Recently I was given the opportunity to review TheArtist’s Toolkit. Especially
because I’ve been in such a writing slump lately, I jumped at the chance to try
out this subscription service in the hopes that it would help me get my
creative mojo back.
The website is based on Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s
Way and is essentially an online private journal meant to accompany the book.
The basic method it proposes is that every morning you write 3 longhand pages
of brain dump, which she calls “Morning Pages.”
Once a week you also go on what she refers to as a “Writer’s Date,”
where you go out into the world and experience something new, to invite your
creativity to flourish.
To be honest, I was a little disappointed. The basic method, particularly the idea of
morning pages, is great. I’ve used
similar techniques at various times in my life and when I write longhand in my
journal, without worrying about whether it is “good” or “real writing,” I
always feel better. But as for the rest
of the website, I found it to be a little lacking. I suppose I was hoping for a little more
direct instruction or guidance, and instead for the most part the site offered
only the most basic of affirmations and prompts. The weekly dates and exercises suggested
seemed to offer promise, but somehow they never really meshed with the way I
think and write.
I suppose the real value in the website is the
accountability it includes; anything that will keep me honest about writing in
my journal is definitely helpful. The
site offers space to complete all the writing exercises, as well as space for a
daily journal and notes. However,
Cameron is insistent that your morning pages still be done longhand, and I
agree with this. There is something
about writing longhand that makes my writing more concrete and real. Because of this, though, I really couldn’t
find a practical use for me for the online journal space.
For people who frequently journal on a computer or a smart
phone, I guess this website could be helpful.
I did appreciate the slight kick in the pants to start writing again,
but for me I could have used a little more handholding.
Disclosure: This was a
paid review for BlogHer Book Club. I
received a free subscription to the Artist’s Way and was compensated for my
review. All opinions are my own.
