On Commitment - from Letters to a Young Artist

I stumbled upon the lovely book Letters to a Young Artist: Building a Life in Art by Julia Cameron at the Dusty Bookshelf this week. A series of letters to recipient "X," the book has been a soothing, challenging, and much appreciated voice at this juncture in my life.

I would like to share a brief letter with you. Questions of commitment and career have been swirling in my mind of late, and I found this particularly reassuring.

Toodles,
~m



Dear X,

You ask me if your commitment to making art makes you incapable of other commitments. To the contrary. Our commitment to our art trains us in the art of commitment. From it, we learn dailiness. We learn to just show up, setting aside our current mood. We learn to live one day at a time and we learn that each day builds one upon the next. Committed to our art, we learn to keep the drama on the page -- or stage, or easel -- and not place it where it doesn't belong, namely, in our relationship. Our commitment to art teaches us the value of consistency. It teaches us the value of longevity. It teaches us integrity, practicality, generosity. If we are willing to learn, there is very little our commitment to art can't teach us -- and most especially in the realm of commitment. And so, yes, use your commitment to art as a model for your art of commitment. Did I say "Congratulations"? I think you will like "officially" living together.