10 Sacred Rules for Artists

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron (book review)
240pgs Available on Amazon for R110.00

The sub-title A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity gives a clue that this book will require a commitment from the reader to achieve any value from it. When spiritual growth is at stake we need faith and that is not easy.

The Artist's Way is now a classic in this genre of writing and has proven itself as a long term favorite for creative people. Julia Cameron is herself an artist and writer with a background in the Hollywood film industry and television writing before turning to teaching other artists how to overcome creative hard times. 

The book is structured into a twelve week program that seeks to help artists face and overcome stumbling blocks in their creative journeys. Every artist will recognise themselves at some point in this book. Either the issue was overcome or remains in the way. The first goal for any artist is to recognise that they are not alone. The next step is to free themselves from self-defeat by becoming aware of the problem. For this alone I believe the book has value. Whether or not artists work through the book and grow from it remains a personal matter. However no artist should be without this book. Treat it as a reference manual. Select a chapter once a week or read it through from start to finish. There will be a benefit from this process. Can we ask for more?

The 10 Sacred Circle Rules mentioned in the book:

1. Creativity flourishes in a place of safety and acceptance.
2. Creativity grows among friends, withers among enemies.
3. All creative ideas are children who deserve our protection.
4. All creative success requires creative failure.
5. Fulfilling our creativity is a sacred trust.
6. Violating someone's creativity violates a sacred trust.
7. Creative feedback must support the creative child, never shame it.
8. Creative feedback must build on strengths, never focus on weaknesses.
9. Success occurs in clusters and is born in generosity.
10. The good of another can never block our own.

The Artist's Way