The Artist's Way summary

We all struggle with tough times in our lives. But if you want to be more creative, you can't run away from them.

Creative people often have to face and overcome difficult circumstances. For example, lots of parents discourage their talented children from pursuing the arts because they're afraid they won't be able to support themselves financially.

If you haven’t been creative for a long time, it’s not always easy to recover your artistic side. But don’t worry! Once you start digging into your creative inner world, you’ll start uncovering strange thoughts and feelings. These discoveries can be scary, but they’re also pivotal.

Anger, for example, is certainly unpleasant but not necessarily something to run away from. Anger can motivate you to move in the right direction. For example, you might watch a movie and feel angry because you think you could've done a better job than the actors who got the roles. If that’s how you feel, take your feeling seriously. Write your thoughts down and work toward that goal!

When Michelangelo produced his famous David statue, he said he found David – he didn't create him. Like many great artists, he thought of himself as a mere vessel delivering something much larger than he. He was right.

Artists don't generate their own ideas. They find them out in the universe. Once you accept this, you'll no longer suffer from creative blocks.

Fear is an artist's worst enemy. It can prevent you from pursuing your dreams, block your creativity and make you doubt yourself even when things are going well.

Usually, fear of failure is rooted in childhood experiences. One unsupportive parent or teacher who told you you’d never amount to anything could instill a lifelong fear of failure.

Every artist needs a bit of self-confidence. So if you want to resurrect your artistic self, you’ll have to reexamine your past to see what may have damaged your self-confidence, and how you can revive it.

Start by looking back and picking out three past experiences that lowered your sense of self. Any experience or memory counts, even ones that might seem silly. If Anna hurt you when she insulted your drawings in third grade, put it on the list.