Dear Julia,
Please add my name to the very long list of lives that have been radically changed for the better as a result of your work.
I have known of The Artist's Way book since first learning of it in graduate school many, many years ago, but it hadn’t taken hold of my life until this past January. After another long bout of depression and burn out, this one lasting about six months (although more likely just a continuation of the past 40 some years), I finally became so exhausted trying to think my way through or out of it, that I let go and settled into a few good books.
Although I’m not sure why or when I purchased it, I begin with the great Sue Monk Kidd, who I knew nothing about at the time, reading and re-reading daily as if it were my only source of oxygen. I learned to release and let go, as I stepped into my pain, frustration, grief and deep vulnerability day after day. I finally decided to surrender the constant striving and endless worry, coming to the peaceful conclusion that the best of my life was likely behind me.
And that I was OK.
I settled into a calm knowing that I could truly be OK just as I am, where I am, as I leaned into my heart's desire to go back to school despite the magnitude of voices from the crowd telling me not to. With this peaceful knowing, I put my fancy condo on the market, got set up with a scholarship to fund my academic and research pursuits, and began to feel alive again.
For the first time in a long time, my tears of exhaustion and overwhelm shifted into subtle smiles and easy breathing as I felt myself coming home. Not knowing where I might land, I felt more inspired and energized than ever before. As my lens began to shift, I started to see the uncertain world as a landscape primed for a great adventure. An experiment waiting to be explored. And then suddenly a miraculous shift helped me see a canvas waiting to be painted, and a new story waiting to be told.
I had been searching for one last ingredient that could guide me on my new path. I tried seeking counsel from professionals, family and friends, but nothing felt like the right fit.
My favorite holiday has always been New Year’s Eve and the day that follows because it provides an opportunity for reflection and planning along with a fresh start. I was so sad that despite all of my efforts, (slipping into the striving pattern of my past), I found nothing to give my new process structure. And then, a dear friend texted me out of the blue and asked if I had heard of The Artist's Way, which quickly led to an agreement that we would start the process simultaneously from coast to coast. Me in San Diego, she in Orlando.
Surprisingly, (which I would have previously called shockingly before engaging in this process but nothing can shock me anymore), it was the exact same day I received the book, devoured it, and began my daily writing and weekly dates, that later I would find out my mentor and research hero suddenly and unexpectedly passed away.
Going through The Artist's Way process has not only changed my life, I believe it has saved it. Not only did I lose two dear colleagues in the first month of the year, but I also had to navigate being sick for seven weeks as I supported clients and colleagues in this crazy experience we now call COVID-19. I believe because of your beautiful experience, teachings, and daily practices, I am finally living the life I was intended to live, realizing my creative gifts and leadership capacities in ways I was completely blinded to before (and is still taking some getting used to, but I will one morning page at a time).
Your influence on my personal and professional life continues to be obvious to all who know me or even to those who briefly meet me. I have sent the book to dozens of friends, partners, clients, and even strangers who I know need it and are ready for it. I keep at least five books on hand at home and in my office just in case I cross someone’s path at the right moment in time.
I will be forever grateful, forever an ambassador for your work and your legacy.
Thank you.
If you'd like to join us for our first book club discussion on The Artist's Way, please sign up for the Zoom webinar taking place LIVE on Wednesday, April 29th at 4pm pst (7pm est).
I will also be sure to post the recording on our Virtual Chats page once it's ready.
For more information about Julia Cameron and The Artist's Way book and her online trainings, please visit www.juliacameronlive.com.
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