A New Beginning

Listening more deeply to my Inner Artist

Dear Inner Artist,

Today is our 35th birthday, but I know you’re also forever this little cutie:

What took me so long to write you?

Last year, I was so delighted to find you again by (imperfectly, skeptically, and very slowly) following the book The Artist’s Way. These quotes especially helped me:

“Remember that in order to recover as an artist, you must be willing to be a bad artist. Give yourself permission to be a beginner.” 

“In recovering from our creative blocks, it is necessary to go gently and slowly. Mistakes are necessary! Stumbles are normal. These are baby steps. Progress, not perfection, is what we should be asking of ourselves. Creative recovery is like marathon training. We want to log ten slow miles for every one fast mile. This can go against the ego’s grain. We want to be great immediately, but that is not how recovery works. It is awkward, tentative, even an embarrassing process. It is impossible to get better and look good at the same time.”

“Spending time in solitude with your artist child is essential to self-nurturing.”

- Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way

I wish I had read this book during college, when deadlines, stress, and pressure to perform creatively fed my Inner Critic and made her voice so much louder than yours. I wish I could have avoided the burnout and creative block that led to.

Why are you sharing this?

I heard you tell me to try this and I am determined to listen better. Instagram hasn’t given me the motivation I hoped it would for creating and sharing my creations and thoughts. This space feels more flexible and open. I instantly could feel your excitement at the idea of building a little playground here and seeing if anyone else would like to join in our fun.

So Happy Birthday to us, Inner Artist! You were right. This was so fun to put together. I am excited to see what we make next!

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Dear Fellow Artist,

Yes, you! Each of us has an Inner Artist, that part of us that loves creating and that used to do it so freely and confidently before we were taught to worry what others think. You don’t have to work through The Artist’s Way to find your Inner Artist (but if you are feeling creatively blocked, then I do highly recommend trying it out). I hope that my journey with Dear Inner Artist will help inspire and excite you to create more often too!

This blog is 100% free, so subscribing just means you won’t miss any of my posts & it lets me know people are interested. At least once a month, I plan to share:

• letters to my inner artist & what she has been teaching me

• my recent creative projects (illustration, home DIY, crafts) or Artist Dates

• any current inspirations or tips I am finding helpful to create more consistently

• questions for your inner artists

Questions For Your Inner Artist

Use them as private journal prompts, or comment so we can get to know each other.

• What are your earliest memories of joyfully creating something?

• What can you do this week to relive the joy of that memory?

Please share in the comments anything you created for your Inner Artist this week!