Distilling the Artist’s Way philosophy into a precise and accessible collection of ready-to-use tools, The Artist’s Way Toolkit is the perfect entry point for aspiring artists looking to hone their craft and reinvigorate their creativity. For those new to Julia Cameron’s Artist’s Way or for those who have been following it for years, The Artist’s Way Toolkit offers refreshed and updated insight into Julia’s creative program that has already inspired more than five million readers. Read an excerpt below.
It’s a sunny, sparkling Sunday in Santa Fe, an ideal day for using the four essential Artist’s Way tools you will find in this handbook. The tools are presented in the order of their appearance in my life. Used together, they yield a surefooted path to creative recovery.
It’s early morning, and the sun glints off the snowy mountain peaks. There is wind in the piñon tree. I am happy this morning to be presenting the first tool, one that I practice daily: Morning Pages. Pages are the best-known tool of The Artist’s Way. They require our alert attention. I head to the kitchen, where I retrieve a carafe of iced coffee from the refrigerator. Pouring myself a glass, I settle in to write.
“Good morning,” I announce on the page. “It is a bright, even festive, day.” I’m in a good mood, excited to be sharing my morning practice—but not to share too much, for pages are private. I write longhand, for three pages, detailing the day at hand. I have plans for my day, and I put those plans in writing. Chief among them is an expedition to a metaphysical card shop, The Ark.
This will be my use of the second essential tool, an Artist Date. It is a two-part tool; one part artist, and one part date. Undertaken solo, once a week, it is intended to “woo” my creative consciousness—and I find that it does so. In the shadowy recesses of the store, the brightly colored cards enchant and interest me. After browsing for an hour, I scoop up a handful. I’ll be writing to my far-flung friends.
Now it is time for the third tool: a walk. I find myself setting out briskly. I have only twenty minutes allotted, and so I want to make the most of it. Passing a grove of juniper trees, I encounter a bold posse of ravens. They strut ahead of me, unintimidated by my presence. I reach the end of my dirt road, and circle back toward home. Now the ravens take to the sky, flapping their mighty wings as they lead the way. They will land in my piñon tree, staring in the windows of my adobe house. Once home, I settle in to write the fourth tool: guidance.
“What do I need to say?” I ask the page.
“Tell your readers guidance is available to everyone, not limited to an elite few.”
And so, I write that guidance is for everyone—a normal, spiritual practice. At day’s end, I find myself ready to begin.
Copyright © 2025 by Julia Cameron
Hailed by the New York Times as “The Queen of Change,” Julia Cameron started a movement in 1992 that has brought creativity into the mainstream conversation. She is the bestselling author of more than forty books, fiction and nonfiction; a poet, songwriter, filmmaker and playwright. Commonly referred to as “The Godmother” of creativity, her tools are based in practice, not theory. The Artist’s Way has sold over five million copies and been translated into forty languages to date.
Photo Credit: Robert Stivers
