Poetic Listening with Julia Cameron

Poetic Listening with Julia Cameron

By James Navé

In this provocative interview titled Poetic Listening with Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way, you'll quickly learn that poetic listening depends on the creative art of your attention.

Click HERE to listen to Julia Cameron’s ideas on poetry, listening, and creativity.

In her new book, The Listening Path, Julia says, "And what does it mean, to listen? We listen to our environment, whether it is the chirping of the birds or the commotion of the city streets—or perhaps we don't listen, tuning it t instead. We listen to others—or perhaps we wish we listened better. Others listen to us—or we wish they did. We listen for our instincts, our hunches, our guidance—and perhaps we wish we could hear them more clearly and more often."

In this Poetic Listening with Julia Cameron interview, my first question was, can you talk to us about your relationship with poetry and how it has informed the work you've done over your career? Guess what? Julia answered by saying, poetry is my secret vice, followed by a lovely poem titled Remembering. And the interview goes from there with more poetry, a summary of her new book, The Listening Path, and a few reflections on how and why Julia's work has become an indispensable tool for anyone who wants to live a more creative life.

Click HERE to listen to Julia Cameron’s ideas on poetry, listening, and creativity.

Your Listening Path

Julia's willingness to listen poetically is one of the top reasons her work (50 plus titles) endures and grows. Check out Julia's new book The Listening Path / The Creative Art of Attention. Julia also gives an excellent summary of her book in this podcast.

If you're willing, like Julia, you can listen poetically too. Here's an example of poetic listening. Close your eyes and list the sounds around you. Here's mine: Fly buzzing, fridge running, crickets, my breath, my fingers typing the keys, lawnmower in the distance, fly hitting the window, my feet moving on the floor, a distant songbird, and truck pulling into the driveway. After you finish your list, do a ten-minute timed writing using some or all of the elements on your list.

Meanwhile, enjoy this interview. I'll catch you on the turn-around somewhere down the line. Stay in touch.

Click HERE to listen to Julia Cameron’s ideas on poetry, listening, and creativity.

Click HERE to listen to more Twice 5 Miles Radio Shows, alway aired first on WPVMFM-Asheville.

James Navé
James Navé is a poet, storyteller, creativity consultant, and arts entrepreneur. He co-founded Poetry Alive! a theater company that has performed traditional poems as theater for millions of students, K-12. He and Julia Cameron established and directed The Artist’s Way Creativity Camp in Taos, NM, 1995-2003. Navé helped pioneer the performance poetry movement in the United States. He has been on the TEDxNewYork Salon organizing committee since 20012. His work has appeared in two books of poetry and in numerous journals and magazines. He is a co-founder of Twice 5 Miles, a content and marketing collective based in Taos and Brooklyn. He holds an MFA in Poetry from Vermont College. He has memorized over 500 poems.
www.twice5miles.com
Previous
Previous

Take Artistic Risks with spoken-word poet Poetic Prezz

Next
Next

A Gluten-Free Life with Laurie Richardone