A bestselling self-help book for frustrated artists, The Artist’s Way is a staple (or a guilty secret) in many artists’ practices. The book outlines a 12-week process as a kind of self-directed creative residency. The goal: to release you from the insecurities and frustrations of being an artist. Although its religious language can be off-putting to some, the overall principle and in particular its basic tools—the so-called “Morning Pages” and “Artists Dates”—are a powerful combination of daily rigor and weekly indulgence. It’s the kind of structure AND pampering that many artists might need in order to exhaust the self, while also encouraging them to tap into their greatest inspiration.
Cameron, Julia. The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. New York: Penguin Putman, 1992.