"Art opens the closets, airs out the cellars and attics. It brings healing."
— Julia B. Cameron
American Writer, Artist, Filmmaker
1948 -
Commentary
Some would say that our hearts and souls become clogged with the emotions of living. We suffer real and imagined hurts at the hands of others. Overtime this pain begins to clog up our metaphoric arteries, blocking our hearts and souls. We become unhappy and disenfranchised. We are discouraged and depressed.
One avenue to salvation is involvement in the arts — writing, painting and singing, etc. Writing opens the attics of our minds and allows us to clean out the cobwebs, chase away the mice and restore sanity. Painting airs out the musty smells in the basements of our hearts, removes the boxes of ancient memories and fills us with hope. Music soothes the soul and heals the heart.
Has your involvement in the arts helped you to heal the heart and cleanse the soul? Has creativity brought you happiness and salvation? Are you on the road to healing the hurt of yesteryear? Are you a better person today because of your creative work?
Creative Practice
In her book, The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron teaches the powerful tool of morning pages. She suggests that people spend time every day writing anything that comes to mind. One is not writing for publication, but to practice writing — to aid in the healing process. This week spend 30 minutes each morning writing whatever enters your mind. Don't pause, stop or reflect. Just write. Keep the pen on the paper and write. (The key is to write longhand, not with a computer.) This begins the cleansing process. And if you have not read her book, now would be a good time to do so.
Biography
Julia Cameron was born in Illinois and raised in a suburb of Chicago. She attended both Georgetown University and Fordham. She began her career at the Washington Post and later the Rolling Stone. She met and married Martin Scorsese in 1975 and divorced in 1977.
Cameron is best known for her book, The Artist's Way, in which she explores creativity as a spiritual path and helps people to unlock their creativity. She has written 30 books including the novel, The Dark Room, and is an award-winning poet, playwright and filmmaker. You can find out more information about her and her work at:
Video
Here is a video of Julia Cameron talking about the spiritual path to creativity.
