You may remember a post I wrote last spring where I shared that I’d purchased a copy of The Artist’s Way (by Julia Cameron) and was planning to work through the 12-week program over the summer. I explained a bit about the program, and also mentioned in that post that I’d set up a dedicated Facebook Group which I had opened up to anyone who might want to join me in my creative exploration.
But.
There’s always a but, isn’t there?!
As time passed, several of us found it increasingly difficult to fit each chapter’s creative tasks into just one week of our busy lives… your humble group coordinator included! I can’t speak for the rest of the members, but for me personally, I found that what I call “summer brain” kicked in and life became more about enjoying the nice weather and fun activities on offer than trying to concentrate on learning and creating. While I continued to set up weekly events for each chapter, my heart wasn’t really in it (and I suspect others in the group felt the same way), despite the fact that I truly DID want to complete the program (again, a desire most likely echoed by the other members)… and participation dwindled down to almost nothing.
So where do we go from here?
Recently one of the group members suggested what I thought was a brilliant idea: instead of allocating one week to finish each chapter, we focus on one chapter per month. This would allow us to dig a little deeper into each of the topics, stay on track with the schedule even if/when life got in the way, and have more time to participate in the group discussions, check-ins, and so on. And since there are 12 chapters in the book, if we were to start in January (New Year’s Resolution, anyone?!), the project would take us right through to the end of 2014. Perfect!
Needless to say, when I presented her idea to the rest of the group it was met with eager approval… so it’s a go! We’ll be starting with Chapter 1 of The Artist’s Way in January, will carry on with Chapter 2 in February, and so on through the book until we complete the program with the final chapter in December of 2014.
And you are welcome to join us!
The Artist’s Way Facebook Group is open to artists and creatives of all stripes – writers, painters, crafters, musicians, you name it – basically anyone who wants to learn more about themselves, get past their creative blocks, become better at making their art… and share their experience in working through The Artist’s Way with a group of like-minded individuals.
Is this something that interests you? Are you ready to make a long-term creative resolution for 2014? If so, please visit The Artist’s Way Facebook Group and send a request to join.
We’d love to have you!
