Basic Principles & Rules of the Road: A Quick Check-In

This page is mainly a tool for myself, but feel free to use it too if you’d like.

I’m doing The Artist’s Way for the second time and loving seeing how much has shifted since last time. One task is to read the Basic Principles morning, noon, and night for a week. I’ve got a handwritten copy and the book, but this version’s for when I don’t have either and need a quick read-through. I’ve added the Rules of the Road this time, too—they feel more relevant on this second round.

Bookmark this page if you want an easy link to these lists.

Basic Principles:

  1. Creativity is the natural order of life. Life is energy: pure creative energy.

  2. There is an underlying, in-dwelling creative force infusing all of life—including ourselves.

  3. When we open ourselves to our creativity, we open ourselves to the creator’s creativity within us and our lives.

  4. We are, ourselves, creations. And we, in turn, are meant to continue creativity by being creative ourselves.

  5. Creativity is God’s gift to us. Using our creativity is our gift back to God.

  6. The refusal to be creative is self-will and is counter to our true nature.

  7. When we open ourselves to exploring our creativity, we open ourselves to God: good orderly direction.

  8. As we open our creative channel to the creator, many gentle but powerful changes are to be expected.

  9. It is safe to open ourselves up to greater and greater creativity.

  10. Our creative dreams and yearnings come from a divine source. As we move toward our dreams, we move toward our divinity.

  1. Show up at the page. Use the page to rest, to dream, to try.

  2. Fill the well by caring for my artist.

  3. Set small and gentle goals and meet them.

  4. Pray for guidance, courage, and humility.

  5. Remember that it is far harder and more painful to be a blocked artist than it is to do the work.

  6. Be alert, always, for the presence of the Great Creator leading and helping my artist.

  7. Choose companions who encourage me to do the work, not just talk about doing the work or why I am not doing the work.

  8. Remember that the Great Creator loves creativity.

  9. Remember that it is my job to do the work, not judge the work.

  10. Place this sign in my workplace: Great Creator, I will take care of the quantity. You take care of the quality.

Rules of the Road:

These lists are from The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, pages 3 & 55 in the 2002 edition that I use.