MORNING PAGES

The light through the window blinds is silver. It's 3:30 am and technically I have an hour before I have to wake up. Knowing I will be awake I shut off the alarm, as I do every day, so it doens't wake my husband. But this morning is a new story. I drift into a dream filled sleep and waken at 5:00 am. Very early for most, but for me it's late and I now have a decision to make. I only have enough time to either wash and blow dry my hair, or write my "morning pages." What will it be? While brushing my teeth I glance in the mirror. The hair will have to suffice for the day. I cannot give up my writing time.

Julia Cameron, in her book "The Artist's Way," recommends three longhand pages of writing each morning. I have been doing this for years. It's a mind dump and an entrance to my writing voice. It also gives me a chance to communicate with my gut and intuition and to resolve questions and issues. With few exceptions I do this every morning.

Cameron also suggests two other "tools" for connecting with our inner creative child. One is an artist's date, done weekly. You simply go off for an hour by yourself to a park, a book store, an art supply store, whatever you fancy, and spend time with yourself. The third tool is a daily 20 minute walk and an hour walk once a week.

Ah, to have time to do all that and still work full time, and be able to sleep and eat on a daily basis. And then---still have time to write. I guess I met up with my inner creative child this morning, choosing writing over vanity. But the morning pages work to get me focused on writing and that's worth that early morning wake up to silver lighting and my muse.

Comments

  1. I've done Morning Pages in one guise or another for ages as well. One morning, early, my husband came in and found me in the kitchen. "Is something the matter? You are supposed to be on the couch writing!"
    Artist's Dates are worth the effort, but oh! how I let them slide.

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  2. Trilla, maybe we just need to make each other accountable for a weekly artist date! I just bought Cameron's Artist's Way workbook to help make the process more real.

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