A protective ring for creative support

Julia Cameron writes that “we are meant to midwife dreams for one another.” ¹ Getting creative support, having a “protective ring“, ² or circle, is often “the difference between success and failure, between hope and despair.” ³ She outlines the following principles for such a circle: ⁴

1. Creativity flourishes in a place of safety and acceptance.
2. Creativity grows among friends, withers among enemies.
3. All creative ideas are children who deserve our protection.
4. All creative success requires creative failure.
5. Fulfilling our creativity is a sacred trust.
6. Violating someone’s creativity violates a sacred trust.
7. Creative feedback must support the creative child, never shame it.
8. Creative feedback must build on strengths, never focus on weaknesses.
9. Success occurs in clusters and is born in generosity.
10. The good of another can never block our own.

Notes:
¹ Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way: A course in Discovering and Recovering Your Creative Self, p. 205.
² Ibid., p. 206.
³ Ibid., p. 207.
⁴ Ibid., pp. 210–211.