Topic of the week BeautyHack.ru – . And one of the first to talk about this was Julia Cameron in her book The Artist’s Way. Our editor Kristina Semina read this bestseller a long time ago and shares tips that she finds especially effective.
– I read the bestseller “The Way of the Artist” about 10 years ago. I remember that at that time there was not as much self-help literature as it is now, so the author’s statements seemed new and unusual. I remember how I did the tasks from the book, and that they helped me. Then, of course, I read dozens more similar publications, took several individual and group sessions with psychologists. But, interestingly, many of the advice and techniques of specialists resembled those given by Julia Cameron. Recently, I picked up The Artist’s Way again and realized that many of the exercises, although not regularly, I still use.
morning pages
The first thing Julia Cameron advises is to start the morning pages.
“Set your alarm half an hour earlier every morning; get up and fill out three pages by hand, relying on the morning stream of consciousness. Do not reread them yourself and do not give them to anyone else. It is best to put them in a large, tight envelope or hide them somewhere. Welcome to the morning pages,” she writes.
This exercise, according to the author, helps to realize your true feelings and desires, to understand what you really want. And I agree: when you write by hand what comes to mind, at one moment very interesting thoughts appear, which can then be implemented in life.
creative date
Julia Cameron says it’s important to spend time with yourself. This is a manifestation of love and care for yourself. The author advises to go on a creative date at least once a week, choosing a beautiful place for this: a restaurant, a museum, a theater.
“Don’t take anyone on this date except your inner artist, the creative child. That is, no passions, friends, spouses and children – any satellites are excluded, ”she recommends.
I noticed that many people cannot imagine how they will go somewhere completely alone, but I think this is a really good idea. And even better in these moments to track your feelings. Usually at first you want to stay at home, but then the mood improves, there is a lot of energy and inspiration.
Freedom from clichés and attitudes
Cameron reminds us that most of our negative thoughts have nothing to do with us. Most often, these are attitudes imposed by society that do not work. The author advises to get rid of them by controlling the thought flow, pronouncing affirmations.
You can’t argue with that. True, I would add that in some cases, for a long-term effect, it is better to turn to a good psychologist.
Doing, not imagining
The author believes that something may not work out for us because of the habit of fantasizing. “Instead of working and living in the present, we spin the wheels and imagine what we could be and achieve,” writes Julia Cameron. But that doesn’t work. You need to not just dream, but set realistic goals, draw up a plan to achieve them, and, of course, then follow the plan.
Creating the Perfect Day
And my favorite exercise from the book is creating the perfect day. And it especially helps in moments when something goes wrong. To do this, you need to remember (and it’s even better to write down) what you really like, what dream you have been putting off for a long time, how you imagine a perfect day. And then just implement it for yourself.
“You may not have the opportunity to move to Rome just yet, but even in your own apartment, you can treat yourself to well-brewed coffee and a bagel,” writes Cameron.