The Artist’s Way: Excavating Creativity and Breaking Through Blocks

At the start of 2025, I decided to do two things in tandem: commit to The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron and hire a creative coach. This wasn’t just to support The Artist’s Way journey, but rather a deliberate choice to focus on my creative process for the year—to stay playfully present and embrace creativity as a core part of my life. I hired a creative art coach—someone who could help me tap into my inner child, rediscover play, and find my true, authentic, creative voice. A mix of art therapy, deep reflection, and guidance from someone outside my own mind has helped me begin to see where I have been holding myself back. I knew that thoughts create reality, and I didn’t want to keep attracting circumstances that mirrored my negative state. Shifting my mindset and committing to creative work is the path forward.

And for years, I had been meaning to do The Artist’s Way. Something about it has always called to me—a promise of creative awakening, a structured yet deeply intuitive path back to myself. And yet, I kept putting it off. Maybe I wasn’t ready to face what would come up. Maybe I feared that doing the work wouldn’t change anything. But at the end of 2024, after what felt like a year of spirals—negative self-talk, creative blocks, attracting misaligned clients or none at all—I made myself a promise: I would not end 2025 in the same place.

So I began.

Now, here I am, wrapping up Week 8 of the 12-week journey, and I feel more inspired in these past two months than I did in all of 2024. The shifts aren’t just about productivity or output but about a deeper transformation—an excavation of what has been buried under years of expectations, subconscious programming, and old narratives about who I should be, what I should have, and where my life should be by now. I had been stuck in negative spirals, even though I had tools—meditation, breathwork, dance breaks, outdoor walks, yoga—that reminded me how to stay present and tap into creativity. But despite these tools, I felt blocked. I knew something had to change.

The Power of Morning Pages & Artist Dates

The core of The Artist’s Way is deceptively simple: three longhand pages of stream-of-consciousness writing every morning (Morning Pages) and a weekly solo adventure designed to nourish your creative self (Artist Dates). These practices create space for thoughts to flow, for patterns to emerge, and for creativity to breathe.

For me, the Morning Pages have become a sacred excavation. Through them, I’ve unearthed long-buried frustrations, dreams, and insights. I’ve confronted my self-doubt, my tendency to get stuck in inactivity, and my own resistances. The process has helped me understand the root of my blocks—was it my past? My subconscious telling me all the things I "should" be doing? The weight of unfulfilled expectations? These pages have helped me clear mental clutter and reconnect with my own voice.

And my Artist Dates? They’ve reminded me that play and joy are essential to the process. I’ve let myself wander through bookstores, doodle without purpose, and take snowy mountain walks with no agenda other than to listen. I’ve realized that creating doesn’t always have to be productive—it can just be fun.

Creativity Requires Activity

One of the biggest revelations came in Week 8 when Cameron wrote that creativity requires activity. This hit me hard. So much of my stuckness in 2024 came from inertia—when I felt bad, I did nothing. I let the spiral tighten around me. Sometimes, I just wanted to lay on my floor and do nothing. But work begets work. Small actions—writing a paragraph, going on an Artist Date, even just setting up my creative space—lead to larger movements. Creativity makes us responsible; it asks us to show up, take action, and trust that the momentum will follow.

I realized that while I’ve been feeling stagnant in my coaching business, that doesn’t mean I’m stagnant as a creator. Clients will come, but in the meantime, I’m pouring energy into freelance writing, storytelling, learning how to DJ, and committing to a daily practice of incrementally writing a kind of memoir. Writing about my twenties in NYC and how I ended up as a ski bum—those post-college years where I felt lost, rejected, like I had done everything “right” only to be met with a void and how the mountains lead me to a more truer version of myself —is helping me understand how my early career disappointments created certain blocks I’m still working through today. I had assumed that by following the path laid out for me—graduating from a fancy prep school, going to a prestigious college, applying for jobs—I would land where I was "supposed to." But instead, I faced rejection after rejection, leading to self-doubt, escapism, and seeking validation elsewhere. Now, looking back through old emails from 2005 and 2006, I see how much I struggled. But rather than seeing that time as a failure, I am starting to understand that maybe I was being redirected toward a different path all along. Maybe it wasn’t my fault. Or maybe I wasn’t taking full responsibility for my actions. Likely, it was a combination of both.

And rather than just analyzing it, I’m writing through it, allowing the process itself to heal me.

Following the Creative Breadcrumbs

Beyond the memoir, The Artist’s Way has ignited a multitude of ideas. A passion project around ski and snowboard apparel that celebrates the pure joy of these pursuits. An art series exploring the intersection of yoga and mental states. Concepts that I don’t fully understand yet but am choosing to follow, knowing that the act of execution—not just ideation—is where transformation happens.

For so long, I told myself I was just an “idea person,” someone who dreamed but never finished. But creativity isn’t about the final product; it’s about engagement, about showing up, about honoring the spark and seeing where it leads. I’ve always struggled with execution, but this process is teaching me that I don’t have to see the whole staircase—I just have to take the next step. Whether these projects lead to something tangible or not doesn’t even matter. What matters is that I am creating, and in doing so, I am stepping into my most authentic self. And I truly believe that this shift—this realignment with my creative energy—will allow me to attract clients and opportunities that truly resonate with me.

And that is enough.

Creativity and Wellbeing: A Holistic Approach

As a holistic wellness and movement coach, I’ve always believed that creativity, movement, and overall well-being are deeply connected. The act of creating is an embodied process—it requires presence, curiosity, and an openness to possibility, much like the work I do with my clients. The Artist’s Way has reinforced what I’ve always known intuitively: When we move our bodies, we move energy, and when we move energy, we free up space for creative flow.

Creative blocks are often linked to stagnation in other areas of our lives. When we feel stuck, we need to engage, take small steps, and trust the process—whether it’s in writing, movement, or any creative endeavor. Just as functional movement training builds strength and confidence over time, creative work builds momentum through consistent, small actions. Both require us to show up, break through resistance, and trust that the work itself will guide us.

This realization has reframed the way I approach my coaching. It’s not just about helping people get stronger physically; it’s about helping them unlock their full vitality—mentally, emotionally, and creatively. Movement can be a gateway to inspiration, just as creative expression can be a tool for healing and transformation. And when we prioritize both, we step into our most authentic, vibrant selves.

Have you done The Artist’s Way? What has come through for you?