Compass & Quill

Three or four years ago, I stumbled across a copy Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way at a thrift store. I knew that this was a nudge from the Universe, because I’d had the book recommended to me just a few days before. Even so, as things tend to go with me, I bought the book, brought it home, then stuck it on a shelf to gather dust. Every now and then, I’ve caught sight of the book and made a mental note to add it to my reading short list, but let’s be honest, the short list only gets longer.

Last month, through a series of random clicks on a sleepless night, I somehow found my way to an invitation to a free online course to study The Artist’s Way. I signed up with a sigh of relief. As someone with ADHD, structure is essential for my wellbeing, but I find it nearly impossible to keep to a schedule without external controls. I hoped that a teacher and cohort might help rein me in. It’s a twelve-week class, and coursework should take an hour or two a day. It’s a big commitment, but one that I think is going to be worth it in the end.

Always one to skate the deadlines, I started reading the book yesterday, but quickly found my attention waning. Luckily, a brief search of Spotify led me to the audiobook (free if you have a premium subscription). I didn’t finish listening to the assigned bits, but I read enough to know that this is exactly what I’m supposed to be doing right now.

The premise of the book is that creativity is innate, everyone does it, and everyone has access to it. Creativity comes from a well that connects us all. Being creative begets more creativity. There is no right or wrong or good or bad when it comes to making art. Art exists however we want it to exist. But we have to commit ourselves to it. And we have to commit ourselves to the work of untangling the lifetime of preconceived notions that make it difficult to fully embrace our inner children again and just play for the joy of it.

The intro class was tonight, and I liked it. There were 600 attendees and a handful of facilitators. We went over ground rules and logistics for the coming weeks, then broke into small groups to chat about our goals. I loved meeting the other artists in my group. It felt empowering to be with other people who have yearned for more and are committed to finding it within themselves. We discussed our mediums (one songwriter, one writer, two painters, a dancer, and me, the singer/writer/potter/metalsmith/aspiring found-object artist). I was able to say out loud that for me, learning to get comfortable with creating is about fostering a connection to the spirit world. Creation is a conduit to the other side, a way of expanding into myself enough to see further. It was such a relief that two people in the group instantly knew what I was saying and added validation. I’m so used to hiding my complicated thoughts for fear of whether people will get me or not. It was a relief to speak my mind and be understood by people who are also in search of a similar connection.

I don’t know if I’ll make it to next week’s class, since it’s on Mardi Gras day and there’s no telling where I’ll be or what I’ll be doing. But I’m excited to get working on the book and its assignments, and that’s good enough for now.