The Listening Path: The Creative Art of Attention
Author: Julia Cameron
Publisher: St. Martin’s Essentials
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Cover Description
The newest book from beloved author Julia Cameron, The Listening Path is a transformational journey to deeper, more profound listening and creativity. Over six weeks, readers will be given the tools to become better listeners — to their environment, the people around them, and themselves. The reward for learning to truly listen is immense. As we learn to listen, our attention is heightened and we gain healing, insight, clarity. But above all, listening creates connections and ignites a creativity that will resonate through every aspect of our lives.
Julia Cameron is the author of the explosively successful book The Artist’s Way, which has transformed the creative lives of millions of readers since it was first published. Incorporating tools from The Artist’s Way, The Listening Path offers a new method of creative and personal transformation.
Each week, readers will be challenged to expand their ability to listen in a new way, beginning by listening to their environment and culminating in learning to listen to silence. These weekly practices open up a new world of connection and fulfillment. In a culture of bustle and constant sound, The Listening Path is a deeply necessary reminder of the power of truly hearing.
TL;DR Review
The Listening Path is a six-week approach to getting in touch with the world, yourself, and the beyond. It wasn’t for me — it was too “woo-woo” as she herself puts it — but it might be for you.
For you if: You are spiritual and looking for creative inspiration.
Full Review
First, a big thank you to Macmillan Audio and Libro.fm, who provided a complimentary copy of the audiobook of The Listening Path for review. They sent it on January 1, and I decided to give it a listen because it seemed like a great way to kick off the new year.
The book builds on concepts that Julia Cameron describes in The Artist’s Way, her first (and very well-known) book in this category. She starts The Listening Path by essentially recapping that book, describing her practice of morning pages, artist’s dates, and intentional walks. I actually think I got the most value out of this book from this section, as I’ve decided to try using morning pages as a potential journaling habit.
The rest of the book is broken into six weeks’ worth of direction. They are: listening to your environment; listening to others; listening to yourself; listening beyond the veil; listening to your (dead) heroes; and listening to silence. The first three are the longest, and the last three are quick to read. I ended up speeding through them because by that point, I knew this book was too out there for my taste, too “woo-woo” as she herself describes it. But there was only an hour or so left of the book, so I finished. Also, the chapters themselves also seem much longer than they need to be, with lots of repetitive and meandering stories about her dog and her friends and phone calls, etc.
This book was not for me, but if you are a spiritual person, it could definitely be for you!