have courses on tapping into your divinity. Creativity maybe, but
divinity, I don’t think so. People often confuse a spiritual quest
with religion, and schools shy away from this topic.
Additionally, not every photographer is interested in this
approach.
I have heard lots of photographers talk about buying a
new digital system, but rarely have I heard them say: “Can’t
wait to take that new spiritual workshop on creativity and the
divine!”
Yet, I would bet that every photographer of significance—
the greats you know and the talented that you will never
meet—I would bet that on some level, they all have accessed
their connection to their holiness.BEGINNING THE JOURNEYIf you are ready to begin the journey, purchase a copy of
The Artist’s Way. In her bestseller, author and teacher Julia
Cameron urges photographers to work to open up their con-
nection to divinity. It is not surprising that her book has sold
more than two million copies worldwide. The popular tome is
a spiritual workbook for artists and has been heralded and cov-
eted by creative professionals from filmmakers to potters to
photographers and beyond.
As it is a workbook, you will indeed be using it daily. There
are many exercises, like her famous morning pages that ask you
to free-flow thoughts daily upon waking, as well as practices that
enable you to begin to open up channels that you most likely
have never opened before. The goal is to awaken your inner self
and bring it forward.
As you begin your quest, you may notice that you have a
hard time refocusing your efforts. You may begin to feel
impatient with yourself as you sense that you have put much
importance on the science and little value on the magic. Do
not chastise yourself. That would be a distraction from the
work at hand. Distraction is a trick of the mind that often sur-
faces during the initial stages of a spiritual journey. It takes a
while to get into the mode of looking at life a bit differently.
Be gentle and kind with yourself and continue on.CHAPTER23 / PHOTOGRAPHY ANDDIVINITYChapter 23.qxd 6/25/07 7:23 AM Page 147