The Artist's Way

between creativity and spirituality. How are they
connected?
A: Creativity is a spiritual force. The force that drives the
green fuse through the flower, as Dylan Thomas defined his
idea of the life force, is the same urge that drives us toward
creation. There is a central will to create that is part of our
human heritage and potential. Because creation is always an
act of faith, and faith is a spiritual issue, so is creativity. As
we strive for our highest selves, our spiritual selves, we
cannot help but be more aware, more proactive, and more
creative.
Q: Tell me about the two central exercises in the
book—themorning pages and the artist dates.
A: The morning pages are three pages of stream-of-
consciousness longhand morning writing. You should think
of them not as “art” but as an active form of meditation for
Westerners. In the morning pages we declare to the world—
and ourselves—what we like, what we dislike, what we
wish, what we hope, what we regret, and what we plan.
By contrast, the artist dates are times for receptivity, pre-
planned solitary hours of pleasurable activity aimed at
nurturing the creative consciousness. Used together, these
tools build, in effect, a radio set. The morning pages notify
and clarify—they send signals into the verdant void; and the
solitude of the artist dates allows for the answer to be
received.
The morning pages and artist dates must be experienced
in order to be explained, just as reading a book about