Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Morning Pages


I journal a lot and have for years and years and years. Sometimes I do it daily, and sometimes I go for stretches of weeks without writing at all. Sometimes all that writing seems pointless, but sometimes it really helps me figure myself out.

I've just started reading Vein of Gold by Julia Cameron with a friend. One of the things Julia asks that you do is daily morning pages. That is, 3 handwritten pages first thing each day. She's pretty particular that it be handwritten and that it be 3 pages and no less.

When I read her first book on creativity, The Artist's Way, I worked through it with a group of people. Being the rule follower that I am, I did my morning pages just like JC (Julia, that is!) told me to. Our group often discussed how we were doing with the morning pages. Some people hated them, some people loved them. I honestly felt indifferent. First of all, like I said, keeping a journal was nothing new for me. Secondly, I wasn't having to wake up 40 minutes earlier each day so I'd have time for my writing before heading off to a day job. And as for why I wasn't loving my morning pages, well, I rarely have a real "a ha!!" moment the way some people in our group seemed to. I remember one person saying page #3 seemed to be sort of magic. But no, no magic for me.

But if I just go at this thing with no real expectations and just a commitment to them, it's okay. I do realize I feel a little more centered each day- routine does that to me. (It's probably part of the reason I'm a runner too.) Sitting down with myself with only pen and paper allows for some serious reflection that might go unheard otherwise.

And anyone who knows me, knows one of my deepest desires is to be HEARD.

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