…by Julia Cameron. A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. Artists come in many sizes, shapes and forms. They are painters and musicians, actors, composers and oh so many more. However, the artist I want to talk about is the writer. I am extremely fortunate to have had a Great, Great, Great Grandmother who journaled. Her journaling wound up a book entitled “Connecticut Yankee in Early Alabama” by Juliet Bestor Coleman 1833-1850. I also have a sister, Jane B. Brooks that has written The Process of Parenting, which some editions have almost 700 pages. There have been nine updated editions published, so it has been quite in demand over many years. I have always loved to write, although my writing can not be compared to three weeks traveling by wagon, boat and foot. or years of study and research to produce any type of process. Instead my writing was mostly what I was passionate about or what phase of my life I was experiencing.. a PTA newsletter, a neighborhood column in our local newspaper, a plea for volunteers for a neurologically impaired child or the innocence of a death row prisoner. I was actually writing before I could write. My Mother told me that when I was around three and old enough to go into the bathroom myself, but still needed outside monitoring, that she realized I had locked the door. She kept knocking on the door and I kept telling her that I was OK and I’ll be right out. When I didn’t come out she became extremely upset and especially so when I told her I couldn’t come out because I was busy. Busy doing what??? I told her I was writing. Because at my age I did not write, but I did scribble, she thought I had found a pen or a crayon and now had all the walls covered. I was a pretty obedient child, so when she said unlock the door now, I did. When she entered there was no pen, no crayon, just me. Puzzled she asked where were you writing. My answer was I’m writing things down on my head. I’m assuming that is how a 3 year old explains thinking, but I have to believe I was really writing. That brings me to The Artist’s Way, a fascinating book for anyone who wants to open up and clear their mind. She has many tools to do this but the main one is writing your Morning Pages. For 12 weeks religiously you sit down in the morning and write three pages of everything that comes to your mind. In the beginning I moaned and groaned about all my misfortunes and worries. I kept this up day after day and after three weeks or so I realized my morning pages were more upbeat. It was as if I got rid of all the unnecessary clutter in my brain. It changed my outlook in many ways and made me a much happier person. Julia Cameron has written many books, in fact I have seven of them. She even wrote The Artist’s Way for Parents-Raising Creative Children. For fun google Morning Pages, or www.juliacameronlive.com or check her background on Wikipedia. Her background is fascinating, so many talents, and you may be very surprised who her husband was for a short period of time. I will admit that there is one book I tend to put on the bottom shelf and that is The Writing Diet. Somehow writing has not replaced snacks yet.