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Abstract

re>I’ve had Cameron’s book on my bookshelf for six months or better. “It’s a must-read,” writers said. My ongoing protest is, “But, I am not an artist; I’m a writer.” These are two very different things. I can’t draw, paint, or create in any medium other than words.This morning I finally cracked the cover as I sipped my morning coffee. Life has been tough for many people. The last year has been incredibly challenging. I’m still dealing with the aftermath of my mom’s death, and it has been <a href="https://readmedium.com/my-moms-final-13-hours-lead-to-an-end-of-life-guide-for-you-9c7b6038e4a5">ugly</a>, <a href="https://readmedium.com/why-your-why-means-everything-and-absolutely-nothing-d5bdba17d7de">ugly</a>, <a href="https://readmedium.com/adeles-hello-takes-on-a-whole-new-meaning-since-mom-died-1cef9b23e800">ugly</a>.When you fight battles on so many fronts, it wears a person down. Mental health becomes a daily fight.I was talking with a friend recently. We’ll call her Jill, and we had a lovely discussion that nothing is ever wasted. God uses everything. As I cracked the book, I was surprised to find God mentioned, but not in the way you’d think. God is “good orderly direction or flow.”Here’s something to ponder from the book, and from a theologian no less:“Why indeed must ‘God’ be a noun? Why not a verb…the most active and dynamic

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of all?” — Mary DalyI surmise this to mean that the best orderly direction is an active life. You can be a bystander in a life that breeds stagnation, but you come alive when you move.If you’ve reinvented yourself in life, you’ll likely agree that nothing in your past is wasted, and timing is perfect. Some ongoing personal struggles are about to work themselves out. I couldn’t have timed the resolutions to come in these moments, yet they are here, through no doing of my own.If you’ve found yourself in life 2.0 — heck, let’s be real — life 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, or beyond, you know that the doors open exactly when they are supposed to and that perfect timing shows up right on time and completely by accident.“In the brush doing what it’s doing, it will stumble upon what one couldn’t do by oneself.” — Robert MotherwellMotherwell promotes the art of scribbling. It reminds me of the earliest creations my kids made. A beautiful mess. Scribbles, some say. Beautiful art, I say as I hung the art on the fridge.Unblock your mind and scribble. Let your art be awful until it becomes beautiful.Whether it’s you, me, the kids, or life, what are you scribbling about today?Don’t miss a single story. <a href="https://nicoleakers.medium.com/membership">Use my referral link</a> to become a Medium member.</article></body>

Unblocking Your Mind Is Incredibly Simple When You Discover “The Artist’s Way”

Scribble something beautiful

“The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron is enjoying its 25th-anniversary edition. I’ve heard of the book many times from writers who say it will change your life. I don’t believe a book can change your life. However, a book can offer tools to put you on the path to changing your life if you do the work.

I’ve had Cameron’s book on my bookshelf for six months or better. “It’s a must-read,” writers said. My ongoing protest is, “But, I am not an artist; I’m a writer.” These are two very different things. I can’t draw, paint, or create in any medium other than words.

This morning I finally cracked the cover as I sipped my morning coffee. Life has been tough for many people. The last year has been incredibly challenging. I’m still dealing with the aftermath of my mom’s death, and it has been ugly, ugly, ugly.

When you fight battles on so many fronts, it wears a person down. Mental health becomes a daily fight.

I was talking with a friend recently. We’ll call her Jill, and we had a lovely discussion that nothing is ever wasted. God uses everything. As I cracked the book, I was surprised to find God mentioned, but not in the way you’d think. God is “good orderly direction or flow.”

Here’s something to ponder from the book, and from a theologian no less:

“Why indeed must ‘God’ be a noun? Why not a verb…the most active and dynamic of all?” — Mary Daly

I surmise this to mean that the best orderly direction is an active life. You can be a bystander in a life that breeds stagnation, but you come alive when you move.

If you’ve reinvented yourself in life, you’ll likely agree that nothing in your past is wasted, and timing is perfect. Some ongoing personal struggles are about to work themselves out. I couldn’t have timed the resolutions to come in these moments, yet they are here, through no doing of my own.

If you’ve found yourself in life 2.0 — heck, let’s be real — life 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, or beyond, you know that the doors open exactly when they are supposed to and that perfect timing shows up right on time and completely by accident.

“In the brush doing what it’s doing, it will stumble upon what one couldn’t do by oneself.” — Robert Motherwell

Motherwell promotes the art of scribbling. It reminds me of the earliest creations my kids made. A beautiful mess. Scribbles, some say. Beautiful art, I say as I hung the art on the fridge.

Unblock your mind and scribble. Let your art be awful until it becomes beautiful.

Whether it’s you, me, the kids, or life, what are you scribbling about today?

Don’t miss a single story. Use my referral link to become a Medium member.