recently returned to the wellspring -- Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way and its twin practices of Morning Pages and Artist Dates. So I was interested to see that Cameron has sliced her material in a new and accessible way in this collection of daily excerpts about the creative process. Might there be magic in her tiny inspirations, ingested every day?

I opened the book to that day's entry, November 14: "So often in a creative career, the magic that is required show more is quite simply the courage to go on. Singers must sing their scales. Actors must learn their monologues. Writers like myself must spend time at the keys. We would like a break in the weather. We would like a break, period, but the breaks, if they come, will not come today. Today is about keeping on."

Bingo!

A few notes. The excerpts range from a couple of sentences to a full page; most are a paragraph. Though it's not a journal, there is room to write notes in the generous amount of white space. And to clarify the product description that this "little book can easily be carried along," it's a little chunk of a book -- 400+ pages and sized between a mass-market and a trade paperback.

Highly recommended to inspire -- and ground :) -- anyone in creative pursuit. show less