Finding Your 'Basic Principles'
What are the underpinnings of your creative journey?
At its best, The Artist’s Way is that experienced and capable coach - one that doesn’t simply dictate to us, but rather makes a few useful observations, asks the right questions, and then gets out of the way while we grapple with the implications.1 However, there are a few parts of the book that throw all of this out the window, leaving some of us scratching our heads in confusion at the bluntness that we find difficult to identify with.
Chief among these are, to me, the ‘Basic Principles’ shared during the introduction. I find them jarring, especially on a second (or later) reading, given the more open-ended tone that much of the book adopts. Here, Cameron presents us with ten items, stated as though they are immutable facts of the universe. In other exercises, such a list is offered as a starting point, or given as a set of examples, accompanied by suggestions that we adapt these, or ignore those that don’t fit our situation. It’s not clear why this set is presented so starkly by comparison.
Adding to this, the ‘Principles’ are some of the most heavily religious sentences in the entire book, and many don’t leave much room for interpretation! This frustrated me greatly, once again questioning if this book would be a waste of my time as an atheist. Everyone will have different reactions to the author’s statements, but I simply could not find a way to connect with several of them.2
Flipping the Script, Once Again
The idea of ‘translating’ these basic principles into versions that might more-readily fit in with an atheist worldview was, in fact, what prompted my writings on this topic. After several revisions, re-workings, and discarded drafts, though, I realized that I was coming at this particular concern from the wrong angle. I didn’t care for Cameron’s ‘principles’, so why would I think a set I came up with would be any more palatable to you?
So, rather than dictate statements that may or may not resonate with you, I recommend we approach this as an exercise. We won’t share the same basic principles (and we shouldn’t expect to), but I would be astonished if there weren’t at least some overlap with our peers.3
As before, let’s turn our focus inward - on statements that resonate for us as individuals. We’re not looking for broad, sweeping statements about everyone, just ourselves. I present to you the following set of my basic principles. Many (if not most!) won’t quite fit for you, and that’s a good thing, because we’re going to exploit that to find your own set.
A Metamorphosis
Read through each of these principles, paying attention to which ones make you flinch, or give you pause.
Once you’ve read through the entire list, start easy- pick the principle that made you flinch the hardest, or that most obviously doesn’t fit for you.
Cross out the part(s) you don’t like (Don’t be afraid to be dramatic in your edits if you wish - a big red ink pen or bold marker can be cathartic!), then add in your own words to create a new principle that you identify with.
Now do it again - find the most obvious ‘poor fit’, and edit it. Think about the other edits you’ve made, and let them all inform each other as you work your way through. You may find a theme or trend that helps you figure out what resonates for you overall, even if it’s not something you anticipated. Also, as your list begins to evolve, feel free to revisit principles you have already edited - your first pass at a principle need not be the final word.
Once you’re done editing what’s there, consider if there’s anything else missing. Add in additional numbers of your own as needed.
My Basic Principles (Not yours… yet.)
Creativity is a basic, immutable part of being human.
The more I make use of my creativity, the more I am able to trust that it will always be there for me to use in the future.
My acts of creation demand that I be honest and open with myself, even when it is uncomfortable. They also respect compassion and understanding - I need not be perfect to experience the benefits, but I will at times need to acknowledge my flaws as well.
The more I open myself to my own creativity, the more I become open and inviting in other areas of life - my relationships with family and friends, my work (both creative and not), and the world at-large.4
As I explore the creativity I find inside myself, I will occasionally find something I was passionate about doesn’t inspire the same level of creativity that I experience in other pursuits. So long as I am genuine in my self-reflection, this is not a failure, this is self-discovery!
My basic principles will necessarily evolve over time as I learn and grow through ongoing self-awareness and contemplation. I will not be the same person with the same underlying concept of myself and the universe around me in one year, five years, or 25 years, but I will only have an understanding of these changes by living a self-examined life.
Exploration of new creative outlets, forms of expression, and experiences are an essential part of developing the trust in my creativity. Remaining static is tantamount to regression.
Your Newly-Explored Principles
Once you are comfortable (for now) with your new list of principles, transfer them to a newly typed or written page or document. Sign and date it. I encourage you to revisit this list of principles from time to time, and to return to this exact exercise in the future (perhaps after completing a pass through The Artist’s Way, or in a year’s time?). When you do, start with this set of your principles as the jumping-off point. This can be a powerful way to reflect on the ways in which you have changed (and those in which you have stayed constant!).
A few things to consider, and feel free to jump in with a comment below:
Were there principles from my list which you couldn’t cross out fast enough?
Did any of your reactions during this exercise surprise you?
Morning Pages and Artist Dates (which are presented in the chapter following the Basic Principles) play right into this - the pages invite us to find our voices, and the dates to explore in a comfortable setting.
These weren’t the only principles I had difficulties with, but they were the most egregious:
“When we open ourselves to our creativity, we open ourselves to the creator’s creativity within us and our lives.”
“Our creative dreams and yearnings come from a divine source. As we move toward our dreams, we move toward our divinity.”
Those similarities and differences can be fascinating to discuss with open-minded peers - I can’t recommend enough the value in doing so with a group you trust. This is one of the biggest benefits I see in participating in creative clusters working through The Artist’s Way - the community you can connect with can be incredibly valuable and an uplifting experience. While there are many options out there, I would be remiss not to recommend the free Artists For Joy program that I get to serve as a co-facilitator for - it just kicked off on Tuesday, February 7th, and is still open for guilt-free late registration through this week!
Creativity breeds compassion and empathy - when we empathize with others, we are imagining and creating feelings that we do not possess on our own, and we can only get better at it with practice!