This week I read Julia Cameron’s autobiography “Floor Sample”. It was a good read, but disturbing.
It showed me how profoundly the structure of Morning Pages, Walks, and Artist Dates grounds her in her very difficult life. It is pretty much all the grounding she has. Her life has been difficult mostly because of her artistic temperament, her turbulent interior life, her continual life-long seeking of geographic cures, and her overall high intelligence and brilliance. She is an extraordinary woman, one that many might call psychologically disturbed (her “mental illness” is controversial…she takes medication to stay functional). I disagree; I think she is instead just very, very bright, thoughtful, eccentric, and creative. It sure made me feel better about my own emotional processes.
I’d wanted to know about this amazing woman who wrote “Finding Water” and so many other terrific books, and it encouraged me greatly, because it helped me to see how she managed to create DESPITE all of her various and sundry life difficulties. I would definitely recommend this book. It does, however require a bit of slogging through; I just wanted to scream each time she thought that the place she lived was horrible and that it was time to move again to the wonderful place where she'd lived only six months before. This probably happens 40-50 times. It's realistic, though, because she has portrayed her artistic process vividly and well in order to inspire and help others.
The book includes details about Julia Cameron's marriage to Martin Scorcese, her relationship with their daughter, and with other famous artists and writers. It also discusses throughout her recovery from alcoholism.
The book vividly, candidly, and courageously portrays Julia Cameron's struggle to create, and showed me that her process was far from easy for her, just something she made intrinsic---absolutely intrinsic---to her life---thus her body of amazing and diverse creative works.
I am inspired by "Floor Sample" because I want to make my writing as basic and regular and matter-of-fact to my life as Julia's is to hers. It also showed me that there is no difficulty that can stay in the way of your "art"---whatever it is---if you don't want it to.
This week I read Julia Cameron’s autobiography “Floor Sample”. It was a good read, but disturbing. 
3 comments:
Wow, thank you for reading and reviewing this book. I had no idea such a book existed. I'll see if my library has it. K
You're welcome, Kelly. It came out in May 2006, so I'll bet they would or that you could get it in an interlibrary loan. I think it's worth it. Let me know what you think of it if you do read it!
Thank you maybe your posting here will help me understand her better - I'm having a lot of difficulty coping with her negativity this time around!
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