Week 1: Let's Talk About Shadow Artists

07/11/2025 1h 24min
Week 1: Let's Talk About Shadow Artists

Listen "Week 1: Let's Talk About Shadow Artists"

Episode Synopsis

We're officially starting our Artist's Way journey—Julia Cameron's program for unlocking creativity—and we're already running into problems. Specifically, we take issue with some of Cameron's ideas about what it means to be an artist. We challenge her concept of the "Shadow Artist" and argue for a middle ground between making art and handling practical life responsibilities like earning money for yourself and your family. Cameron does offer valuable insights, particularly around the internalized negativity that drains creative joy—Renee especially appreciates her term "Artist Abuse." But some items on Cameron's Core Negative Beliefs list are questionable (and that's putting it mildly.) We wrap up by attempting a few chapter-end exercises, which reveal some early obstacles in our own creative histories.Remember, we have a Writers Process meetup every Wednesday. Check us out.