Week 1: Let's Talk About Shadow Artists

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We're officially starting our Artist's Way journey—Julia Cameron's program for unlocking creativity—and we're already running into problems.

Specifically, we take issue with some of Cameron's ideas about what it means to be an artist. We challenge her concept of the "Shadow Artist" and argue for a middle ground between making art and handling practical life responsibilities like earning money for yourself and your family. Cameron does offer valuable insights, particularly around the internalized negativity that drains creative joy—Renee especially appreciates her term "Artist Abuse." But some items on Cameron's Core Negative Beliefs list are questionable (and that's putting it mildly.)

We wrap up by attempting a few chapter-end exercises, which reveal some early obstacles in our own creative histories.

Remember, we have a Writers Process meetup every Wednesday. Check us out.

Chapters

1. Week 1: Let's Talk About Shadow Artists (00:00:00)

2. Why We Read Craft Books Together (00:00:13)

3. Process Group Invitation And Why It Helps (00:01:20)

4. The Artist’s Way Setup And Week One (00:03:32)

5. Shadow Artists: Definition And Debate (00:05:31)

6. Patronage, Privilege, And Paying The Bills (00:09:15)

7. Can You Balance Art And A Day Job? (00:12:18)

8. Childhood Support, Trauma, And Making Artists (00:16:36)

9. Protecting The Inner Child Without Perfection (00:20:28)

10. Core Negative Beliefs: What Resonates (00:24:20)

11. Envy, Anger, And Recognition (00:28:04)

12. Too Late To Start? Rewriting That Story (00:32:36)

13. Stereotypes, Identity, And Old Cliches (00:36:17)

14. Affirmations, The Censor, And What Works (00:40:58)

15. Morning Pages: Rules, Missteps, Adjustments (00:45:11)

16. Artist Dates: What Counts And Why (00:49:16)

17. Time Travel Task: Horror Stories Shared (00:52:16)

18. What These Exercises Actually Change (00:58:20)

19. Safety, Sharing, And When To Stay Private (01:02:10)

20. What’s Next: Sense Of Identity And A Therapist Idea (01:06:20)

94 episodes

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