Over the summer, I read Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s WayOne of my professors recommended this book, but it took me a year to get around to reading it because I was never much into self-help books, especially ones pertaining to art. Until this summer, I preferred to fester in my own artistic issues/creative block, thank you much.

While reading the first paragraphs of the Introduction, I could not believe I had not read this book sooner.

What this book is: simply put, it’s a guidebook for overcoming creative block. Honestly, though, it’s so much more than that!

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I think the way in which you use this book depends entirely on you – where you are as an artist, and just how badly your creativity is blocked. Cameron asserts that the exercises are most effective if you use it weekly, over a three month period.

Personally, I found that Cameron’s observations alone made this book totally worth the read. Cameron offers sound advice on how to overcome creative block, gain self-confidence as an artist, avoid self-sabotage, and how to tune out the naysayers who do not take you, or your work, seriously.

Another aspect of this book that I loved is how Cameron reassures us that we are all artists, and just because you are not a card-carrying “professional” artist (be it photographer, painter, etc.) does not make you any less of an artist than someone who makes their living from their art. She places a lot of value on any individual who has a desire to create, to make, and I really appreciated that sentiment. She gives great pep talks, and we all know that photographers need pep talks every now and then.

So, now that it is time for our Holiday Giveaways here at Mortal Muses, I really wanted to give away a copy of this book, in the hope that it will be as helpful to you as it has been to me (I know it will)!

I will be giving away one copy of this book, so leave a comment on this post to win! One comment per person, please.

Anna