The Beauty of "Morning Pages"

From Cheryl's Writing Crate

With the doldrums of winter now here, I find myself seeking out inspiration any place I can find it.  We have had a snowy, dank and gray few months with sunshine a rare sight to be seen.  Though I'm not the type of person who needs a bright sunny day to dictate my mood, I'm only human, and as the mother of eight kids who have been cooped up for so many, long weeks, I cannot lie--I pray the groundhog is right and that spring is on its way!

Thankfully, I've discovered a very therapeutic tool that helps me to release the majority of my daily frustrations such as bad weather, whining kids, endless of loads of laundry, or whatever else the case may be, and I have author Julia Cameron to thank for it.

This insightful and inspiring author introduced me to a ritual that I don't think I could live without now that it's become a habit of mine--writing my "morning pages".  In her book, The Artist's Way, she talks about a way to retrieve and keep one's creativity fruitful and alive in a process she lovingly calls "the morning pages".

Cameron describes this vital process in a recent interview:

"I don’t want you to pause and have a mental cigarette and strategize about what you’re going to write. It’s better to just say “here goes” and go right into writing.

One thing that’s important to remember is that if there’s something that’s really bothering you, the Morning Pages won’t let you drop it. Morning Pages will keep tapping at your consciousness, and if there is something really important that you are meant to notice, Morning Pages will keep tapping until they get your attention. You don’t need to worry too much about thinking and addressing a topic."

"Sometimes people ask me what the difference is between writing Morning Pages and writing in a journal. In journaling, you you tend to choose a topic and then write everything on your mind on that topic. With Morning Pages, it is more free form. You can jump from topic to topic, and that’s OK. Morning Pages typically sound scattered– they’re not “real” writing. We’re not looking for real writing– we’re looking for stream of consciousness."

I couldn't agree more.  I have filled three notebooks already with my "morning pages".   Some mornings my hand sings as it records all that is going well in my world, other times I feel as though Eeyore is holding my pen, rattling off all the things that annoy me during a particular time.   

The best part about "morning pages" is that I can write freely, without any restrictions, and by the time I am done, I have usually freed any creative blockages that were standing in my way, allowing me to breathe and get on with my day as planned.

If you haven't read The Artist's Way, I invite you to get your own copy and quite possibly, you'll unwrap your own daily package of creativity that you never knew was bound up inside yourself.

Have you ever tried a version of "morning pages" to release your inhibitions and let your voice shine without any restrictions?