Customer Reviews

The Artist's Way at Work: Riding the Dragon

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

If you've read the Artist's way, this book will seem very familiar. However, don't stop there. The different flavor of this book makes it worth pursuing in addition to the Artist's way. I went through the Artist's way book and then took a 4 week hiatus and then jumped into this one. I have been doing morning pages for over 6 months now. They have value to me, even more than the 45 minutes of sleep, I give up each day for them

This book is strongly geared toward the working world. As with the Artist's way book morning pages and time-outs are necessary to help you work through these and other issues. In addition this book is arranged in a similar weekly sequence with excercises and a weekly check in.

PUTS THE PEOPLE YOU WORK WITH IN PERSPECTIVE:
This book unlike the Artist's way, deals with personal interaction not just personal creativity. Let's face it we all work with people and how we relate to them does influence our ability to get the job done.
As the Artist's way does, it also recognizes there are certain people (crazy makers) that complicate our lives, there are also personality types and roles we all play in any interaction. This book gives great tips on how to recognize these and work with them.

IDENTIFIES WHAT MIGHT BE SLOWING YOU DOWN AT WORK:
Similarly, with working with people, we have priorities to adjust and readjust. If we are stuck in a point in our career, maybe these need adjusting. This book if you objectively do the exercises helps us understand where some or road blocks might be.
Sometimes we are the road block.

IN GENERAL LIKE THE ARTIST'S WAY, THIS BOOK LEADS YOU TO EXAMINE YOUR LIFE
For the most part the Artist's way presses the reader to examine what they want out of life and how they can get there. Also it helps you to understand what your true desires are, not just what you think you want.

LIKE THE ARTIST'S WAY, THERE ARE QUOTES TO PONDER IN THE MARGINS
It is a small thing but like the Artist's way there are quotes in the margins from famous people. It makes you think the confusing path we are all on, is one many have taken. Some of the quotes really connect.

To give you the full flavor of the book, here is the Table of Contents:

INTRODUCTION: Entering the gate

FIRST TRANSFORMATION: PART ONE: WEEK ONE: EMERGENCE
Morning pages/Creative Collegue/Secret Selves/Listening to the Chorus/Inner Mentor/Check-in/Creativity Contract

FIRST TRANSFORMATION: PART TWO: WEEK TWO: THE ROAR OF AWAKENING
Timeout/The Dialogue/Archaeology, Round One/Archaeology, Round Two/The Us and Them list/Imaginary Lives/Affirmations and Blurts/Customized Affirmations/Dumping the Albatross/Walking your Wisdom/Check-in

SECOND TRANSFORMATION: PART ONE: WEEK THREE: SOARING
Secrets/Watching the rapids/Wish list/Leadership Quiz/Explore a sacred space/Secretly I'd like to.../Watch the picture, without the sound/Filling the form/Check-in

THIRD TRANSFORMATION: PART ONE: WEEK FOUR: THE ABYSS

Admitting our emotions/Anger as a map/Metabolism/Footholds for optimism/Countering our Critics/True confessions/Define your inner wall/Workaholism Quiz/Bottom line/Signposts/The Fraudian Slip/Check-in

THIRD TRANSFORMATION: PART TWO: WEEK FIVE: SURVIVING THE ABYSS
Personal accounting/Emotional solvency/Counting/Luxury/Lapping up Luxury/Nasty Rules/The dream account/Explore your feelings about God/Going to take a miracle/Wondering/Check-in

FOURTH TRANSFORMATION: WEEK SIX: THE PEARL OF WISDOM
Body English/At the wheel of a new machine/A letter to the self/Positive/Negative poles/Media Deprivation/Reconnecting the Dots: Detective work/Beyond price/Meeting the inner rebel/Check-in

FIFTH TRANSFORMATION: WEEK SEVEN: LEARNING (AND TEACHING)
Being a Beginner/The jealousy map/Creativity Quiz/Feel, Think, Wish/Getting Current/The Hidden Resume/Becoming right sized/Taking note/Nuturing nutrients/The forest environment/Check-in

SIXTH TRANSFORMATION: WEEK EIGHT: TEACHING (AND LEARNING)
Roles, Biosketches, Family Functions, Containment, The power dance, Unmasking, Machiavelli, Practicing the present, Mentor magic, Going sane, "Dear Boss", Stopping the Spiral, Releasing Resentments, Check-in

SEVENTH TRANSFORMATION: WEEK NINE: OWNING OUR AMBITION
Clearing fear, Contacting Clark Kent, Local color, The resentment resume, Blasting through blocks, Succeeding with Success, Framing our lives, Check-in

EIGHTH TRANSFORMATION: WEEK TEN: LIVING WITH PASSION
Positive Inventory, Laugh or Lament, Box Seats, Heartbreak Hotel-Loss as a Lesson, The net of nurturing, Check-in

NINTH TRANSFORMATION: PART ONE: WEEK ELEVEN: THE LEDGE OF AUTHENTICITY
Name your poison, Creative U-turns, Ten-minute time outs, Valuing our values, The Ledge of authenticity, Exercising our options, Creativity center, Choose a spirit mentor, Spirit Mentors, Check-in.

NINTH TRANSFORMATION: PART TWO: WEEK TWELVE: RESTING IN AUTHENTICITY
Trusting trust, Mining our mystery, Building a house, Suceeding at success, Playing at play, Every picture tells a story, Gratitude, Checkin.

Epilogue
Suggested Reading
Acknowledgements
How to reach us
Index

The Artist's Way at Work was great for me because it shows those of us who aren't painters or screenwriters how to tap into our creativity. I approached my job with new inspiration after I started taking time-outs with myself. I highly recommend this book.

I find this book to have a plethora of practical, useful suggestions for thriving instead of surviving in the workplace. The workbook format stimulated my thinking about how we can get beyond our usual progammed "survival" techniques and find new ways ways to address old problems. I also have found it helpful for stimulating creative opportunities in my own life. This book is just what the doctor ordered for those of us who aren't satisfied with just getting by and collecting money. Not only is it a pathway to uncovering and discovering a fresh kind of meaning to work, it also offers us a real chance to forge new directions in both our professional and personal lives.

After completing the self-study program with Julia Cameron's Artist's Way ... this work-oriented book helps artistic and creative souls find a way to breath life and express their creative fire on the job. Cameron's analogy of the dragon is a dep metaphor to the fears that stop us from being our true selves. Instead of bottling up all the intense energy ... Riding The Dragon ... draws out our intensity with constructive excercies, wisdom, and a proper channel to achieve positive results. Cameron is one of the best informal writing guides for all of us with a voice were excavating.

Several years ago I read the Artist's Way and it changed my life. For years after that I searched for of the same but nothing was available until I came across The Artist's Way at Work. This book of course follows the same guidelines as the first book but I feel is more suited to those who work in large offices and organizations. I was a little disappointed as it did not really apply to my situation although I found some parts helpful in dealing with some of the people around me. Certainly for those people who work in a large company and have not read The Artist's Way this would be a good book to start you thinking in different directions.

Creativity in the workplace is a contradiction for many - after all, work is something we do in between 'play', right? Passive, punch the clock behavior does not help anybody, including our employers, so why do we go on, complaining about this state of affairs? Mark Bryan's "Aristst's Way at Work" series is a great read, and a call to action: you are the one responsible for your well-being, so reach deep, find your passions and give yourself room for try and fail at many different things.

"Artist's Way at Work" is a great complimentary read, and I suggest you also take a look at "Finding the Element" by Sir Ken Robinson (if you want to learn more about finding your passions), or "The Success Principles" by Jack Canfield (if you feel lack of control).

This is the second Julia Cameron book I have read. It is very much like Artist's Way except it is for the artist in the work place. All of Cameron's books talk about the artist within but it is for those who are looking for self. Self is what you are going to find. It is getting rid of what is unimportant and focusing in on the important making a complete and happier person. I am not quite done with this book but have devoured it and shared it as I did with her first book.

These books were ordered to be used in a weekly group discussion. The response was well received.

I have done several run throughs of the Artists Way last decade (oh those U turns really got me in the end).
Still little by little got more and more unblocked. Amazing, that.
Got this one from the library just to see how different this one would be from the original Artists Way.
I figured i have reshaped and moulded my job into something i really like, yet wondered if i could transition into something else eventually. I am only at the end of week two a month later, so had to buy the book to continue at my own pace, and am doing the tools by transferring them over to several big issues that i've had for awhile. Amazing what comes up when treating an issue like a person etc. Had some startling insights that integrated parts of me that i never even saw in NLP class! woohoo. I can just imagine by week ten it'll be "stand back boys... varrooooooom!!".. yes, amazing..have i mentioned amazing? nothing like me getting reintroduced to me!

This excellent book has been og enormous help to me in making me aware of all the things I put up with, and what it was I really wanted ! A great investment in living a happier life!