My boyfriend and I have an ongoing argument about whether fear or laziness is more likely to keep someone from action. He claims it’s laziness, but my answer is fear.

Julia Cameron would seem to agree with me. Her book, a classic for “blocked” artists, outlines a 12-week program for “creative recovery.” Week one is devoted to the tension between “the dream of action and the fear of failure.”

I discovered The Artist’s Way nearly two years ago, and it became I lifeline for me as I recommitted myself to singing.

The book’s numerous exercises helped me discover and confront the fears that held me back from fully pursuing my dream.

Self-acceptance and the freedom to fail have been essential to me as I’ve taken new artistic risks, and they are woven throughout Cameron’s recipe for success.

The spiritual overtones in The Artist’s Way might not appeal to all readers. However, I found it easy to “translate” these into my own words, and I highly recommend the book to anyone who has fallen into a creative rut.

http://www.findingmysingingvoice.com