10 MINUTES with Julia

You’ve said that Mark, your second husband, got you to turn

The Artist’s Way into a book. But we also read somewhere that The Artist’s Way happened because Jon Voight didn’t return your phone call. Is that true?

JC: Both things are true. I began writing Morning Pages when I was frustrated by John Voight. I wrote the rest of the book ‘at’ Mark.

Besides Morning Pages and Artist’s Dates, you’ve also said that walking is key for unblocking your creativity. What is it about a walk that is so helpful?

JC: Walking moves us out of our ordinary consciousness into an expanded sense of the world. Walking, we sense a benevolent Something that causes us feelings of optimism and hope.

Tell me a bit about Nigel. Have you managed to silence him over the years or is it an ongoing process? What are some of the things that he brings up time and again?

JC: I have miniaturised Nigel. He is now more a cartoon character than the voice of doom. Typically, he will say things like, ‘Oh, Julia, you’re boring.’ or ‘Your ideas are not original.’ I don’t believe we can totally eradicate our inner critic, but we can learn to work despite its voice.

I also read that you did a course on mediumship? How did it go?

JC: While I am interested in mediumship, I have never done a course on it. I wonder how that rumour got started.

Are there any particular words of criticism that have stayed with you? And any words of praise that you look to for inspiration?

JC: I was recently described in The Sunday Times [the British newspaper] as a ‘whiskey-swilling hack’. Ouch. I’ve been sober 42 years. The New York Times described me as ‘The Queen of Change’. This pleased me.

What piece of work are you most proud of?

JC: This is a difficult question. I feel most proud of whatever I’m currently working on. Sometimes it’s a book, sometimes it’s a play. I would say The Artist’s Way has held up well over time.

Do you still go on regular Artist’s Dates? What are some of the things you do?

JC: During the pandemic, I cannot take a regular Artist’s Date. When I can, I enjoy going to a pet store, where I stroke George the rabbit. Children’s bookstores are also happy destinations.

What is it about putting pen to paper in particular that frees people up so much?

JC: I have been told that handwriting frees up more neural pathways than writing by machine. I find it brings a flow of words and ideas.

Why is it important not to read your Morning Pages – for the first while, at least? I’ve also heard that you should burn them; do you recommend that? Or is it important to look back at them later?

JC: Morning Pages are a tough-love friend. They will bring up critical issues over and over again. So there is no need to reread pages for fear of missing something. As to burning pages, that’s a personal choice. I’ve had people burn them, bury them, shred them and save them. Because they are a form of meditation, there is no real need to reread them. After all, you can’t ‘reread’ meditation.

You’ve said that you never tire of hearing people’s stories about how the book helped them. Which ones stick out in your mind?

JC: There are several. A successful Broadway actor told me that before The Artist’s Way, he was an unhappy lawyer. My colleague Emma Lively, now a composer, tells me that she was a disillusioned classical violist. Director Daniel Region has worked with Morning Pages for two decades, and unblocked himself as a writer, photographer and actor.

Do you see yourself first and foremost as a teacher or a writer?

JC: I would say the two are approximately equal, although I teach what I write.

What is one thing you once believed to be true but no longer do?

JC: In my distant past, I believed artists to be a small and elite tribe. As I unblocked, and unblocked others, I learnt that we are all creative.

‘Hating the Morning Pages is a good sign.’ Why?

JC: Morning Pages unblock our emotions. Hating them is a sure sign that the practitioner is becoming unblocked.

You talk about not being afraid to be a beginner. What are you a beginner at?

JC: I’m a beginner at many things.

My Morning Pages move me constantly to explore new venues. I recently wrote a romantic comedy, and that was a first.

You also speak about using anger as a friend. How has anger been a friend to you?

JC: I hate bullies. They anger me. I felt artists were being bullied, and so I wrote The Artist’s Way as a sort of manifest.

Your daughter is also a creative. Does she do the Morning Pages?

JC: Domenica, a writerdirector, is a regular practitioner of Morning Pages.

What is the one thing you hope you’ve taught her?

JC: I believe I have taught her to risk and to persevere.

You seem like quite a private person. What made you decide to pen and publish a memoir?

JC: As I became a public figure, I realised that I wanted to be on the record, straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. I felt it was better to be clear and accurate than to have rumours abound.

Your techniques were developed before social media and text messaging. Do you think reading deprivation is much harder to manage now?

JC: I believe that reading deprivation was always a challenge, and that the rewards of reading deprivation were always significant. I believe the rewards are even greater now that reading on social media and text messaging are so much a part of our day.

Which parts of the course do people struggle with or rebel against the most?

JC: I believe that reading deprivation is a significant challenge, and I have noticed many people wanting to do creative U-turns at week 9. It is my hope that they will persevere, as the rewards of the last few weeks are significant.

There is a perception that the pandemic has been an opportunity in some ways: a time to pursue the projects you’ve been putting off, follow the passions you’ve squashed. (George RR Martin, for one, finally started writing again during isolation.) Do you agree with this idea, or do you think it’s harder than ever to be creative at the moment?

JC: I believe that our enforced isolation and solitude act as spurs to our creativity. The pandemic gives us an opportunity for introspection. I have noticed a significant upswing in sales of The Artist’s Way. I believe it is because people want to channel their energies in a positive direction.