The first week of the Artist's Journey is called "Regaining a Sense of Security." It's not a coincidence. Before creating you need to feel safe. And to feel safe you need to understand what has been holding you back.
If you have just started the course, it is normal to feel a mix of enthusiasm and skepticism. Three pages every morning? Write by hand? Does this really work? The short answer is yes. The long answer is what you are going to discover over the next twelve weeks.
This article walks you through the central topics of Week 1, explains what you can expect, and gives you tips to get the most out of the exercises.
The core concept: creative security
Cameron starts here because he knows that You can't create if you feel like you're going to be attacked for doing so.. And most of us, at some point, receive that message. A teacher who ridiculed a drawing. A father who said that art does not feed you. A friend who laughed at your poem.
Those experiences left scars. And the scar became an unwritten rule: "Creating is dangerous." Week 1 is about putting that rule on the table and examining it in the light.
What are you going to do this week?
Start morning pages
Every morning, three pages by hand. It's the first time and it will probably be difficult for you: your hand gets tired, your mind resists, your censor activates. All of that is normal and expected. Keep writing.
Your first date with the artist
Find a space of an hour this week for yourself. It doesn't have to be anything fancy: stroll through a flea market, visit a bookstore, sit in a park with a notebook. The key is that it is alone and that it nourishes you.
Creative autobiography
Write a brief history of your relationship with creativity. What did you do as a child? When did you stop doing it? Who told you that you were not creative? You don't need to write much: half a page is enough to see the pattern.
Censor Monsters
Make a list of the phrases that your inner censor repeats to you. Put them in writing, just as they sound in your head. Then, next to each one, write who first told you that. You will see that almost none of them are yours.
"The first step to recovering creativity is to recognize that it is a matter of grief, not discipline."
What can you expect this week
Week 1 usually provokes two opposite reactions. Some feel elated: they are finally doing something with their creativity. Others feel uncomfortable: the exercises remove things that have been covered up for years.
Both reactions are correct. There is no โgoodโ way to do the course. The only thing I ask of you is that you don't leave the morning pages. Even if they seem absurd to you. Even if you don't "feel" anything. The effect is cumulative and is only noticeable with perspective.
Common resistances
"I don't have time." You have twenty minutes. Get up a little earlier. "I don't know what to write." Write that same thing. "This is not for me." That's exactly what the censor says. Write it down on the pages and continue.
"You just need availability. The availability to show up every morning with pen in hand."
A tip for the first week
Don't look for immediate results. Don't evaluate whether "it's working" after three days. Cameron compares the process to planting a garden: The seeds need time underground before you see anything above ground.
Your only job this week is appear. Every morning, with the notebook. Every day, write the three pages. And one time, taking yourself out on a date. If you do that, Week 1 will have been a success, regardless of what came out on paper.
Frequently asked questions
What is done in Week 1 of the Artist's Path?
Week 1, called 'Recovering Security', consists of starting the morning pages (3 pages by hand each morning), making your first appointment with the artist, and completing exercises such as creative autobiography and censor monsters.
How much time do I need for Week 1?
You need about 20-30 minutes each morning for the morning pages, an hour a week for the artist appointment, and additional time for the chapter's written exercises. In total, about 5-6 hours a week.
Is it normal to feel resistance in the first week?
Yes, it is completely normal. Week 1 usually causes resistance because the exercises remove emotions that have been covered up for a long time. Julia Cameron considers this resistance a sign that the process is working.
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12 weeks of practices, exercises and reflections to recover the creativity that was always yours.
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