Do you know Julia Cameron's work? Thanks to my dear friend Mandy, we've been using Cameron's tools to guide us on a "spiritual path to higher creativity" for over two years, now.
I have Mandy to thank for my foray into the book arts. We set out with The Artist's Way, gave Vein of Gold a try, and are now wrapping up Walking in This World.
My spiritual/creative recovery has not been theoretical. The speed, depth and integrity of my life "redesign" are evidence of these tools' power. They are grounding as they inspire.
I'm reminded of their utility today. This morning, I opened The Artist's Way in search of a touchstone to anchor me as I wade into a creative project that feels way over my head. The book fell open to just the reminder I needed, "Filling the Form:"
"What do I mean by filling the form? I mean taking the next small step instead of skipping ahead to a large one for which you may not be prepared. As a rule of thumb, it is best to just admit that there is always one action you can take for your creativity daily. This daily-action commitment fills the form."
And then this, from Walking in This World:
"...the spot-check inventory of blasting through our blocks by the naming, claiming and dumping of any worries, angers and fears related to a project can also get an artist out the starting gate effectively."
With this as context for my morning journaling, voila, a creative breakthrough appeared. My clarity toward this project had been clouded by anxiety and self-doubt for months. This morning it finally emerged, like sunshine after a long spring rain.