The Artist's Way and your way

I recently finished 12 weeks of following Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way. Well, impressionistically following it. For those of you who don't know it, Cameron's book is a self-help guide to reconnecting with your creative side. It's full of techniques and philosophy and some cuddling.

Which maybe makes me sound like I didn't like it. But again: impressionistically. There's a lot in this book, so there's plenty to pick and choose between. For instance, the spiritual talk isn't for me, exactly, but it's pretty easy to get around "God" and just insert "life" or "energy." And there are so many tasks and affirmations offered that you really can pick and choose the ones that resonate with you. Though sometimes it's interesting to pick the ones that resonate negatively just to see what comes up.

That said, the central technique in Cameron's book is writing morning pages--and I've had some fun with them.

I could go on, but I'd rather hear about your experience with this or other self-help books for creativity. Have you ever read Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way or some other self-help book? Have you followed the prescriptions--literally or impressionistically? Has it helped?