Julia Cameron concludes her book, The Artist’s Way, with an appendix that offers guidelines for creating a “sacred circle”; a supportive community for artists. I confess that when I began taking my writing seriously a few years ago, and picked up Cameron’s book, I avoided this section. I wasn’t ready to think about joining forces with other writers. I did not consider myself a “group” person. Bottom line – the whole idea scared me. Even though she wrote: “Creative support can be the difference between success and failure, between hope and despair,” I was having none of it.
My reason? The solitary nature of writing appeals to me. Alone at my desk pen in hand, looking out to the lake, with a gift of uncommitted time stretching before me, I am happy. I enjoy the stillness of reflection and then the physical act of putting words to paper. I like quiet; I often write in silence. This doesn’t mean I can’t write with background noise. I grew up with four siblings, three of them boys, so our house was always chaotic. I have, like my father, mastered the art of working amidst commotion. But private time, time alone, is important to me.
When I worked in the corporate world, I looked forward to the out-of-town meetings, which meant a few nights in a hotel. Alone, anonymous, in those clean, orderly surroundings, was both soothing and invigorating. My secret vacation fantasy involves hiking alone along lush green trails in Ireland, staying in thatched roof cottages, taking my meals in quaint pubs and then writing all evening. I have never enjoyed playing team sports; I prefer swimming and walking. Whenever applying for a job, I always check the boxes that say – “works well without supervision” and “is self-directed.”
Yes, this portrait of a loner is the tale I’ve told of myself. The trouble is, it’s only half the story. I was like one of those deluded characters in a novel, going about their business blissfully unaware of their true nature. Over the last three years, my creative self, the part of me that loves to write but also loves to laugh, explore, have fun, and commune with other like-minded souls – has felt safe enough to emerge. She is the little girl in me who wrote plays with parts for all my brothers and my sister, who sang, who played the piano, who loved to be on stage in school productions. When I mustered up the courage to attend my first writing workshop, the awakening began. I sat beside a woman, a poet and writer who not only introduced me to Sister Writes, but who became a dear friend. We began to meet regularly to write, to talk and to share ideas. We were a creative community of two. Then we formed a Poetry Circle and reached out to others to join us as we explored the pleasures of reading and sharing poetry. I felt the protective armour I had worn for years, begin to loosen and slip away.
It was my friend who urged me to join Sister Writes. She knew long before I did that it was the place I needed to be. Once there, sitting ’round the table with two dozen other women, in a supportive, stimulating, empowering environment, I realized I had found my “people.” I was an artist who longed to connect with other artists. The revelation was, that becoming part of a writing community added a dimension to my life that melded seamlessly with my private, loner side. It seems dramatic to say I became a “whole” person, but that’s how it felt.
When the formal Sister Writes sessions ended last spring, a few of us began meeting regularly to continue to write together. Like a cutting from a healthy plant, our small hybrid writing group is vibrant and strong. There are seven of us. We bring to the group a range of life experience that is vast and intriguing in its variety. What we have in common, is a desire to write and through the act of writing to share our dreams and our sense of the world with each other. There is a force at work in this circle which I can only describe as spiritual. And when I use that word I am thinking of the original Latin meaning of “spirit” as “the breath of life.” For in this group we feel alive and full of hope. We sip tea and coffee and we free write together on a whole range of topics and then we share our writing. Sometimes we email back and forth, sharing other stories we are working on. All of this works because we trust each other to respond with only respect and nurturing support. Our growth as writers comes from having the opportunity to share our work amongst like-minded souls who see our strengths. We ask questions and gently push each other in the right direction.
Julia Cameron writes: “… people ask me what I think is the single most important factor in an artist’s sustained productivity…what I call a believing mirror.” Someone who believes in you and your creativity; who will mirror a “yes” to your ideas and your vision. I encourage you to explore the idea of joining or creating a writing community. Two creative souls is all you need to start.
Til next time, keep writing.