This workbook journal correlates with Julia's book of the same title. It certainly works without reading The Artist's Way, but there is Brilliance in the wisdom of the godmother to creativity who started a movement in 1992. You don't want to miss the brilliance. Buy both.
On each page, this journal features a quotation from her book divided into 12 weekly sections of 21 pages (3 pages/day is the writing goal). Each week's section begins with a brief explanation. For example, in week three, Julia refers to this week by shorthand as anger week when she teaches it. It may be closer to self-respect, she confides. "I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.," she quotes Duke Ellingto in the course book (not this journal) and explains how anger is not the action itself. It is action's invitation. The main book delves (in this week three) into shame, dealing with criticism, doing detective work on parts of youself you or others may have abandoned, and being kind to yourself. The journal's quotes on each page beg us to read The Artist's Way for more. This is what I do and find they complement each other well for what I need when I need it, in this process of tapping into a new gusher of creativity.
I bought the workbook, journal and coursebook, The Artist's Way. For me, the workbook was the least effective. I accomplished most of what the workbook suggests within the journal itself. I recommend The Artist's Way and journal. I know I could journal my morning pages in any working journal I have, but the regular inspirational quotes leading me back to her main body of work kept me focused and refreshed as I worked through my discouragement and stuckness.