Week 11 of The Artist’s Way lands like a quiet revelation. After ten weeks of digging, listening, unblocking, and showing up, this week’s focus on Recovering a Sense of Autonomy gently reminds me that the creative life is mine to claim. Not anyone else’s.
This week focuses on celebrating your creative freedom, setting your own definition of success, and freeing your sense of self from external pressures. What you create should be driven by personal significance, not external validation.
“In order to be an artist, I must be alert, always, to the possibility of my own reinvention.”
I keep returning to that sentence. Reinvention is not a betrayal of who I was—it’s a return to who I’ve always been becoming.
Creative U-Turns and What We Fear
Cameron digs into “creative U-turns”—those moments when we sabotage ourselves just as things begin to flow. That novel draft we suddenly abandon. The gallery show we never follow up on. The blog we stop updating (ouch).
Sometimes we fear success more than failure. Or we fear the vulnerability that success demands. Or we simply don’t know how to be seen as who we truly are.
This week, I journaled about my own U-turns. Some were small—missed opportunities. Others were bigger—entire projects left to collect dust. But rather than scolding myself, I tried to meet those memories with curiosity. What was I afraid of back then? What did I need?
Cameron reminds us:
“The refusal to be creative is self-will and is counter to our true nature.”
Oof. That one hits in the gut and the heart. But it also sets me free. Creativity isn’t just a hobby—it’s a birthright. And ignoring it isn’t humble or selfless—it’s self-abandonment.
The Risk of Believing in Yourself
Week 11 asks: What if your creativity is enough? What if you don’t need someone else to say, “This is good,” before you believe in what you’re making?
That question has hovered over my morning pages all week.
“It is my job to do the work, not judge it.”
That’s been my mantra. Whether I’m writing something raw, sketching badly, or thinking about starting something new—I’m learning to honor the process without letting the critic drive the car.
Exercises From Week 11
This week, I’ve incorporated these exercises (a few modified from Cameron’s ideas) into my routine:
1. The Creative U-Turn Map
Draw a timeline of your creative life. Mark the moments when you stopped something that mattered to you. What happened? How did you feel? What would you say to yourself now?
2. Artist Affirmation Mirror Work
Stand in front of a mirror and say:
“I am a brilliant and talented artist.”
Repeat ten times. Watch what feelings come up. Write about them.
3. Dream Dialogue
Write a one-page dialogue between you and one of your unlived dreams. Let it speak to you. Let it ask you to come back.
4. Who Gets to Define Success?
Journal for 10 minutes on this prompt:
“If I got to define success entirely on my own terms, it would look like…”
5. The Sacred Yes + The Brave No
Make a list of three things you’re saying a sacred yes to in your creative life right now. Then list three things you’re bravely saying no to—because they get in the way.
A Few Favorite Quotes from Week 11
- “Success occurs in clusters and is born in generosity.”
- “Creativity is an act of faith, and we must show faith by trusting the process.”
- “Very often, a creative career evolves out of what an artist loves to do but never thinks of pursuing seriously.”
What’s Stirring Now
Week 11 may be quiet, but its impact will be significant. There’s a gradual change: I am starting to believe that the life I envision is not only achievable, but is already unfolding discreetly. If I keep showing up, keep saying yes, keep forgiving myself for the detours—I’ll get there. Maybe I already am.
Next week is the final chapter—Week 12. I’m not quite ready to be done, but I’m also curious about what comes next. Maybe finishing is just another beginning.
Leave a Reply