The 5-Minute Consult’s Guide to Creative Enlightenment

So you’ve finished The Artist’s Way (TAW) by Julia Cameron (hooray)… or at least you really, really tried to. The intent was there, but sadly the discipline was not. _{* shots fired *}

We personally went through this journey back in the 1900’s (1999 to be exact). We were youngish and attending school, where our professors were not only our instructors, but also our industry peers. Back then, gatekeeping was the norm, so working creatives kept their Rolodexes and process under lock and key. During these times, young people were on their own, left to figure out if they were on the right path or not.

The timing of The Artist’s Way’s release was impeccable. This was the one book that affirmed our paths as creatives would be an enlightened one (and profitable), which altered our approach to life entirely. We’ve personally gifted this book to everyone we love, with the hope that they’d attempt to achieve personal fulfillment within their lifetime.

Honestly, it was a lonely experience going through TAW exercises without a support network. Maybe it would have been different if we had an accountability partner, but personal enlightenment is just that: Personal. Not everyone has the discipline or fortitude to complete a 12-week deep dive into their personal psyche, and we wanted to avoid the temptation of dropping out if our partner did as well.

Also, have you tried convincing a friend to be brave & go somewhere on their own? They look at you sideways. People don’t want to feel silly or vulnerable, and this book encourages you to do all those things. So you might end up being the person who shows up alone at every event, mustering courage you don’t always have.

Listen, change can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be jarring or isolating.

We do acknowledge that after completing TAW, there is a sense of ‘Awesome. Learned a lot. Now what?’. Sure, Cameron created workbooks that accompany TAW to address questions, but you might want to hear similar information found in TAW, delivered with a different energy.

We’re here to let you know you have options.

For those of us who want to start our own Artist’s Way / creative journey to enlightenment, but with smaller, more focused changes – we’ve curated a selection of books that might help. They are just as effective as TAW, but less drastic… AND neurospicy approved.

To read the full article, head over to The 5-Minute Consult’s Substack…

I went to Portugal and didn’t want to leave

In Zurich, I lived with a Lisboan Architect. She introduced me to a community of Portuguese intellectuals who were welcoming, clever and loved to eat. There were times when I thought my roommate was trying to kill me with the salt intake but she meant well.

We grew apart after we moved away but I was committed to making the journey to Portugal one day.

And I did just that. I called a friend and asked if she wanted to road trip through the Portuguese coast and she was game. I arrived first in Porto to kick the jet lag as quickly as possible and my friend arrived the following day. We had a blast traveling from vineyard to vineyard. Staying in 5 star hotels, while drinking white port and ‘green juice’ (vino verde). Touching the beach whenever we could on our journey. Porto was quieter, a little colder but felt familiar but Lisbon was so beautiful (the pickpockets could take a day off though). I could see myself living there until we went to the south. We stayed in Faro and instantly fell in love.

We drove along the Algarves and it truly felt like a vacation. We took a boat out to an island that was just 2km of pure white sand beach.

It was just what I needed.

The last time I felt that way, I moved to that country for a decade.

Designing books. But I’m not a book designer.

Having designed (and edited) a few books in my creative journey, I cannot call myself a book designer.

I love books. I consume them on a regular basis. I enjoy the way they feel and smell but I know my limitations. Book design is its own magical beast. A genre for the deepest creative.

But I tried and loved the results of this book. Maybe I’ll do more in a few years or so.