What were you going before The Artists Way? What was your creative life like?

I was a single mother of two children in Amsterdam. I was earning money as a musician in a party orchestra and also earned money by acting in films/ theatre and with voiceovers. This comprised about half my income. The rest came from renting out parts of my house, from my ex husband and from the translation work which later became my main income stream. I was very busy and very stressed. Very creative, but highly nervous. I had a theatre company with another actress.

How did you come across it?

I had done various courses on creativity by Robert Fritz(?) and someone mentioned the book. This must have been around 1991.

Did it sit on your shelf or did you dive in straight away?

I waited a few months

Did you do it alone or in a group?

Alone, the first time. I was a volunteer librarian every second Monday afternoon at my daughter's school. After the first 1/2 hour no one came to borrow or return books, so I sat and worked my way through the chapters. Taking one chapter per two weeks. At the time I had an intensely creative life, although was quite stressed about it and achievement orientated. I then became very ill for a while. A few years later (when I had internet), I did it twice as part of an online group. Two people in the last group started an AWgrad group and I joined that in 1998.

What is your life like post The Artist’s Way?

I became much less stressed about playing my instrument, the cello, partly due to the exercises and partly due to the feedback from early members of the AWgrad group. In a way, life is less 'artistic' than it used to be, but that's due to age I think. The AWgrad group has been a great and supportive community over the years.

What Artist’s Way philosophy or techniques do you still use?

Morning pages always work but I only do them when something needs to be sorted out in my life. Artist's dates  are nice things to do.

What is the one thing you would really like to tell my readers about being creative?

It's good to work through the exercises in the Artist's Way (not just read about them). It gives you more faith in your own unique creative process.

~~~~

Facilitated Artist's Way group starting 29th Feb in Edinburgh