What do you think of when you hear the word “affirmation”?

Do you think of a stack of cards or maybe some woo self-talk? Does it get you excited or rolling your eyes?

In “The Artist’s Way,” Julia Cameron lists 20 affirmations that recovering artists can use as they move into a space of believing in their creative voice and power. It’s not an accident that these are at the beginning of “The Artist’s Way.” It’s step one.

Each month, I have the privilege of hosting an online gathering of past participants from my Artist’s Way Groups. In this Alumni Group, we meet to keep moving forward in uncovering our best creative lives and believing in the opportunities available to us simply by leaning into our best creative desires.

Here’s a sneak peek into how we used the affirmations to call forward the imposter voices in each of us and create personal affirmations to keep us moving toward hope.

Here are the 20 Artist’s Way Affirmation:

1. I am a channel for God’s creativity, and my work comes to good.
2. My dreams come from God, and God has the power to accomplish them.
3. As I create and listen, I will be led.
4. Creativity is the Creator’s will for me.
5. My creativity heals myself and others.
6. I am allowed to nurture my artist.
7. Through the use of a few simple tools, my creativity will flourish.
8. Through the use of my creativity, I serve God.
9. My creativity always leads me to truth and love.
10. My creativity leads me to forgiveness and self-forgiveness.
11. There is a divine plan of goodness for me.
12. There is a divine plan of goodness for my work.
13. As I listen to the creator within, I am led.
14. As I listen to my creativity, I am led to my creator.
15. I am willing to create.
16. I am willing to learn to let myself create.
17. I am willing to let God create through me.
18. I am willing to be of service through my creativity.
19. I am willing to experience my creative energy.
20. I am willing to use my creative talents

Now, try this exercise:

1. Read the list of affirmations. Notice any that ping you as untrue. Notice the ones that you have the hardest time believing.
2. Take that affirmation and write it down, slowly, ten times. As you write, notice any blurts and write them down as soon as they do. By the time you get to the 10th copy of your affirmation, you may have a solid list of blurts.
3. Now, move to your list of blurts. Take each one and turn them into an affirmation. For example, a blurt that runs, “I, Jaime, am untalented and a phony,” might be converted to “I, Jaime, am genuinely talented.”

For an added creative activity, choose the affirmation that most spoke to you and turn it into a piece of art for yourself.

This is a powerful exercise you can repeat as you recover your creative voice!