Week Ten of The Artist’s Way focused on recovering a sense of self-protection.
In short, it is about protecting the small, creative parts of us that can easily be overrun by old habits, noise, or the constant itch to prove ourselves.
Now that I am closing in on the end of the 12-week course, I’m feeling a sense of pressure that “I should have more answers and clarity by now.”
I’m trying not to let that thought settle and take root. Growth isn’t always a big, flashy moment. It most often unfolds quietly if you are willing to just keep showing up and trust the process. So, I intend to embody that mindset for the duration of the course.
Morning Pages
I did seven days of Morning Pages this week (helped by the long weekend).
Some mornings were more playful than previous weeks, especially after diving into a bunch of Virgil Abloh videos and feeling inspired by how simply and broadly he approached creativity.
I also ended up doing something a little different with some morning pages:
I wrote a bunch of small poems — these feel so rewarding to produce when they just “click”
I spent a few days just writing memories about my dad and growing up.
I did lots of lists of 10, following James Altucher’s idea of building an “idea muscle” through repetition.
Artist Date
For my Artist Date, I didn’t plan anything in advance.
Normally, I pick something early in the week and have it sitting in the back of my mind. This week, I left it open (out of carelessness), but it actually worked out in my favour.
On Saturday, while I was writing my Field Notes and watching videos about Virgil Abloh and Massimo Vignelli, I just naturally slipped into a creative flow.
I spent a few hours playing with graphic design and typography in Illustrator and Photoshop. I had no structure, no end goal, no plan. Just a vacant block of time and the freedom to experiment and have fun.
That simple act alone made the whole weekend memorable and reminded me that sometimes the best Artist Dates aren’t scheduled. They happen when you leave enough free space for something to land naturally.
Dangers Of The Trail
The chapter opened with the idea that creativity is like light flowing through a crystal prism.
Always there, always available. Our job is to be a conduit for clean expression, which means clearing any blocks that cloud it.
Less obstruction = clearer signal
Less resistance = more authentic flow
I’ve felt this firsthand lately. Some mornings, poems seemingly fall out of thin air without warning or effort. They are not masterpieces, but they are masterfully honest.
Workaholism
This week dove deeper into our real vices. Not just psychological blocks, but things that damage the connection between us and our creative core.
Things like drugs, sex and alcohol are the most obvious, but Cameron specifically calls out workaholism.
“If people are too busy to write Morning Pages… they are probably too busy to hear the voice of authentic creative urges.”
I’ve measured my self-worth through work for a long time. Not for the money or arbitrary success. My self-worth was linked to my work ethic, my effort and my output.
And while I’m not burning through 70-hour corporate weeks, working from home does mean the hours and days can easily blur together if I’m not careful.
Boundaries like "no work on weekends" have been critical for me to reclaim some breathing room to stop and play.
“An alcoholic gets sober by abstaining from alcohol. A workaholic gets sober by abstaining from overwork.”
Knowing when enough is enough can often be half the battle, hence why boundaries are so important.
Droughts and Trusting the Process
There was also a section this week about creative droughts (or dry seasons) when doing the work, like the Morning Pages, can feel pointless, empty or repetitive.
Julia reminds us: The process will reveal the path — so keep going.
I’ve definitely noticed this. Some days, my pages are just rambling complaints. Other days, without warning, a new idea blooms and I am off to the races.
Fame, Ego, and the Trap of Originality
Another theme this week was fame.
More specifically, how fame (or the desire for it) can distort the real reasons we create.
“The point of the work is the work.”
“Fame is often a shortcut for self-approval.”
Especially now, when micro-fame and algorithmic success are just part of daily life online, it’s so easy to unconsciously start chasing validation instead of chasing authenticity.
Julia also talked about the ego’s obsession with originality. This resonated with me — the belief that unless something feels completely new and original, it’s not worthy.
I’ve fallen into that thought process many times, trying to reinvent the wheel instead of trusting that staying true to myself is the real originality cheat code.
It reminded me of something Virgil Abloh said (I went down a whole Virgil rabbit hole this week):
Change only 3%: you don’t have to invent something out of thin air.
That’s been a helpful reframe for me to know that true creativity lives in the smaller shifts and adaptations. Not from gigantic reinventions.
Weekly Tasks
The Deadlies
The major task this week was incredibly uncomfortable. But of course, that also means the most powerful.
I had to write about how different areas (alcohol, work, money, family, etc.) have negatively impacted my life.
The big patterns that emerged across all areas for me were:
Self-sabotage
Scarcity mindset
Feeling like an outsider
A desire for mastery and connection
Unearthing all that wasn’t fun, but it was necessary. Because until you really name the forces that have shaped you, you can’t move beyond them.
Bottom Line
To close out the week, this task is about setting five bottom-line promises (non-negotiables) to myself:
I will no longer let past limitations predict my future.
I will no longer assume seriousness is superior to play.
I will no longer shame myself for needing slow seasons.
I will no longer choose work over creativity on weekends.
I will no longer measure my worth by financial milestones alone.
I’ll be back next week with another update. You can also follow along with video updates on YouTube.
Thanks for reading! If you've worked through The Artist's Way yourself or are thinking about starting, I'd love to hear about your experiences in the comments below.
Keep going gang,
Drew Trott
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