God is No Laughing Matter: Observations and Objections on the Spiritual Path - Softcover

Cameron, Julia

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0330487787 ISBN 13: 9780330487788

Publisher: Pan Books, 2001

Synopsis

In this text Julia Cameron debunks the mythology surrounding the spiritual life. She shows how not to be dragged down by the "Spirituality Buff" who has to do one more retreat than you or one half-hour more meditation a day. This book shows how to accept the moment and give thanks and recognize true inspiration. Learn how to notice God in the small details and enrich your life with His presence, rather than follow regimes and striving to fit God in.

About this title

Review

Ever since she wrote The Artist's Way Julia Cameron has championed the belief that creativity is a spiritual act and even a birthright. If readers ever feel that their creativity is blocked she has always suggested that they look inward for inspiration and guidance. She explains, "All of the tools that I teach are the tools of inner listening. When people tune in that way, they not only hear their own personality; they also hear a higher octave of guidance."

In a sense, Cameron has always nudged her readers to forge a more conscious relationship with God, so it isn't any surprise that she would eventually tackle this topic head-on in God is No Laughing Matter. This inspirational book is formatted as a series of essays and each one ends with a suggested "Experiment" or "Exercise." This essay structure gives this book lightness and approachability, which is fitting, considering that her main premise is that we need to lighten up so that we can better approach God. When challenging the notion that "God is no laughing matter," she writes, "I'm not so sure about that. Look at octopuses, for example. And baboons with those hilarious bright red asses."

This is actually one of Cameron's most articulate, spirited and ripened books yet. Although she underscores some of the spiritual advice that's already being said (slow down, simplify, be still), readers will find plenty of fresh and original essays in this book, a book that really matters. --Gail Hudson

Review

Praise for THE ARTIST'S WAY...

"THE ARTIST'S WAY by Julia Cameron is not exclusively about writing--it is about discovering and developing the artist within whether a painter, poet, screenwriter or musician--but it is a lot about writing. If you have always wanted to pursue a creative dream, have always wanted to play and create with words or paints, this book will gently get you started and help you learn all kinds of paying-attention techniques; and that, after all, is what being an artist is all about. It's about learning to pay attention."
--Anne Lamott, Mademoiselle

"The premise of the book is that creativity and spirituality are the same thing, they come from the same place. And we were created to use this life to express our individuality, and that over the course of a lifetime that gets beaten out of us. [THE ARTIST'S WAY] helped me put aside my fear and not worry about whether the record would be commercial."
--Grammy award-winning singer Kathy Mattea

"Julia Cameron brings creativity and spirituality together with the same kind of step-by-step wisdom that Edgar Cayce encouraged. The result is spiritual creativity as a consistent and nourishing part of daily life."
--Venture Inward

"I never knew I was a visual artist until I read Julia Cameron's THE ARTIST'S WAY."
--Jannene Behl in Artist's Magazine

"Julia Cameron's landmark book THE ARTIST'S WAY helped me figure out who I really was as an adult, not so much as an artist but as a person. And award-winning journalist and poet, Cameron's genius is that she doesn't tell readers what they should do to achieve or who they should be--instead she creates a map for readers to start exploring these questions themselves."
--Michael F. Melcher, Law Practice magazine

"This is not a self-help book in the normative sense. It is simply a powerful book that can challenge one to move into an entirely different state of personal expression and growth."
--Nick Maddox, Deland Beacon

"THE ARTIST'S WAY (with its companion volume THE ARTIST'S WAY MORNING PAGES JOURNAL) becomes a friend over time, not just a journal. Like a journal, it provokes spontaneous insights and solutions; beyond journaling, it establishes a process that is interactive and dynamic."
--Theresa L. Crenshaw, M.D., San Diego Union-Tribune

"If you really want to supercharge your writing, I recommend that you get a copy of Julia Cameron's book THE ARTIST'S WAY. I'm not a big fan of self-help books, but this book has changed my life for the better and restored my previously lagging creativity."
--Jeffrey Bairstow, Laser Focus World

"Working with the principle that creative expression is the natural direction of life, Cameron developed a three month program to recover creativity. THE ARTIST'S WAY shows how to tap into the higher power that connects human creativity and the creative energies of the universe."
--Mike Gossie, Scottsdale Tribune

"THE ARTIST'S WAY is the seminal book on the subject of creativity and an invaluable guide to living the artistic life. Still as vital today--or perhaps even more so--than it was when it was first published in 1992, it is a provocative and inspiring work. Updated and expanded, it reframes THE ARTIST'S WAY for a new century."
--Branches of Light

"THE ARTIST'S WAY has sold over 3 million copies since its publication in 1992. Cameron still teaches it because there is sustained demand for its thoughtful, spiritual approach to unblocking and nurturing creativity. It is, dare we say, timeless."
--Nancy Colasurdo, FOXBusiness

Praise for VEIN OF GOLD, the second volume in the ARTIST'S WAY trilogy

"For those seeking the wellspring of creativity, this book, like its predecessor, is a solid gold diving rod."
--PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Edition details

• Publisher: Pan Books
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0330487787
• ISBN 13: 9780330487788
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 304