“Morning pages get us to the other side: the other side of our fear, of our negativity, of our moods.”
- Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way
In The Artist’s Way, author Julia Cameron advocates for “morning pages”—three pages of journal writing each morning—as a way for writers and artists to let their life experiences feed their creative work. Legendary among blocked writers and artists, her book helps people foster “creative recovery,” and journaling is the primary tool to accomplish this. She refers to morning pages as a “brain drain.” Her take is that all that “angry, whiny, petty stuff that you write down in the morning stands between you and your creativity.”
Daily writing is a form of meditation, though often the content—the griping, the cranky thoughts—does not resemble what we perceive to be meditative vision. Still, Cameron assures us, morning pages are a “valid form of meditation that gives us insight and helps us effect change in our lives.”
With whom are you angry? What frustrates you? Write it all down so you can close the book on those thoughts and move on with your day.
Out of curiosity, would you recommend Journaling in a hand written style or is doing it via word processor just as effective?
ReplyDeleteBoth handwritten and e-journals benefit us, so I say go with whichever method gets you writing regularly. I kept an electronic journal for two years but am now back to handwriting entries, as I'm trying to limit my "screen time." Plus, since I carry my journal most everywhere, it's easier for me to access than my computer. Here's a look at what other folks say: http://www.writingthroughlife.com/journaling-by-hand-vs-computer-the-results-are-in. Thanks for the question, Jon.
ReplyDeleteWhoa, your prompts are always excellent, but this week, wow, I needed this exact one so much. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI'm so pleased to know this, Tina. Thank you. Write on, Jenny
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