The Artist's Way

Experiencing the Artist's Way as a Class

This weekly  videoconference class provides a support group for working through The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I have found this book to be an unusually helpful framework for tapping more deeply into creative energy. Most of us don’t think of ourselves as artists with a capital A, but we are all born with creative abilities that we may or may not be aware of. Many of us have experienced blocks, wounds, and/or blank space around our capacity to express ourselves through words, arts, crafts, music, dance, touch, intimacy ... the list goes on and on. Julia gets it right that tapping into creative energy involves our connection to eros, spirit, our own deeper wisdom, and an innate sense of playfulness.

I find her work profoundly simple, moving, and energizing. She recommends writing morning pages, a daily practice of writing three pages early in the day. There are no restrictions or guidelines about content. You simply write whatever moves through your brain. She also asks you to have a weekly artist date with yourself, which could be anything from taking a walk, going to a movie, playing with creative tools, looking at a book of photos (there’s really no limit). It doesn’t matter what you do, just that you carve out time to be in a nonproductive space, to let your imagination have some leisure time.

The Artist’s Way includes exercises and insights to create shifts with lifelong issues that have stymied our personal growth and creative expression. The course’s six-month time span allows enough time to create new habits and practices you can integrate into your daily life. While this course doesn’t focus specifically on erotic energy, we will include conversations on how and where we get stuck in our erotic lives as well.

I have found the videoconference format works well to create a support structure for a project like this. The Artist’s Way lends itself very nicely to this format because so much of the class is the work you do on your own. Checking in by phone will give us support and inspiration that will enhance the journey of self-discovery that the book lays out so beautifully.

Each class is open to a maximum of six people. There are twelve chapters in the book, and we cover one chapter every two weeks. You must purchase your own copy of the book. Please call me if you are interested, have any questions, or want to know when the next class begins. You can reach me at 360-379-0411.

Comments from those who’ve completed The Artist’s Way 

“I read the The Artist's Way several years ago. I think I did get significant benefit from it. But this class was much more intense and had much greater depth because of doing it slowly and with a group.”

“Your facilitation was one of the best aspects of this experience. 'Choiceful' was a word you often suggested -- a means of consciously making decisions about one's life and actions -- I'll remember that.”

“Hearing others experiences, sharing thoughts, insights and some humor, witnessing other's growth, maybe even pushing myself so I'd look good in their eyes -- these things are only possible with such a support group.”

“Collin’s suggestions about ways to dig deeper into issues and homework, to spend time dealing with grief, just being good to ourselves, or trying some new creative direction were all very valuable.”

“Without the weekly support group, I would not have successfully completed the morning pages, artist dates, and chapter tasks. It was definitely a more powerful experience doing this in a group and being able to share our successes and struggles. It was wonderful seeing the other men grow as a result of the process.”

“I am taking risks. I am taking a fresh outlook on creativity and the fears that often hold me back. I'm working at integrating the morning pages and at living one continuous artist's date -- looking for new inspiration and being conscious of myself looking. I'm trying to dive into things, both things I know I need to do and things I've never done before but would like to learn,  to try, or to create. This class has helped me step right into my fears and realize that’s the only way through them.”