my artist's way toolkit

I bought Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way many years ago and found it to be helpful and inspiring, in not just unlocking some more of my artistic potential, but as a guide to learning more about myself and to living a more interesting life.

I was excited to hear that her book had now been turned into an online form, and decided to jumpstart my creativity once again and give The Artist's Way a whirl. Her My Artist's Way Toolkit has all of the same features that are available in her book, plus the added benefits, once you have signed in, to read and hear daily affirmations and other inspiring sound bytes to help you on your journey.

Some of Cameron's ideas seem just simple reminders at first to take each day at a time, but they do, gently and gradually, aid one in getting in touch with their creativity. For instance, morning pages — Cameron insists that each morning you write, in longhand, three pages of whatever comes out of your head. Essentially a brain dump, it helps clear the way for more creative thinking. One of her other ideas that I have always found appealing is the artist's date. Once a week, Cameron feels that you need to go alone and enjoy something out in the world, preferably something creative in nature, like an art show. But even a day in the park will do.

I have been using My Artist's Way Toolkit for two weeks. It was nice getting back into the habit of doing morning pages, although I have to be completely honest and say that in my case they often became mid-morning pages. As a single mom of an eight year-old who also cares for her elderly mother and two cats and a dog, it was easier for me to get everybody fed, etc. first thing in the morning and then find some quiet time to do my pages. The artist's date was easier to pull off, as I already have a weekly acupuncture appointment and I could just do my date after that, extending my "me" time for the week.

The online aspects of My Artist's Way Toolkit make it tempting to do it all on your computer, as opposed to longhand. Cameron might not approve, but I think as long as a person is doing the work and taking the time to explore their creativity they will be successful. With so many people living their lives online, checking out some of Cameron's creative exercises are a great alternative to just cruising the internet or posting on Facebook. It's a great way to get in touch with your inner artist.

My Artist's Way Toolkit on BlogHer

Note: This review is part of the BlogHer Book Club. I have been compensated for my review, but all opinions expressed on this blog and in this review are my own.

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a helluva town...

...the Bronx is up, but will I want to see the new Yankee stadium?

New York gets in your blood, I guess. It's not in the cards for me to live there at the moment, but who knows what the future will bring. It was fun to be back, if just for a few days. But a little surreal, as the city is very different from when I last called it home.

Besides 9/11, New York has become "family friendly," which actually translates to gigantic high-end mall. As we took a quick stroll down 5th this afternoon to check out some holiday store windows, I was appalled to see people lined up to get into the Abercrombie & Fitch store. C'mon people. It's just the Gap. Really. And last time I looked, they had one of these stores in a local mall. But this was the New York store...

Did I mention the other crowd of tourists taking photos of Trump Tower? Why? You got me. Because it was there, I guess.
This is my third New Yawk trip in a year. Wow. Anyway, I have to admit that Times Square still fascinates me. Where I work I am always hearing the fearful predictions of the death of print. I do think that newspapers are on the way out, and magazines probably not so far behind. But we'll still have the IKEA catalog, right? But I digress.

I do both print (primarily) and web graphics to earn my bread, but what this latest trip through Times Square taught me is that yes, digital techniques are changing printing, making paper products, posters, less necessary. I have to admit to being amazed that a digital subway kiosk sign was already proclaiming Twilight as the #1 movie. Quite a far cry from the old out-of-date posters advertising movies tnat bombed or concerts that happened long ago. A digital ad can be updated frequently. Bad news for printers with old-school presses, but good news for designers and others wishing to embrace new technologies.

New York is leading the way. D.C. has a small area in it's Chinatown with a large digital display. In another ten years or so we could all be living like Blade Runner. But what will New York look like then? What will our Obamaworld be?

rock 'em sock 'em runway

So we didn't get to see Kenley get "auf'd" last night. Oh well, it's coming.

What is it about Project Runway that is so fun? I'm not even sure why we call shows like this "reality" shows anymore. They are long-format game shows, with a dash of soap opera thrown in. Runway is the only one I watch, for a variety of reasons.

1. It's about creativity. Some of its imitators may be, too, but Runway's got Tim Gunn and fashion is something we all participate in, on some level, unless we live in a nudist colony.
2. It's set in New Yawk.
3. It takes place at my alma mater (Parsons). What really adds an extra-special punch to watching this show is how accurately Project Runway captures the (my) art school experience. From the crushing deadlines, the low budget, the limited supplies, the competition. The bitchy critiques from both the judges (teachers) and other designers (students). It's like I was right back there. The only difference between art school and the world at large is that at art school (Runway) the critiques are public and out there for everyone to see and hear. This same sort of stuff goes on in our regular jobs too, it's just usually behind closed doors or your back.
4. Did I mention creativity? Everyone has had creative experiences, if just when they were a kid with crayons. Trying to make something from nothing is very human. And fascinating to watch.
   
5. It's about success and failure, something that obsesses most folks these days.

I refuse to peek ahead at the collections, as I'm enjoying my art-school-episodic-soap-opera, so please don't ruin it for me. I know you can just see the clothes, on the 'net, not who's the winner, but I don't even want to see that yet. I can wait. And it looks like next week will be a Babwa Wawa cry-a-thon. Tears at critiques? Yep, that how it was then. And still is now. Look out, Kenley...