WIWW: Dressing for The Artist's Way

I'm co-hosting a virtual creative cluster for The Artist's Way with my dear friend, health coach Melissa Danielle (aka The Bad-Ass Blender Woman) starting Sunday, January 5. Would you like to join us?

What is The Artist's Way

In case you've never heard of it, The Artist's Way is a best-selling book written by Julia Cameron. It's a guide to living a full, happy life as a creative person. I think this review by Amazon explains it best:

With the basic principle that creative expression is the natural direction of life, Julia Cameron leads you through a comprehensive twelve-week program to recover your creativity from a variety of blocks, including limiting beliefs, fear, self-sabotage, jealousy, guilt, addictions, and other inhibiting forces, replacing them with artistic confidence and productivity.

This book links creativity to spirituality by showing how to connect with the creative energies of the universe, and has, in the four years since its publication, spawned a remarkable number of support groups for artists dedicated to practicing the exercises it contains.

Having done the The Artist's Way twice, I can say it is intense, if nothing else. It asks questions and requires activities that dig into the soul. Doing so, I pulled out the beautiful parts (Universal Truths I'd learned to deny to fit in) that made me cry. I also discovered some grubby, twisted roots (limiting beliefs) that were scary to look at but required examination too.

Why Do The Artist's Way

I'm excited about doing The Artist's Way as part of a creative cluster because I know I need support to get through the intensity. I've started The Artist's Way alone twice and never gone past week 6. I need support and accountability to make change in my life. I've learned that's just what works for me.

Earrings: Dasken Design // Handmade Scarf: Kristin Crane // Jacket: Free People // Dress: XOXO // Leggings: Maggie's Organic 

My motivation for completing The Artist's Way is my desire to share my creativity with more people in more ways. Right now, I express my creativity mostly through the way I dress. I get a kick out of smartly combining patterns and textures and finding fun accessories, especially handmade, vintage, and thrifted ones. I used to discount it, but dressing well is an art that can be admired. It also inspires others to live well by dressing to express themselves.

I'm also a lifelong visual artist. I've been drawing from imagination since I began writing, also from imagination, at age 3. I remember the joy I felt when I first wrote the a lower case h and made it into a chair for one of my characters to sit in! I got my first sewing machine for my fourth birthday. I studied life drawing and photography in college, at The Art Students League and The Arts Alliance. Two summers ago I taught myself to paint and collage by participating in challenges hosted by Daisy Yellow blog.

I love making art yet it's not part of my daily life. I'll have a huge creative burst for a few weeks or months (if I'm lucky) and be living in ecstasy, then I won't do anything visual for months. What's up with that?! I'm doing the Artist's Way to find out. I wanna discover and heal whatever part of me needs nurturing, compassion, and extra huggles to make it possible for me to do the things I love.

Click here to read why Melissa is doing The Artist's Way.

Have you done the Artist's Way before? Are you interested in doing it again, or for the first time, with support?

Join us!

I hope you'll join Melissa and I in this journey starting January 5th. We'll meet via Google Hangout on Sundays for 12 weeks. In between, we'll share our experiences and support each other via a private Facebook group. We'll also be do the morning pages and weekly exercises on our own. We are hosting this virtual (online) creative cluster for FREE because we don't want money to be an obstacle for people. All you need to participate is:

1. Buy or borrow a copy of The Artist's Way. (It's available here on Amazon starting at $10.99.)
2. Make the commitment to yourself to do The Artist's Way for 12 weeks.
3. Complete our sign up form.
4. Tweet: I'm gonna #BeMOCreative in 2014. I'm doing The Artist's Way with @beingmelissa & @itsolivialane. Join us! http://ctt.ec/3CkcU+ (optional)

Thanks so much for reading this blog entry! Let's stay connected: Newsletter // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest // Bloglovin' // YouTube

Consider supporting this blog by shopping via my Amazon shop or buying my green cleaning eBook. Thanks.