How to raise a creative child

^'I grew up in what you might call a relentlessly creative household," says Julia Cameron, author of the best-selling self-help book on creativity in history, "We were given art supplies, music supplies ... Our mother knew enough to get us started and then stand back and not meddle. My parents never said to us, 'Don't you think you'll need something to fall back on?' They acted as though creativity was completely normal. As a result all of us seven children earn our livings by our wits."

Cameron, 65, is a novelist, screenwriter and poet, who used to be married to Martin Scorsese. She is best known, though, as the author of The Artists's Way. Published in 1992, it has sold more than 4m copies worldwide. An army of would-be writers and artists swear by her methods, which include Morning Pages – writing first thing as a daily meditation. For years, Cameron's fans have been pressing her to write a version for children. They will be happy to know that the wait is over – The Artist's Way for Parents: A Spiritual Approach to Raising Creative Children is published this week. "When my daughter Domenica got pregnant, I realised I had more to say. I wanted to pass on to her a set of tools that would work. I wanted to let her have that creative lineage, to pass on what it was that my parents did, what it was that I tried to do when she was growing up and what she might try to do with her own daughter," she says.

The book is packed with exercises to try on your own and with your children. They are biased in favour of the parent, or at least they usually focus on the parent and then ease on to the child. "List five of your favourite interests. Now list five interests your child has that you are unfamiliar with. Can you consciously let those interests be his alone and allow those interests to blossom?" I like this advice.

Clutter also gets an entire chapter. "Virtually every parent I have known, observed and spoken to in the process of writing this book has mentioned the physical clutter that amasses and the struggle to keep up with it. I urge parents not to fret about it too much."

But she also urges people to spend 15 minutes a day (strictly, always) doing something about it. "When we clear the physical space, we literally make room for clarity and inspiration."

Cameron grew up in a messy but well-organised household in Libertyville, Illinois: "My father was in advertising. My mother had a masters degree in English. She was a stay-at-home mom. With seven kids you practically had to be." It's only in retrospect that she realises how unusual her childhood was: "As children we were very popular and people always wanted to come to our house because our house was fun. Both my parents were committed to creativity and it showed up in their lives: my father played the banjo and double bass. Before my mother was married, she taught English. We were all treated equally. The older kids took an interest in the younger kids so if we learned something we would turn around and teach it to a younger sibling." As a result, her siblings are text-book creatives: her two brothers are musicians, one sister is a painter and her other three sisters are writers.

Cameron wanted to pass on the feeling of freedom and space of her childhood and show parents how to create that. "The book is aimed at nurturing parents' creativity and teaching how to pass that spiritual nutrition on to their children." (She is big on spirituality and connecting to a Higher Power, whom she calls God, while acknowledging that this will annoy some people.)

So Morning Pages appear in the book: there is also the Creative Expedition: you get the child to choose a place to go, like a museum or a park. (McDonald's or a toy shop don't count.) She also recommends what she calls Highlights: at bedtime, ask the child to tell you about their favourite moment of the day. When I try some of her techniques, Highlights is the one that works best in our family. At first I feel fake asking, "What was the best thing thing that happened today?" But I discover that it's a simple question that is rarely asked and children are happy to answer at great length. (Be prepared for a guilt trip too, though. My daughter Vera, seven: "The best thing? When you came home from work.")

It sounds basic and it is. But Cameron is concerned that many people don't spend even a minimum of free time with their children. And creativity combines opposites: connecting with a child while showing them that their ideas are interesting and leaving them to their own devices. "We have a lot of pressures on children very young," she says, "We have ambition. We over-schedule our children. We want them to have soccer lessons and violin lessons … I think children need to have at least an hour of fun a day."

While Cameron's methods have plenty of applications for children, her experience lies in the effects of childhood on creativity, which applies to adults too. The book is as much about examining what sort of parent you are (and how creativity was – or wasn't – encouraged in your own childhood) as it is about providing ideas. I'm not sure this book is so much for parents as for anyone who has been a child.

Cameron has a disquietingly serene manner. We talk on the phone from her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and I frequently think the connection has been lost as she talks very slowly and takes long pauses. Her zen-like tone belies what has not been the easiest life. She writes about her struggle with alcohol in her memoir, Floor Sample. In one chapter, she writes about building an altar at home when Domenica was six. "Sometimes I would ask for a quality: God, grant me creativity. Grant me joy. Grant me sobriety. Grant me serenity. Domenica would copycat my prayers, although she didn't know what some of the words meant. It tickled me to hear her asking for sobriety."

Cameron still does Highlights on a daily basis with Domenica. Workwise, she balances creative projects with teaching: she's currently working with a New York director on a play. "For the most part, I am just very happy," she says. The sentence that is said to me most often is: 'Your book changed my life.' I just think it's much easier to commit creativity than it is to avoid it."

Julia Cameron's top tips

Don't be afraid to leave children (safely) to their own devices. "Sometimes the right non-action is as valuable as the right action."

"In limits there is freedom. Creativity thrives within structure. Creating safe havens where our children are allowed to dream, play, make a mess and, yes, clean it up, we teach them respect for themselves and others."

"Make a mess with your child. When you are done, time the clean-up. You may be surprised at what an impact five minutes can make."