This week was about recovering a sense of possibility, but honestly—it felt like I was still recovering from Week Four.
After the reading deprivation, this week slipped away from me. I felt behind, scattered, and like I wasn’t actually doing the work.
The Artist’s Way felt more like a background thought than something I was actively engaged with.
Morning Pages
With that said, I still managed six days of Morning Pages. I came very close to skipping my Sunday writing, but around 4:30 PM I sat down and did it—because I knew I’d regret starting the next week knowing I had cut corners.
Fridays continue to be the issue—coming home late throws off my rhythm. But I am thrilled that I was able to complete six days.
To me, this is solid, but I know doing all seven brings a different kind of momentum.
Artist Date
I stayed home this week and tried to make reading my Artist Date. To say it didn’t go as I had hoped or planned is an understatement.
What should have been a peaceful experience turned into a source of stress.
I told myself I would sit down, enjoy some fiction and complete this relatively short book in just a few hours.
Very quickly, I became frustrated with my inability to focus or follow the story. Suddenly, my Artist Date felt like a performance instead of being playful.
I learned the hard way: Artist Dates are meant to be exploratory—not productive.
Next week, I’ll make sure to get out of the house and visit somewhere new and exciting to me. In the first two weeks, I did that and the entire rest of the day felt different—it is a necessity that those hours become sacred.
Limiting Beliefs
The first theme of the week focused on limiting beliefs—the unconscious stories and tales we absorb and embody growing up that quietly dictate our decisions.
These might sound like:
“You can’t be an artist unless you went to art school.”
“It’s too late to start over.”
“Creativity isn’t a real job.”
They’re not facts, just inherited fears. And the more they remain unchallenged, the more they limit our sense of what’s possible.
Julia Cameron connects creativity to a higher source of energy frequently throughout the book. If the word “God” doesn’t resonate, you can swap it out with “the universe,” “muse,” or “inner force.”
Regardless, the message remains clear:
Creative energy wants to be utilised—it withers otherwise.
If we bottle it up, that energy gets directed elsewhere—or worse it fades altogether.
Another idea from this section that stood out is that the life you believe is possible is shaped by the stories you tell yourself. Perception!
If you believe you’re not capable, you’ll act accordingly. But if you can generate even a small belief in yourself, it becomes the start of a new path.
Consistency is built on courage.
You can’t become consistent until you first have the courage to begin—and to keep going despite fear or doubt.
The Virtue Trap
The virtue trap is about hiding behind being “a good person.”
You keep yourself busy being productive, helpful, and responsible—but underneath, you’re avoiding your creativity.
You over-give.
You delay your own projects.
You say yes to everyone else.
Eventually, your creativity dries up. The solution? Be selfish—at least some of the time. Take your space and prioritise what matters to you.
Overfunctioning for others is underfunctioning for yourself—creatively.
The Payoff of Being Stuck
This chapter also digs into the benefits we gain by staying blocked. On some level we choose to not do the work, so what do we stand to gain?
For me, the answer is:
I get to avoid failing.
I don’t risk rejection.
I get to stay in control.
I can say “I could’ve been great if I had more time.”
These are just excuses under the illusion of safety. A short-term comfort in exchange for long-term growth. And it all ultimately stems from fear and the desire to remain in control of our narrative.
Looking Foolish
Creative work involves risk—and sometimes, you’ll look foolish.
Anytime I hear the word ‘fool’ I immediately think of this clip with Ethan Hawke (it fits perfectly with this week’s theme).
This week, I had two moments where this really showed up:
1. The Camera Breakdown
I got a new camera and couldn’t figure out the settings. Despite years of experience with gear and colour grading, I felt like a total beginner.
The internal critic showed up hard: “You should know this by now.” It was humbling—and frustrating—but also a reminder that growth means letting go of ego.
2. Artist Date Meltdown
I planned to read a short fiction book and figured I could finish it in one session. Instead, it took hours to get through Act One. I brought my productivity mindset into something that was supposed to be playful. And I ruined it, precisely as Ethan states in the video:
“Don’t read the book you should read, read the book you want to read.” - Ethan Hawke
The pressure to read fast, comprehend deeply, and “make it worth it” hijacked the whole experience. It reminded me that I often apply work standards to leisure. And that never ends well.
Weekly Tasks
Five Imaginary Lives (Revisited):
This exercise revisits a task from earlier in the course where you are encouraged to imagine five alternate lives you’d love to live (see Week 1 and Week 2 for the earlier versions).
Nutrition Coach – I live this already.
Writer – I enjoy the process and the depth.
App Developer – I’ve been enjoying no-code tools.
Graphic Designer – Visual creativity always calls to me.
English Teacher – A way to work with language and travel.
What’s the Payoff for Staying Blocked?
This task asks a confronting but essential question:
What secret benefit do you get from staying creatively stuck?
It’s an attempt to identify the emotional or psychological "rewards" that come with not fully showing up, so you can start to let go of them.
My payoffs are:
If I don’t try, I get to believe I could be great—without risking failure.
If I stay blocked, I don’t have to fully confront the fear that I’m not good enough.
It lets me stay busy with what I already know, instead of stepping into the unknown.
10 Ways I’m Mean to Myself:
This task asks you to name how you’re unkind to yourself. Shining a light on the ways we sabotage or belittle ourselves helps us become aware—making it easier to break the pattern.
My ways are:
I reject compliments.
I interrupt my joy with guilt or self-doubt.
I’m preoccupied when trying to experience art.
I prioritize non-urgent, minor tasks over my health.
I punish inconsistency instead of celebrating progress.
I hold myself to standards I’d never expect from anyone else.
I look for too much outside inspiration to get to the next level.
I avoid celebrating milestones because they’re “not big enough”.
I tell myself I’m behind in life—even though I’m on my own path.
I delay doing things I love until everything else is done (and it never is).
Favourite Creative Block:
Each of us has a preferred method of self-sabotage—something that feels “productive” or “logical” but is actually just a way to avoid creative risk.
This task asks:
What’s your favourite block?
For me, it’s work and mostly in the form of productive procrastination.
I spend time organising, planning, and tweaking things I already know—rather than creating something new. It feels smart and safe, but it’s often just resistance in disguise.
10 Forbidden Joys:
Blocked creatives often deny themselves the smallest pleasures. This task invites you to list 10 things you love—but rarely allow yourself to do (aka “forbidden joys”).
They’re usually simple things we unjustly feel we haven’t earned.
Some of mine are:
Sleeping in
More tattoos
Buying an armchair
Making a photo book
Solo weekend getaway
Learning how to use it
A coffee machine at home
Takeout and a solo movie night
Playing arcade games in the city
Starting a music reaction channel
10 Things I Want to Own:
Another exercise in desire—this task asks:
What are ten things you’d love to own?
Not from a place of consumerism, but as a way to reconnect with your tastes, lifestyle goals, and vision for your ideal surroundings.
A bicycle
A homestead
A second dog
Coffee machine
Olympus Mju II
A full home-gym
Full sleeve tattoo
Vegetable garden
Vintage armchair
Better living room couch
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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