The Artist’s Way: Week Two, Day Four

A large portion of chapter two deals with crazymakers.


What is a crazymaker, you ask?

Crazymakers are people who enter our lives and completely take them over by pushing their own agendas. It doesn’t matter what we have planned or what we’re going through, crazymakers have it worse, and have more important issues to deal with.

As Julia defines it “Crazymakers are those personalities that create storm centers” (p. 44).

Here are some of the ways you can identify a crazymaker:

• They like drama. EVERYTHING happening to them is the end of the world and all consuming.

• They interrupt your schedule by running late, popping over, and calling at weird hours.

• They have no regard for what’s going on in your life, and your opinion doesn’t matter. They just want you to agree with them.

• They absorb your time and money.

• They expect to be treated as special.

• They never see anything as their fault.

• And they completely deny that they’re crazymakers.

Now, all of us have aspects of crazymaker-ness. I, myself, can see how I’ve done all of the things listed at one time or another (and if I’ve been a crazymaker in your life, I apologize –I’m working on it).

But, Julia’s point is to identify if we are allowing crazymakers to consume us. Because if we are, it’s hard to find the time and energy to be creative.

We need to protect ourselves. Sometimes this means setting parameters (and sticking to them) for the crazies in our lives. But, this also might mean that we need to end relationships. And that can be a tough and painful experience.

Ultimately, it’s for you to decide.

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Now, I want to shift gears here, and talk about one more thing that really struck me in this chapter. Julia discusses our need to pay attention to life, and that when we do, that’s where we find truth and inspiration.

Think about it this way: If you’re like me, there are times when you get in your car to go to work or to a friend’s house, and before you know it, you’re there! You don’t remember anything about the drive. You were on autopilot, and missed the entire experience!

You didn’t notice the woman with the colorful umbrella, or the little boy holding hands with his father on the way to school, or the beautiful way the sun reflected off the clouds, or the woman singing in the car next to you, or the vibrant flowers outside the Target.

Moment after moment of inspiration went completely unnoticed!

It happens all the time in life. We check out when we get lost in our heads, and we miss the world around us.

For the rest of this week, try to notice what you’re not noticing.

That what I’m trying doing.



Up next: the exercises for Week Two, and why I feel like I need to be more interesting and interested.