When Plans Fall Through: My Artist’s Way ‘Failure’
Embracing Creative Failures: My Experience with The Artist's Way
Hey there, I’m going to be very honest with you today. I’m sharing one of my creative “failures” – but trust me, it’s not as dramatic as it might sound. It’s just something I had high hopes for that didn’t quite work out, and I think it’s important to talk about.
You might remember a few months ago, I was super excited about doing The Artist's Way. I shared it all over Instagram, sent out emails, and got a lot of people on board. I was convinced this was going to be a life-changing experience for me. And, in some ways, it was – just not in the way I expected.
If you’re unfamiliar with The Artist's Way, it’s a book by Julia Cameron designed to help creatives of all kinds – photographers, painters, sculptors, influencers, you name it – tap into their artistry. I’ve had the book for years but never fully committed to it. This time, though, I was determined. It’s a 12-week course in book form where you read one chapter a week, followed by prompts and tasks.
I was all in.
I started off strong. I told my friends, my husband, and even created a group in my community to hold myself accountable. People were excited. Many of you joined in, and we were all pumped to see where this journey would take us. But then...life happened.
We went on a week-long trip with family and friends, and that’s when I fell off track. I had every intention of continuing with The Artist's Way while I was away, but, as it often goes, I didn’t. I stopped doing my morning pages (those three pages of journaling that you do every morning), stopped reading the book, and didn’t do any of the tasks. Every time I looked at it, I thought, "I'll do it later." But later never came.
When I returned home, I thought about picking it back up. But by then, I was already behind. I started telling myself, “Why continue? You’ve missed so much.” And the guilt and frustration only grew. I had made a public commitment, and now it felt like I had failed. I even ended up disabling the group I created because it was making me feel stupid. Why couldn’t I follow through? Why was I not doing this thing that I wanted so badly?
I had a conversation with my best friend Georgie, who’s also a makeup artist and had been doing The Artist's Wayalongside me. She was doing great, still moving forward. But when I spoke with her about my frustration, something clicked. It dawned on me that I’m actually in a really good place creatively right now.
I’m making more work than I have in a long time. I’m experimenting, journaling on my own terms, and having so much fun with it. But here’s the thing: I’d put so much pressure on myself to stick to the rules of the book. And while I really do think The Artist's Way is great, some things just didn’t work for me. For example, the morning pages felt like too much. Writing three pages first thing every day became overwhelming. Maybe some of you are thinking, “It’s not hard to write three pages,” and you’re right – it isn’t. But for me, it just wasn’t happening. I tried, but it didn’t click.
After weeks of trying to force myself, I realized I was stuck in a cycle of frustration and guilt. So, I decided to stop. I had to accept that if now wasn’t the time, then now wasn’t the time. And if I never finish The Artist's Way, that’s okay. I’m not a failure because of it. I’m just human.
I genuinely wanted to finish the course. I had every intention of doing it. But life didn’t go the way I planned. And that’s okay. Not everything we start is going to work out, and I think it’s important to give ourselves permission to acknowledge that.
To be completely honest, I don’t know why I’m telling you this. Maybe it’s because I know some of you have been wondering what happened to that project I started. Maybe it’s because I hope my vulnerability will help others who’ve experienced something similar. If you’ve ever started something with high hopes and then didn’t follow through, I want you to know that you’re not alone.
If you're still doing The Artist's Way and sticking with it, I’d love to hear how it’s going for you. And if you’re like me and had to step away, let me know too. Sometimes it’s helpful to hear that others are going through the same thing.
I won’t lie – I wish I could say I nailed it. But sometimes, we just have to accept that not everything we try will be perfect, and that’s okay. I still love my creative journey, and I’m still moving forward in ways that make me happy.
Thanks for reading. I’ll speak to you soon!
