Finding Water: The Art of Perseverance (Artist's Way) [Paperback]

Julia Cameron (Author)

Book Description

Release date: December 24, 2009 | Series: Artist's Way

The third book in Julia Cameron's groundbreaking The Artist's Way trilogy on creative self-renewal is now in paperback.

In this inspiring twelve-week program, the third in Julia Cameron's beloved body of work on the creative process, Cameron offers guidance on weathering the periods in an artist's life when inspiration has run dry. This book provides wisdom and tools for tackling some of the greatest challenges that artists face such as:

• Making the decision to begin a new project
  
• Persevering when a new approach to your art does not bear immediate fruit
  
• Staying focused when other parts of your life threaten to distract you form your art
  
• Finding possibilities for artistic inspiration in the most unlikely places

 Another revolutionary twelve-week program for artistic renewal from the foremost authority on the creative process, Finding Water is an essential book for any artist.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Creative process guru Cameron continues to guide readers on the "spiral path" of their artistic journeys in this eloquent third book (after Walking in This Water) in the series that began with her influential, bestselling creativity manual, The Artist's Way. For those who missed earlier installments, Cameron—an author, teacher and aspiring musical theater lyricist/librettist—rehashes basic tools to get creative juices flowing while also delving into her ongoing personal creative struggle. Structured as a 12-week course in regaining one's relationship with one's own work, whether it be writing, painting or music, the volume grapples with the symbiotic relationship between art and spirituality. Cameron posits a benevolent universe waiting to support the artist in his or her endeavors; the artist simply has to get out of the way and become a channel for the work to speak through them. Toward this end, she instructs readers in exercises for uncovering a sense optimism, balance, resilience, perspective and discipline, among other strengths. Woven through with confessional anecdotes from her life as a writing teacher and oft-blocked artist wrestling with self-esteem and faith in her work, this guidebook's combination of action-oriented steps and heartfelt revelations will speak to legions of struggling artists. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Julia Cameron is recognized internationally as a foremost authority on the subject of creativity. She is the author of thirty books of nonfiction and fiction, including her bestselling works: The Artist's Way, Walking in This World, Finding Water, The Writing Diet, The Right to Write, and The Sound of Paper. A novelist, playwright, songwriter, and poet, she has multiple credits in theater, film, and television. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher; 1 edition (December 24, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585427772
• ISBN-13: 978-1585427772
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #115,685 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Julia Cameron has been an active artist for more than thirty years. She is the author of more than thirty books, fiction and nonfiction, including her bestselling works on the creative process: The Artist's Way, Walking in This World, Finding Water, and The Writing Diet. A novelist, playwright, songwriter, and poet, she has multiple credits in theater, film, and television.

Latest endeavor: Julia Cameron Live, an online course and artists' community led by Julia. It is the most comprehensive discussion she has ever done on The Artist's Way, and the first time she has allowed cameras in her home. www.juliacameronlive.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

94 of 95 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved It January 9, 2007

By J.

Format:Hardcover

I received a copy of FINDING WATER as a gift almost two weeks ago, and already I can feel it working in my life. I've loved THE ARTIST'S WAY and have done it twice. A couple of years ago I did the sequel, WALKING IN THIS WORLD, which I actually thought was even better than the first book, and really helped me to bring my creativity into the world. Now, with the third book of the trilogy, I can say that it came into my life just when I needed it. It does use the same basic tools that the other two books use, but it deals specifically with finding the strength within to keep going forward, to keep finding inspiration, to keep growing artistically and spiritually. The writing is beautiful, the exercises are challenging (in a good way), and the result for me so far has been a sense of renewal, and of re-connecting to my creative life. I'm doing it with my original Artist's Way group -- we've traveled together for a long time now -- and all of us feel the same way about FINDING WATER: it's great.

49 of 52 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Julian Cameron Perseveres February 6, 2007

By Dede Ryan

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The third in Ms. Cameron's trilogy continues her writing legacy. I'll get my bias right out front -- I purchased dozens of "The Artist's Way" more than a decade ago, and continue to gift friends with "The Vein of Gold" and "Walking in the World." Hers are about the only books I buy in hardback because I know I'll return to them again and again. It's not just the guidance that makes her books so compelling. Her phrasing, syntax, ability to draw the reader into her environment and circumstances, makes me keep coming back for more. She is a great story teller, as well as generous with her insights.

That said, her third volume is a bit like watching a train wreck. Especially Chapter 5, as we enter the abyss with her, I began to feel some cracks in the foundation of daily pages and artist's dates. It appears that Ms. Cameron is struggling with her own advice -- "keep the drama on the page." And some of us may feel our own resolve begin to crumble. But as the book progresses, the theme of perseverance certainly proves its value.

Those of us who feel we know Ms. Cameron recognize instantly why she would be walking on mental eggshells. Not only is she not going back to Taos this summer, but she also has chosen to close out her artist's series with this third book. Readers will miss both, and in that knowledge share a small bit of the grief that Ms. Cameron must be experiencing.

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing Sequel July 25, 2007

By Karen W. Ruetz

Format:Hardcover

I agree that Ms. Cameron's current book sounds more like a cry for help than words of advice. After a life-changing experience of "The Artist's Way" for me and others, the exercises provided in "Finding Water" seem more rote and mechanical than truly enlightening. While there is some artistic merit to the book, I found it to be more of a disappointment than a true creative inspirational piece. A group of friends who formed because of "The Artist's Way" have read the book as a group and have found it to be a big disappointment.