A year and a half ago, I began writing Morning Pages ala Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way.
The practice is simple. Journal three pages first thing each morning. Do not judge the words. Do not plan what you're going to say. Write without thinking, letting your heart speak through your pen. Punctuation is optional. So is form. Use the time to dump, vent, pout, praise, celebrate, plan. Go wherever your muse leads you. Write longer if you wish, but try to complete at least three pages. Do not stop until you are done. Then start your day.
When I first started Morning Pages, I was amazed at the clarity the simple exercise brought me. Each entry became a moving meditation. A way to ground me in the present and warm up my muse. Into my journal, I dumped my fears, worries, to-do lists, hopes, dreams, and duties for the day. The awesome part about this practice was that, once there, my worries, hopes, and dreams were content to wait for me on the page, rather than pratter on in my head while I worked.
For a variety of reasons--kids, illnesses, the life of a writer mom--I fell away from the practice. I didn't think I'd missed it until I began writing my pages again recently.
Not sure where the idea came from, but I bless it. After two and a half weeks of care giving and round-the-clock meds, I consider a return to Morning Pages one of the few good things that have come out of E's latest bout with illness.
Current read: Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast. (Began this thrilling must-read for vampire fans a few days ago. Would have finished it already if I wasn't so **** tired.)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
1 comment:
I don't do morning pages exactly, but I often wake up, rush to my notebook, write whatever is it was that I was "writing" in my head as I surfaced from sleep, and then put it aside.
I love the idea of not doing anything with that stuff, not having the pressure of thinking of it as as draft.
Many times, I do go back to it, but usually months later.
Post a Comment