Introduction

So I’ve decided to start The Artist’s Way. That was about two months ago now and I have yet to start Week 1. I’m okay with that. I think it’s all just part of the process. I, like many nowadays, first heard of The Artist’s Way through TikTok and immediately resonated.

Immediately, I went out and purchased a copy, even got a journal to go alongside it. I got home and read the first couple of chapters and I resonated with every word (keeping in mind the woo woo stuff is just that, woo woo stuff), and then nothing.

That was 2 years ago.

At the time the morning pages were hard but I could force myself to do them. The Artist Dates were harder, and I could never actually bring myself to do the assignments. That’s exactly why it has taken me two months now to get to week 1 and I’m still not really doing it.

The whole reason why I started this blog in the first place is because I want to be a writer, but I struggle with the whole “writing routine” thing.

Thankfully, this time around trying to do The Artist’s Way, I found myself scrolling through TikTok and I came across a video where this girl was saying that her favorite life hack is to write 3 pages of stream of consciousness longhand writing (Morning Pages). She then takes pictures of those pages and uploads them to ChatGPT, asking it to analyze her pages for her.

Now, I don’t know where I stand yet on the topic of AI. I know it can be an incredibly powerful tool but in the wrong hands can be quite harmful. Part of me also has the slight fear that it is a slippery slope to a full on robot invasion. But I’m generally more curious than anything else and so the next morning I tried it and, well, it felt life changing.

You can ask ChatGPT in what ways it can help you while you attempt The Artist’s Way and it will give you a list in it’s usual format complete with a numbered list and dashes and it’s all so impressive.

But there are also reasons why you probably should NOT use ChatGPT or any other AI tool to help you, should you also decide to take on The Artist’s Way.

What is The Artist’s Way?

The Artist’s Way created by Julia Cameron as a 12-week course in creativity. Throughout the 12 weeks, Cameron guides you through various themes and exercises that aim to help you confront and overcome creative blocks in order to live a more creative life.

Before I proceed with this topic, I feel I must address a common complaint I hear on the subject; that it is too “woo-wooey”. The thing to keep in mind, should you decide to take on this challenge for yourself, is that this is part of the point.

Right from the very first page of the book, she mentions this “Great Creator”. She talks about how The Artist’s Way is a spiritual path and the mentions of this Great Creator are to be viewed as an exercise in open-mindedness. She invites us to experiment with this idea that there might be a Great Creator, that we might find it useful in freeing our own creativity.

You are encouraged to substitute the words Great Creator with whatever you would like.

“What we are talking about is a creative energy. God is useful shorthand for many of us, but so is Goddess, Mind, Universe, Source, and Higher Power… The point is not what you name it.” -Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way

“There seems to be no need to name it unless that name is a useful shorthand for what you experience. Do not pretend to believe when you do not.” -Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way

Anyone can be an artist or have more creativity in their lives

It doesn’t matter how old you are or what your path is in life, anyone can benefit from having more creativity.

We are all born creative. We draw, we color, we make up stories and play pretend. It isn’t until fear and perceived threats of judgement come in that we block ourselves out of this innate creativity. From there, the only pretending we play at is being “normal”.

If you are here and reading this, there is a good chance you’ve already heard of the term “inner child”. In this book, the inner artist is viewed in much the same way. It is viewed as a separate being from yourself; stunted in it’s growth by pre-conceived notions we have about creativity.

In The Artist’s Way, each of the 12 weeks are divided into chapters. Each one has it’s own theme and includes essays, exercises, tasks, and a weekly check-in. Most of the work done throughout is really play, and a way for you to meet and connect with your inner artist. You’re also urged to use the tools of Morning Pages and Artist Dates. (More on these in future posts)

It is recommended to make a time commitment of about 7-10 hours per week.

Should you use ChatGPT or other AI tools to do The Artist’s Way?

There are two pivotal tools in creative recovery: the Morning Pages and the Artist Date. The consistent use of both is strongly recommended for a lasting creative awakening.

I mentioned earlier in this post that you can take photos of your morning pages and upload them to ChatGPT for analysis. It does feel life-changing. But Cameron herself mentions that the Morning Pages are a powerful tool in fighting our inner “Censor”. Because of this, she recommends to not even look at the pages you’ve written for the first 8 weeks or so.

That being said, the decision of whether you should or should not use an AI tool to do The Artist’s Way lies with you. If used as a tool, I believe it has the potential of being incredibly useful. But know your limitations. The Artist’s Way uses a lot of deep inner work that can be incredibly vulnerable.

It is all too easy to let ChatGPT do The Artist’s Way for you.

ChatGPT is always prompting you to keep using it for a variety of tasks. It can be difficult knowing which tasks are actually helpful, and which ones will get in your way of recovery.

Traditionally, this book is meant to be completed with only the tools provided in the book. Technologically, however, we’ve evolved. There are a lot of ways that AI tools like ChatGPT can help you as you work through The Artist’s Way and so I would just recommend, should you choose to use AI tools, to just be intentional with your use.

My intentions with The Artist’s Way

I advocate for intentional living, and so I think it is important for me to bring up my intentions with this post, and the posts that are to follow as I myself undertake this course.

1. I want to develop a consistent writing routine

I’ve been dreaming of becoming a writer for as long as I can remember, and yet, I’ve never been able to develop a consistent writing routine. Just the use of the Morning Pages alone will have me writing more consistently and so I’m hoping to be able to bring some of that consistency into my creative writing.

2. Emotional processing.

I, like many, have a lot of experiences in my past that have shaped me and yet, don’t serve me. One of my goals while doing The Artist’s Way is to process and potentially heal from some of these past experiences so that they no longer have as strong of a hold on my present sense of self.

3. I want to make more space for my creativity

The times where I feel like I am truly living in the moment tend to be when I am letting myself be creative in my hobbies. Life can sometimes get in the way of that. I want to make more time for my creative endeavors and I believe The Artist’s Way can help me achieve this.

4. Document my progress

I want to be thorough with this. I know that documenting and reflecting on my experience with this course will help me retain it better and so my goal will be to post weekly as I work through this challenge.

5. I need some accountability

I’ve always found it too easy to start a new challenge only to stop as soon as it gets difficult. By posting as I progress through this course, I’m hoping it will create the accountability that I need to see this through to the end.

Key Takeaways

• The Artist’s Way is a 12-week course on creativity aimed at helping you confront and overcome creative blocks
• ChatGPT can be used as a tool to help you do The Artist’s Way – just be careful not to let it do the work for you
• My tip: Set your intentions for this course before you start to help you see it through to the end

Conclusion

The Artist’s Way is a spiritual journey geared towards helping you unblock your inner artist with the use of tools such as Morning Pages, Artist Dates, and themed weekly chapters. Additional AI tools such as ChatGPT can also be used to help you along this path, so long as they are used intentionally. Additionally, setting your intentions before you begin can help you see the course all the way through it’s 12 weeks. Feel free to take on this challenge alongside me and tell me, what are your intentions in doing The Artist’s Way?

Feel free to check out my other posts on journaling here!