Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is The Artist’s Way?

The Artist’s Way is a 12-week creative recovery program by Julia Cameron, designed to help people reconnect with their creativity, confidence, and sense of possibility. It’s essentially a spiritual, practical, slightly woo-woo-but-also-weirdly-effective blueprint for getting unblocked.

It doesn’t matter what kind of medium you work in- this program is for writers, musicians, potters, quilters, poets, filmmakers, and creatives of all kinds.

While the program asks you to do daily morning pages (three pages of handwritten journaling first thing in the morning), a weekly “artist date” (i.e. take yourself somewhere fun or novel), please don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. I would rather see you show up however you can, even if that looks like one morning page five days per week, a biweekly artist date, and be consistent with that over the 12 weeks, rather than attempting to fully complete every task and quit after a couple of weeks.

How big of a time commitment is The Artist’s Way?

It’s different for everyone, but a loose guideline would be to budget about 20-30 minutes each morning (or as many mornings as you can) for morning pages (handwritten journaling), 30-90 minutes per week to read the chapter of the week and to complete the suggested exercises, and two hours per week for your weekly “Artist Date.”

That seems like a lot of time. What if I can’t commit?

It’s okay to do “Artist’s Way Lite.” Do one page of your morning pages. Do two or three of the exercises. Put “Artist Date” energy into your next dog walk or morning cup of coffee. Do what you can; it’s still going to serve your creative growth—And there’s no gold star for doing it perfectly.

Like anything, the more you put into it the more you’ll get out of it, but you’ll get plenty of creative juices flowing with a half-assed approach, I promise. Case in point, the first time I went through this program, I took 11 MONTHS and I still experienced enormous shifts. (See below)

Seriously, though, 13 weeks is a long time. Is it really worth it?

13 weeks is a significant commitment. But how long have you been putting off creativity? How much longer can you live with the discomfort of knowing you have a creative spark that you’re not nurturing.

So, whether it’s worth it is your call. But if this helps, I’ll share my experience: I did a modified version of the Artist’s Way in 2019; morning pages two to four mornings per week, all the reading, some of the exercises, and I spread the 12-week process out over about 11 months, and I saw tremendous benefits.

What were those benefits, you ask? After years of sending article pitches that landed in some kind of abyss, I broke into a bunch of my dream outlets, including Runner’s World, Outside, and others. The day after I finished the final chapter I was invited to become a regular contributor to the Washington Post’s Wellness section, despite never having written for that section previously. Here’s a video where I talk more about this.

A friend started the book at the same time as I did. By the time she finished it, she pursued her long-unrealized dream of applying to MFA school, which she is now pursuing as a full-time working mom in her 40s.

So yeah, definitely worth it. Which is why I want to share it with you!

This sounds like a lot of writing. Do I have to be a writer to join?

No, not at all. Anyone who identifies as a creative; including visual artists, musicians, performing artists, singers, etc are welcome.

What’s an Artist Date?

It’s a weekly “date” with your inner artist (you!). You don’t have to spend any money or do anything fancy; all that’s required is that you do something fun by yourself, whether that’s browsing at your favorite used bookstore, walking on a new-to-you trail, or people watching at your favorite coffee shop with a hot mocha.

The subtitle of the book is “a spiritual path to higher creativity.” Do I need to believe in God or religion to benefit from it?

No you don’t. That said, one of the tenets of the book is that there is a higher power, spirit, universe, or whatever you want to call it, that is rooting for our creativity. If that feels way too “woo” for you, this might not be a good fit. If you’re skeptical but open, you might be pleasantly surprised. (That was my—Pam’s—experience.)

If I could go through every chapter of this book on my own, what’s the point of spending money to do it in a group?

If you’re committed to going through the process, it’s super helpful to have a group to hold you accountable for completing at least the reading, some of the homework, and even one or two sessions of morning pages each week. Plus, as you come up with questions and begin to experience shifts, you will appreciate having a community who is going through the process with you to bounce things off of.

Sure, you can do it alone, but it’s more fun and motivating in a group.

Case in point: I started this book with a friend and did the first six chapters at the same time as a friend within about six weeks. Then she slowed down with it, our regular calls and texts about the book fell off our radar, and it took me more than six months to complete the second half of the book.

How Jewish do I need to be to join?

If you identify as Jewish, you’re in, hon. This is a pluralistic community; all denominations are welcome, as are unaffiliated Jews.

The full title of The Artist’s Way is “The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity.” Do I need to believe in God to participate?

No, you don’t. That said, if you’re not even a little bit open to the idea of a higher power or divine presence, you might struggle to embrace some of the concepts of the book.

Are we going to talk about politics in this group?

Not in a debate-style way.

We’ll focus on reflecting on our creative blocks, wins, and processes. While we won’t be debating politics in this group, we also recognize that our feelings about the current political climate—and our overlapping identities (ethnic, religious, political, and otherwise)—can impact our creative lives. When politics naturally intersect with creativity, members are free to share their experiences, with the expectation that others will listen with respect.

Did ChatGPT help you write this?

A little. I created the draft and I let Chat help me polish it a bit and check for typos.

I promise you the conviction that we need to create community and art and the em dashes are all mine.