Before we get into our last week of The Artist’s Way blog series, here’s a full recap of the last 11 weeks on the blog:

What a journey it’s been! I’m really excited to wrap things up and share some concluding thoughts with you all. First things first though, let’s chat about Week 12!

Week 12: Recovering a Sense of Faith

Reading Week 12 in the book gave me that feeling that I got when my mom and dad were dropping me off at my dorm freshmen year of college. It’s a feeling full of uncertainty and doubt, mixed with feelings of excitement, comfort, and courage. It’s that feeling of hoping that everything you’ve experienced and worked for up until that point will have prepared you for what’s to come.

And that’s exactly what Week 12 is all about - faith, trust, and leaping into the unknown.

Here are some helpful reminders from Week 12’s reading as we prepare to take that leap.

When all else fails, ground yourself in morning pages.

We’ve talked about morning pages since Week 1 and it’s come up every single week since then. That’s how important they are to our creative recovery. They show us what’s really going on in the back closets of our minds and our hearts, and they hold the power to see us through any block that might come our way.

Whenever I find myself feeling blocked, I ask myself if I’ve been keeping up with my morning pages, and usually the answer is no. I’ve noticed that when I don’t prioritize those three pages every day, all these mental and emotional blocks start to weigh me down and keep me from my creative practice. So, whenever I feel distracted, overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure, morning pages are what I come back to.

“As we write, digging ourselves out of denial, our memories, dreams, and creative plans all move to the surface. We discover anew that we are creative beings. The impulse cooks in us all, simmering along all the time - without our knowledge, without our encouragement, even without our approval. It moves beneath the surface of our lives, showing in bright flashes, like a penny, in our stream of thought - like new grass under snow.” - Julia Cameron

Not only do morning pages hold the power to “provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize, and synchronize the day at hand”, over time, they will reveal our creative dream(s) even when we find ourselves in the murkiest waters. Like a penny in a stream, like new grass under snow.

So Reminder #1: remember to prioritize and recommit to the practice of morning pages. And if at any point you feel lost, come back to them and trust that they will guide you and bring you clarity.

It’s ok to not know.

“Mulling on the page is an artless art form. It is fooling around. It is doodling. It is the way that ideas slowly take shape and form until they are ready to help us see the light. All too often, we try to push, pull, outline, and control our ideas instead of letting them grow organically. The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.” - Julia Cameron

It’s ok to not know where things are going.

It’s ok to not know if your idea is a good one or not.

It’s ok to take your time and take things one step at a time.

These are reminders that I tell myself daily and I hope they give you as much comfort and peace as they do for me.

A lot of us hate the unknown, the mystery, the uncertainty of things. We like to be in control and know where everything is going. But the creative process is not like that. It’s something that’s completely unpredictable - and the sooner we accept that, the sooner we can start experiencing the beauty of that process.

What I’ve learned by letting go is that there is so much beauty and learning in the waiting. Those silly doodles in your sketchbook are not meaningless. Those “bad” paintings are not failures. Every step along the way is part of the process that is bringing you exactly where you’re meant to be. Whether it’s helping you to develop your skills or bring you more clarity, the time you spend mulling is not wasted time. It’s part of your journey and a beautiful reminder to stay steadfast, even in the slower and more quiet seasons.

Keep going.

In the past few weeks, we’ve talked about the importance of taking imperfect action, filling the form, maneuvering creative u-turns, and overcoming some common stumbling blocks. In the end, the message has always been the same: keep moving forward, one step at a time.

Think of your dreams as seeds planted in soil. Even though you might not see outward growth right away, every time you take action, you are watering your plant, deepening your roots, and putting in the groundwork to support new growth. So even if it’s the act of opening up your sketchbook and just holding a pencil in your hand, we have to remember to just keep showing up and trust that our actions are bringing us closer to making those dreams a reality. The only way we fail is if we choose to stop showing up. With the mindset of taking action every day, success is inevitable.

What tiny action can we take today to move towards our creative goals? Without overthinking it or worrying about the outcome, just commit and take it one day at a time. Action begets more action, and that’s the only way forward.

“It is the inner commitment to be true to ourselves and follow our dreams that triggers the support of the universe.” - Julia Cameron

As we come to the end of this amazing 12-week journey, I just want to say thank you for joining me along. Even though I was writing to you, I was actually writing to myself too. And as a big believer in synchronicity, it was crazy to experience how each week’s reading was exactly what I needed in that moment of time.

And I shared in this in Week 1, but I just want to share it again. Every time I go through The Artist’s Way, it speaks to me in new and different ways, and I’m so excited to take the lessons I’ve learned and have them guide me as I continue on this creative path.

I hope this blog series was helpful and inspiring for you as well. I’d love to encourage you to pick up your own copy of The Artist’s Way and delve a little deeper into the magic that Julia shares in this book.

I’d also love to hear from you if you’ve been following along! Leave a comment below, email me (hello@everleafdesigns.com), or find me on Instagram (@everleafdesigns) and let me know what your biggest takeaways were. It would mean a lot to me to hear from you!

With that said, here’s to our artist child, being unapologetically ourselves, and tapping into the amazing creative potential that we all have within us! Wishing you so much joy on your creative journey! ♡

The Artist's Way Week 12: Recovering a Sense of Faith and A Few Reminders for the Road Ahead

Week 12: Recovering a Sense of Faith

When all else fails, ground yourself in morning pages.

It’s ok to not know.

Keep going.