In many ways, yes, the bureaucracy of "work" does tend to stifle many a creative impulse and drag us into the purgatory that is meetings and emails in an endless loop. And yet, why can't we all claim creativity in our jobs, even if we're not covered in paint or delving into fictional worlds? Connecting with people is creative work. Coding is creative work. Childcare is creative work. Manufacturing is creative work. This is something I've been thinking about as I navigate my seemingly disparate artistic impulses and day job (librarian). And then I realized that rather than resign myself to my job, or quit it and attempt to make a living off my art, I can do both and consider everything I do to be creative - it's radically changed my relationship with my job, my artistic work, even doing chores at home! Laundry is creative! Cooking is creative!
Wow, Allyson, I LOVE this take. You're on point: creativity is a mindset not a specific checklist, and inspiration is everywhere. Re: the buerocracy of work - totally true, admin can get in the way and stifle creativity in our work, and that can hold us back; I think the Artist's Way also glosses over the fact that pursuing creative dreams also has its fair share of -boring admin- if it's to become our full-time pursuit.
This was a brilliant read - thank you for such honesty. After a decade in teaching and another of self-employment as a language tutor and group facilitator among other things, I took a job in the charity sector two years ago as a means to be able to write! I needed that demarcation of days that were for my paid job in order to give space and time to the writing I'd been trying to do properly for years.
I work for Scotland's national literacy charity, Scottish Book Trust, so you could say it's one of Julia's cop-out shadow choices, but I disagree. I am immersed in the world of reading,writing and publishing and know I'm doing good work, AND I get to spend my other days building this career, too. And Mad Men... I'm too scared to rewatch it incase the memory of its perfection is somehow spoiled!
Thank you so much for reading, Lindsay. Your job sounds so cool - a perfect example of how our "parallell to the art" jobs support and nuture our own creativity, AND such a vital contribution toward holding space for culture and creativity in the world. Creative jobs like yours are so vital to a cultural ecosystem that values and supports creativity, so thanks so much for all you do!
I worked in marketing for 15 years and always felt like it was withering away my artist soul. Sometimes it did (mostly when I was forced to play by corporate rules), but I also have so many memories of being fueled creatively by late night brainstorms, by coming up with a campaign idea out of thin air and seeing it on a billboard a few months later, and by interacting with some of the most creatively brilliant people I have met — whether or not they call themselves artists. Now that I am focusing more full time on more editorial and poetic pursuits, I don't feel any more like a "true artist." I call myself a writer and an artist but it's only in those moments of deep inspiration — usually alone in nature, or late nights when I awaken from a dream with a line of poetry in my head — that I actually feel artistic. This was a great essay, with lots to digest!
Thank you for reading, Hannah. I totally agree - there's something really validating and motivating about working in the agency/corpororate creative space that has a lot to teach us about our -artistic- pursuits -, and the people who dedicate their lives to that creative work are often some of the cleverest, most creatively engaged people I've ever met! I know that my fulltime PR job held a lot of pride for me, and gave me some great creative challenges, and also, crucially I think, taught me about what I didn't want from my creative career longterm - which can't be overlooked.
I’ve literally *just* finished The Artist’s Way and I remember that part stinging me too. I learned to navigate the course by taking Cameron’s advice with a grain of salt; listening to what spoke to me and rolling my eyes at the rest lol. There are plenty of gems but also a lot of outdated, even harmful, advice as you’ve pointed out. I’m glad to see someone addressing it with such conviction. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for reading! I totally agree - you have to pan it for the gold that's there. I think I mention in the footnotes of the essay, but I'm a MUCH bigger proponent of her more recent book The Listening Path - I think it distills the bast parts of the Artist's Way into a softer, more compassionate, shorter(!), but still incredibly impactful experience - highly recommend if you ever feel like revisiting her approach!
This post resonated for me on so many levels. As a single mom trying to carve out a living for both of us -I was fortunate to land in work that was satisfying (counselling/mental health and addiction with youth). Nonetheless as a lifelong artist I always found ways to insert a creative and perspective into my work with people. As my daughter grew - my part time artist self began to surface and flourish. navigating two worlds (three if you count parenting) was tricky yet doable. Although I yearned for a time when I could make art all of the time I finally arrived as my daughter reached adulthood and I embraced "retirement ". Having art play a role in my life all through this time i feel was pivotal in my career development as a professional artist. There were no shadows..only time constraints and survival responsibilities . Life can offer so many creative entrances .
This is so beautifully, put, Heather! Thank you so much for sharing your story. I also think parenting in itself is such a uniquely creative act, and am always in awe of artists navigating that third world.
I appreciate the nuance you bring to this conversation. Walking a creative/artistic path looks different for so many of us. I have had to maintain "normal" jobs to support my creative work. For that, I am truly grateful, as it's empowered me to make bigger steps of commitment when the creative work made strides. Many of us don't have that off the bat and have to find unique ways to make things work!
Thanks, Alyssa. You're so right - everyone's path looks different (which I think contributes so beautifully to our unique approach to making art and telling stories), and I think it's so important not to look at our "day jobs" as hindrances to our art, but stepping stones toward the creative lives we want to live.
Chelsey, this was such a good read, and resonated with me in the struggles I've had over the years, questioning my identity as a writer because I've never earned a living from writing. And my Mom was so much better than Megan's! My Mom saw something in me and told me, when I was 9, that I could be a writer. So I wrote, and continued to write on and off ever since, while also working a day job when I hit adulthood (in office jobs not in any creative fields). I did go through many periods of self-doubt about whether I was really a writer if I wasn't making any money from it, and spent some dark years not writing at all. It took me a long time to accept and own that I am the sort of person who needs a more conventional office job to provide a structure and stability to write within (plus there's the small matter of paying the bills!). It also helped hugely when I read that before she was a Nobel prize-winning novelist, Toni Morrison was a single Mom with a day job who used to get up at 4am to write. Yes she was working as a book editor, but what I took from that is a writer writes, and it's important to do what you, your soul, urges you to do, never mind what the naysayers and finger waggers say. There will always be people who think they have some sort of authority to gatekeep or decide who's a 'real' artist. Maybe it says more about them than anything. At the end of the day, we're the ones who live our lives the way we think is best. Julia Cameron ain't the boss of any of us.
Thank you so much for reading and sharing your story, Kat, I really appreciate your honesty! I'm so glad that your mom could give you that supportive nudge, and that you've fought through all the societal conditioning about what a "real" writer is - because we need your voice! The best writers know about life beyond art because that have lived - and continue to live it.
In many ways, yes, the bureaucracy of "work" does tend to stifle many a creative impulse and drag us into the purgatory that is meetings and emails in an endless loop. And yet, why can't we all claim creativity in our jobs, even if we're not covered in paint or delving into fictional worlds? Connecting with people is creative work. Coding is creative work. Childcare is creative work. Manufacturing is creative work. This is something I've been thinking about as I navigate my seemingly disparate artistic impulses and day job (librarian). And then I realized that rather than resign myself to my job, or quit it and attempt to make a living off my art, I can do both and consider everything I do to be creative - it's radically changed my relationship with my job, my artistic work, even doing chores at home! Laundry is creative! Cooking is creative!
Wow, Allyson, I LOVE this take. You're on point: creativity is a mindset not a specific checklist, and inspiration is everywhere. Re: the buerocracy of work - totally true, admin can get in the way and stifle creativity in our work, and that can hold us back; I think the Artist's Way also glosses over the fact that pursuing creative dreams also has its fair share of -boring admin- if it's to become our full-time pursuit.
This was a brilliant read - thank you for such honesty. After a decade in teaching and another of self-employment as a language tutor and group facilitator among other things, I took a job in the charity sector two years ago as a means to be able to write! I needed that demarcation of days that were for my paid job in order to give space and time to the writing I'd been trying to do properly for years.
I work for Scotland's national literacy charity, Scottish Book Trust, so you could say it's one of Julia's cop-out shadow choices, but I disagree. I am immersed in the world of reading,writing and publishing and know I'm doing good work, AND I get to spend my other days building this career, too. And Mad Men... I'm too scared to rewatch it incase the memory of its perfection is somehow spoiled!
Thank you so much for reading, Lindsay. Your job sounds so cool - a perfect example of how our "parallell to the art" jobs support and nuture our own creativity, AND such a vital contribution toward holding space for culture and creativity in the world. Creative jobs like yours are so vital to a cultural ecosystem that values and supports creativity, so thanks so much for all you do!
I worked in marketing for 15 years and always felt like it was withering away my artist soul. Sometimes it did (mostly when I was forced to play by corporate rules), but I also have so many memories of being fueled creatively by late night brainstorms, by coming up with a campaign idea out of thin air and seeing it on a billboard a few months later, and by interacting with some of the most creatively brilliant people I have met — whether or not they call themselves artists. Now that I am focusing more full time on more editorial and poetic pursuits, I don't feel any more like a "true artist." I call myself a writer and an artist but it's only in those moments of deep inspiration — usually alone in nature, or late nights when I awaken from a dream with a line of poetry in my head — that I actually feel artistic. This was a great essay, with lots to digest!
Thank you for reading, Hannah. I totally agree - there's something really validating and motivating about working in the agency/corpororate creative space that has a lot to teach us about our -artistic- pursuits -, and the people who dedicate their lives to that creative work are often some of the cleverest, most creatively engaged people I've ever met! I know that my fulltime PR job held a lot of pride for me, and gave me some great creative challenges, and also, crucially I think, taught me about what I didn't want from my creative career longterm - which can't be overlooked.
I’ve literally *just* finished The Artist’s Way and I remember that part stinging me too. I learned to navigate the course by taking Cameron’s advice with a grain of salt; listening to what spoke to me and rolling my eyes at the rest lol. There are plenty of gems but also a lot of outdated, even harmful, advice as you’ve pointed out. I’m glad to see someone addressing it with such conviction. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for reading! I totally agree - you have to pan it for the gold that's there. I think I mention in the footnotes of the essay, but I'm a MUCH bigger proponent of her more recent book The Listening Path - I think it distills the bast parts of the Artist's Way into a softer, more compassionate, shorter(!), but still incredibly impactful experience - highly recommend if you ever feel like revisiting her approach!
Ooh okay thank you for the recommendation!!
This post resonated for me on so many levels. As a single mom trying to carve out a living for both of us -I was fortunate to land in work that was satisfying (counselling/mental health and addiction with youth). Nonetheless as a lifelong artist I always found ways to insert a creative and perspective into my work with people. As my daughter grew - my part time artist self began to surface and flourish. navigating two worlds (three if you count parenting) was tricky yet doable. Although I yearned for a time when I could make art all of the time I finally arrived as my daughter reached adulthood and I embraced "retirement ". Having art play a role in my life all through this time i feel was pivotal in my career development as a professional artist. There were no shadows..only time constraints and survival responsibilities . Life can offer so many creative entrances .
This is so beautifully, put, Heather! Thank you so much for sharing your story. I also think parenting in itself is such a uniquely creative act, and am always in awe of artists navigating that third world.
I appreciate the nuance you bring to this conversation. Walking a creative/artistic path looks different for so many of us. I have had to maintain "normal" jobs to support my creative work. For that, I am truly grateful, as it's empowered me to make bigger steps of commitment when the creative work made strides. Many of us don't have that off the bat and have to find unique ways to make things work!
Thanks, Alyssa. You're so right - everyone's path looks different (which I think contributes so beautifully to our unique approach to making art and telling stories), and I think it's so important not to look at our "day jobs" as hindrances to our art, but stepping stones toward the creative lives we want to live.
I remember that scene and still have chills now remembering my fear of the same for myself 🤣🤣🤣🤣❤️🪷
EVE! This is so validating 😂😂😂😂 We need a « single handedly victimised by Megan’s mom » club 🙋♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️
Thank you so much for reading, and for saving me from feeling like the only one 💜
❤️🪷
A really interesting piece, thank you! 💛
Chelsey, this was such a good read, and resonated with me in the struggles I've had over the years, questioning my identity as a writer because I've never earned a living from writing. And my Mom was so much better than Megan's! My Mom saw something in me and told me, when I was 9, that I could be a writer. So I wrote, and continued to write on and off ever since, while also working a day job when I hit adulthood (in office jobs not in any creative fields). I did go through many periods of self-doubt about whether I was really a writer if I wasn't making any money from it, and spent some dark years not writing at all. It took me a long time to accept and own that I am the sort of person who needs a more conventional office job to provide a structure and stability to write within (plus there's the small matter of paying the bills!). It also helped hugely when I read that before she was a Nobel prize-winning novelist, Toni Morrison was a single Mom with a day job who used to get up at 4am to write. Yes she was working as a book editor, but what I took from that is a writer writes, and it's important to do what you, your soul, urges you to do, never mind what the naysayers and finger waggers say. There will always be people who think they have some sort of authority to gatekeep or decide who's a 'real' artist. Maybe it says more about them than anything. At the end of the day, we're the ones who live our lives the way we think is best. Julia Cameron ain't the boss of any of us.
Thank you so much for reading and sharing your story, Kat, I really appreciate your honesty! I'm so glad that your mom could give you that supportive nudge, and that you've fought through all the societal conditioning about what a "real" writer is - because we need your voice! The best writers know about life beyond art because that have lived - and continue to live it.