Starting My Day With Morning Pages
Last week I went back to a wonderful creative exercise called
Morning Pages. Every morning I grab a cup of coffee, a
pen and my notebook and I find a very comfortable place
to sit, dream and write.
Morning Pages changed my life. When I closed my consulting
business after 28 years, I wasn't sure what direction I wanted my
life to take. I decided to read The Artist's Way and follow the
course Julia Cameron describes to help me find my bliss.
One of the most important tools is Morning Pages.
"A mind too active is no mind at all." (T. Roethke)
What are Morning Pages?
They are three pages of longhand writing, strictly stream-of-
consciousness. There are no wrong ways of doing Morning
Pages. All those things that are swimming around in your head
can find their way onto the page allowing you to focus on
what is important to you.
Just writing what comes into your mind and the process of hand
writing down those thoughts is the secret to their effectiveness.
Some days, I would sit with my notebook and wonder what in
the world I was going to write about. Some days my first
sentence would say, "I don't know what in the world to
say today." Somehow, the words just came.
"Words are a form of action, capable of influencing change."
I. Bengis
My thoughts on the pages went everywhere. Some days I ranted about
someone who slighted me, or a worry, or a book I read that
inspired me, or an idea I had. I don't know why it happens
but it seems that when you get your thoughts on paper, you
are able to focus on what's really of interest or important to you.
Janice MacLeod, whom I featured in my last blog, wrote her
Morning Pages and found the courage to leave a dead end job,
move to Paris and then developed her talent into a new business.
Morning Pages and found the courage to leave a dead end job,
move to Paris and then developed her talent into a new business.
For me, I had never painted and the Morning Pages
gave me the courage to pick up a paint brush and
then create my business Priscilla Mae et al. At the
beginning, painted women never crossed my mind.
I am still not sure where it came from?!
beginning, painted women never crossed my mind.
I am still not sure where it came from?!
Since beginning Morning Pages again last week, I am starting
to re-access my blog and my art and consider some new
approaches in both areas.
All that "stuff" rolling around in my head is now finding
it's way into my journal. I was feeling overwhelmed with
too much going on. You know, those negative voices that crawl
in behind your ears giving you all those reasons why
you can't do something?
in behind your ears giving you all those reasons why
you can't do something?
So here is what you do:
1. Grab a spiral notebook, loose leaf binder, etc. Don't make it a
fancy journal because you will be too afraid to mess it up.
2. Sometime during the day, find a half hour to sit quietly and write.
I like the mornings. You may prefer bedtime.
3. Write 3 full sides of paper which is really only 1 1/2 pages.
4. Don't let anyone else read it. This is only for you.
5. Give it a month without missing a day if you can.
It will become important to you. .
It will become important to you. .
6. Some days, it will feel like pulling teeth to do this exercise but
push through it. This may be the day that something wonderful
comes out of your head and heart and unto the page.
I also recommend picking up the book, The Artist's Way.
