I tried journalling every day for THREE MONTHS 🖊️ The Artist's Way vlog

Hello everyone and welcome to another video! In this one, I'm trying The Artist's way. This is a journalling challenge / program for people who want to unlock their creativity. So, essentially, I tried journalling every day for THREE MONTHS and I tell you what I did not succeed 😂

I found this challenge really tough, but I'm glad I did it. I really enjoyed journalling. I enjoyed trying out Julia Cameron's Artist's Way and although I didn't hit the 252 page goal nor did I journal consistently for three months, I did really enjoy the journalling I did actually do.

I hope you enjoy the video! Thank you for watching 💛

My book 📖 A Year in Tōkyō: An Illustrated Guide and Memoir:
Or, if you can, order it from your local bookstore! The ISBN is: 978-0-646-86639-0

I tried Virginia Woolf's journaling routine for a MONTH 📖:

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Equipment I use:

Lipstick I wear (lol I always get asked)

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[movieinthemiddle]

If it's any consolation, I actually really appreciate that you didn't completely do it 100%! Not only because you recognized it wasn't something you could fit into your life at the moment and that it would lead to burnout and you chose your mental health over full completion of the challenge, but also because it feels so relatable. And since you normally do complete these challenges along with all the other vid editing and writing you do (seriously, no idea how you do it all) it's actually super helpful for me as a perfectionist to see that no one can do everything 100% and we have to prioritize, you're not always gonna complete something fully and that's ok. Especially if you still did some of it and got something out of that bit. So honestly I see this video as a win!

[tonydeluna]

Writing a book is like making a painting. My objective is to have an art gallery and produce more paintings as I continue to grow along the way. A writer grows, and so does an artist. The more you write, the more you’ll progress.

[celescole]

Thank you for addressing neurodivergence! I have ADHD (and also hypothyroidism which makes me really lethargic). Even on my best days I tend to just go above the ideal (unless I’m hyperfocusing, but it has its own side effects), and on my bad days I’m basically crippled. It is important to know our situation, our life, our mental health before committing to something. It is important to give ourselves a modified version to fit our life. Thank you for being open with your struggles, it inspired me to try out this challenge and let myself be imperfect.

[TheresaAlberti]

I am currently doing The Artist's Way with a group of creative friends and we are discussing the chapters week by week and doing some of the tasks, as well as morning pages. I think it's really helpful to do this book in a group and get to talk and share about what spoke to you, and then we all learn from each other. I had also done the book back in the 90s when it first came out, in a group as well. There's a lot of good stuff in there, especially if you have some bigger fears and blocks (like I do!), and Christy, you have been working so hard as a writer and Youtuber... you don't seem to be blocked and maybe don't need the rest of the advice in the book. I do think you're right to not be perfect about doing any of it-- I write the morning pages anytime of day, I haven't done many artist dates. You really can use this as a tool to help you and not follow it religiously, and still get a lot out of it. Thanks for taking on this challenge and sharing with us!

[circleofleaves]

I completely agree with you when it comes to prompts and exercises. When I'm reading, I'm more in a receptive state, so to be asked to stop and do an exercise just feels really disjointed to me. I love it when I'm reading, and spontaneously something inspires me to grab my notebook and start writing, but those moments come organically; they're not prompted by an external source.

Morning pages wouldn't work for me because of my medical conditions and medications. I'm chronically ill and disabled with a slew of rare conditions. I'm also neurodivergent. Midnight pages work better for me.

[IddeforTaylorSwift]

I’ve been undertaking this program for 10 weeks now. And I totally agree with you it’s different for everyone. I’m 18 years old, taking a gap year and I was very lost and my life was feeling flat and meaningless before The Artist’s Way. I’ve literally come to the conclusion I was not alive before the course, the pages, the artist’s dates and everything. I’ve done the tasks and I’ve never imagined life could be so fun. Also I have always been a perfectionist too. I love writing but I had never finished one single short story because I would take hours in one paragraph because it wasn’t good enough. And at the same time it has been so good for me it’s good to see someone else’s perspective on it and I absolutely loved to know you’ve taken the course too and to hear your perspective on it. ❤

[ringsroses]

The "morning" pages are the best tool from TAW and I've done them in the morning before and there's a benefit to doing it first thing (in terms of having a fresh brain) but I don't think you lose out if that's not possible.

I've done the exercises before and usually I would pick a day to do them (not in conjunction with reading the book) and it's been interesting to see comparisons between previous responses. But, the exercises are really geared towards opening you up to your own process, examining it and refreshing it. And that isn't always necessary.

As to the Artist's Date--I don't remember it being a two hour requirement and if it always has been I've never adhered to that 😅. It's mainly an excuse to do something fun and that's how I took it. But, it is hard to make it a conscious habit on a weekly basis.

When I did Artist's Dates I purposely went into cute shops that intrigued me and window shopped, I got tickets to shows I wouldn't normally have made the time to go to, I'd walk to new places, etc. Even something like putting on some music and zoning out was something I'd count. It was entirely about the "date" aspect of having an adventure with my artist self. And sometimes you stay in and chill with your artist 🎉

[mmarieritter]

I so loved your sharing your experience of trying out the Artist's Way! I am 39 and have journaled most days since age 11, so I ran into her material quite young. And I must say -- my experience, and that of everyone I've seen trying it, was so similar to yours! We find that doing them in the morning is quite hard and feels erroneous so we do them whenever we want; and we find that the Artist Dates feel quite shoe-horned in very short order. The older I get, the more privileged white lady this writing advice feels. Her subsequent work feels even more disconnected from the reality of the normal working person's life, and I wouldn't recommend it. All that being said, anything that gets people writing is a gift, and I love any video seeing you crossing over from fiction to journal territory :) It would be fun to see you review and try out some journal-oriented writing books, and let us know your thoughts on their approaches! Appreciate all your hard work.

[louisae]

i've been journaling consistently since 2020 and i can say that particular habit made me a new person. you go girl!

[thethoughtfulrabbit]

I’m honestly so glad to see someone else say the Artists Way added stress to their life rather than being a calming therapeutic experience. I’ve tried the Artists Way a few times, it never feels good. I’ve opted to just have my own diary and write in it when I feel like it, whatever comes to mind. No pressure or demands. That has been more helpful.

[tammasgrogan]

I worked through the artist’s way with a group of women during Covid lockdown and I thought it was amazing! I want to do it again sometime before I retire (5 yrs). I also did very few of the exercises, so I’d like to do more of that the second time around. The journaling was very beneficial with helping me work through some of the blocks to my creativity, although halfway through the 12 weeks, I started feeling like I had accomplished that, so I would often just write about the beautiful things in life at the moment, or write out my positive affirmations. I rarely wrote three pages a day, I just wrote until I was done; usually 1-4 pages. The affirmations really helped me keep positive… I should do that first thing every day! If I redo the artist’s way at some point, I will probably write on a project when I reach the point of having less to journal about, and/or use the exercises to fill that space. (I never wrote in the morning either, but the point is to create time and a routine, so I felt like I accomplished that). Being stuck inside a lot during Covid made me desperate for artists dates, but I had to get a bit creative because a lot of galleries were closed at the time. I did however take online workshops, shopped for secondhand art books, sat at the beach and sketched or worked on an art project. I felt successful with the artists dates because it forced me to get out during Covid and kept me working on my art projects even though the world was a bit crazy and uninspired during Covid (I’m a printmaker as well as a writer). The best thing was working through the book with a group of artist women, and during our weekly checkin via zoom, we all got to know each other, support each other and discuss how similar our experiences were. We felt supported.

[gabrielagoulart]

You don't even now how your video came in the right time for me! It's been 3 weeks since I started the course from The Artist's Way and I'm currently and still in week one lol. In the first week I wasn't able to find a time to set my artist's date, in the second week I didn't do all the morning pages, and I still didn't finish all the assignments. It's really complex to balance work and life (house cleaning, cooking, taking care of a pet, resting, etc), and when I added this to my daily/weekly routine, it was and it's still difficult to manage. I was feeling so much pressure about not being able to do it correctly. See that anyways you did it, motivated me to continue in this path how I can. Really, thank you so much for your sincerity and transparency, it warmed my heart. As you, I've been enoying writing these 3 pages everyday, I hope it becomes an habit! :)

[Parlezkate]

I’m so glad you did it! If it makes you feel better, I attempted and quit TAW once in my 20s and again in my 30s! Mainly because I found fault with the program, or with me not doing it right, or timing, etc. I did the whole program a year or so ago, in my late 40s, and it was a whole new experience. It doesn’t have to be perfect to be worth doing; you don’t have to do it perfectly to get something out of it, as you said. Each of my friends dropped out along the way for various reasons that mapped to why I dropped it, but my circumstances allowed me to finish the program. I treated it like a class, so I did all the prompts, even when I hated them. I dropped the artist dates pretty early too because I am free to do as I please, I don’t have to make a date. I’m still doing the morning pages. I’m on day 428. Not all of them were in a row, and most days I only write 2 pages. But it’s the habit that I value. Great video. A+. Can’t imagine trying to film myself doing that program! You need an assistant😂

[vallenadg]

I love journaling! I prefer to do it at night, when I’m done with my responsibilities for the day and before I start relaxing. It’s a way to very literally put down the things I’ve been holding or even juggling for the day. Some days it’s several pages, some days it’s a half page, some days I just don’t. But I’ve been doing it for years now and don’t intend to ever quit.

[_punkles]

It’s so nice that you are open about being prone to burnout. So relatable to many of us out here in the writing community. Love your content. It’s cozy and helps me settle down when I’m of an anxious mind.

[megolson]

You know what? I appreciate what you're saying about not liking to follow the prompts given in the book. I tried this program of my own accord, and I always got the feeling that I was hemmed in by the prompts. I got really close to actually finishing things, but fell off at week 11... I was so close too!! But you know what, we made the efforts for ourselves and I think we get to celebrate that too.

Best wishes and good luck with your projects.

[mariaalejandraduqueperez]

One of the things I love the most about your channel is how realistic and healthy your vision of work is! Keeping the balance is so important, and even though the goal was not achieved, seeing all the take outs and lessons you had from it are so, so inspiring. From a recovering perfectionist to another: chapeau! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[Mandyxien]

Ah, this was so refreshing to watch as a recovering perfectionist! I could relate SO much to the getting better at letting myself do things imperfectly and still getting value from it. So nice to see!

[sarahmattimiro]

I found that Morning Pages helped so much with the anxiety I would wake up with. And I realized I still had more to say, so I started doing regular journaling as well. It's helped so much with my overall well-being. I think the Artist's Way is really good for helping you find little things to get you into the groove of being consistently artistic, but that doing all of it is too much. I also liked the way she talked about how to deal with the shame that comes along with being an artist, as it's something a lot of us struggle with. I also didn't do a lot of the prompts as I find a lot of times that they just don't appeal to me.😅

[dropofsun]

I journal pretty regularly, but not daily. I was working through The Artist's Way recently, too! I haven't finished yet and skipped some of the prompts, but I've enjoyed it overall. Also, I rarely actually wrote my morning pages in the morning. Usually, I worked on it at lunchtime. This is motivation for me to get back to it today.