Reframing

I’m a behind the scenes kind of person. When I worked in television, I had no desire to be in front of the camera. I’m a skulker on social media. Any Twitter post from Stephen King brings me joy, but I rarely comment or share. I have a constant battle with “ugly, stumpy little blurts” from my subconscious (Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way). Who do you think you are? You have nothing of value to say. What a fraud. When I tell friends and family about my website, I suppress the urge roll my eyes and giggle. Although it has taken time, and plenty of work, the desire to share my writing and find an audience is stronger than my fear of failure.

Dan also writes about creative generosity. That struck a chord with me. I have spent lots of time thinking about the purpose of my website and newsletter, beyond a marketing platform. In my monthly posts, I will share my creative process and highlight some of the artists that inspire me. Mostly, I’ll focus on local artists, or artists that I think deserve more recognition. Except for this post. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron was first published two decades ago and has sold millions of copies worldwide. Throughout the book, Cameron liberally employs words like faith, spirituality, and the Great Creator. Not my usual scene. I’m a straightforward, two feet on the ground, matter-of-fact analytical thinker, and a writer of murder mystery novels. And yet it is because of her workbook, and the community of women with whom I read it, that I started writing my novel, a dream that I’ve held since I was a kid voraciously devouring Agatha Christie and Nancy Drew mysteries.

A shelfie — books about writing & creativity

Every Friday morning, I sip my coffee and read Dan Blank’s inspirational newsletter. He’s a marketing expert for writers and runs wegrowmedia. Funny, I never thought I’d describe marketing as inspirational, but Dan Blank is different. Over the past year, I’ve enrolled in several of his online workshops, and they’ve helped me reframe how I view the business side of creativity. In the vision statement on his website, he says that “connecting your work to people in an authentic manner is an imperative that makes life better for everyone.” This is my goal as a writer

To anyone who is a frustrated creative, wants to write or paint or act, I recommend The Artist’s Way. Do the exercises. Seriously. It helps. If you can find some like-minded people to join you as you work your way through it, even better. Cameron’s book taught me how to confront and dissipate the negative inner voices. I also learned to let go of what she calls “Poisonous Playmates.” It took me six(ish) years and multiple drafts to complete my first novel. But I did it. And so can you. My next goal: finish the sequel! Much quicker this time!