Julia Cameron's most celebrated book is 'The Artist's Way' but I find 'The Sound of Paper' even more appealing. It's set up as a book of essays designed to stimulate anybody's creativity. At the end of each, she adds fun and practical 'Try This' exercises, sometimes as simple as writing lists but still effective. I love it that the book focuses a lot of attention on the attitudes writers and other artists should try to embrace. Our mindsets are the foundation of our craft, and so many other books delve straight into more technical aspects such as plot or characterisation. This is a great book for anybody who battles with lack of confidence or writer's block.
Cameron uses everyday examples from the world around her as analogies to make her points about creativity. As she lives in New York City for half the year, and remote Taos, New Mexico for the other half, this covers a lot of ground. It's very entertaining to read the vivid, beautiful descriptions, and being inspired to get writing makes them really special.
I appreciate the many anecdotes about experiences of her writer or artist friends and clients. As well as encouraging me that I'm not the only person who needs the lessons, it gives a sense of solidarity. It's very easy, after reading this, to feel that our 'tribe' is far larger than we ever imagined. This alone is such an encouragement to keep going.
Paula Vince is a South Australian author of contemporary,
inspirational fiction. She lives in the beautiful Adelaide Hills, with its four
distinct seasons, and loves to use her environment as settings for her stories.
Her novel, 'Picking up the Pieces' won the religious fiction section of the
International Book Awards in 2011, and 'Best Forgotten' was winner of the CALEB
prize the same year. She is also one of the four authors of 'The Greenfield
Legacy', Australia's
first and only collaborated Christian novel. Her most recent novel, 'Imogen's
Chance' was published April 2014. For more of Paula's reflections,
please visit her blog, It Just
Occurred to Me. You may also like to visit her book review blog, The Vince Review where she
also interviews other authors.
