On Writing Daily

Writing daily changed my life.

I guess you could say that I am an Artist's Way graduate, meaning that I am dedicated to morning pages. The daily task of writing every morning is the powerful crux of this phenomenal book by Julia Cameron ( if you haven't read it, you should). Here's what Cameron says about it...

"What are Morning Pages? Three pages of whatever crosses your mind. That's all there is to it. ...Morning pages, writing for 15 minutes each day, teach the logic brain to stand aside and let the artist brain play...It is impossible to write morning pages for any extended period of time without coming into contact with an unexpected inner power....They map our own interior."

Even though I always wanted to write, I struggled with negative self-talk. Despite having accumulated dozens of journals, from my first cherished diary as a young girl to all sorts of decorative ones, padded, flowery, and leather bound (people knew I wanted to write), I still left many pages blank. It wasn't until I read The Artist's Way that I was able to let go of my overbearing expectations of what I should write and how good I thought it should be that I began to write every day.

What has it done for me?

It allows me time alone--to think and just BE.

It brings me closer to my true voice. It helps me resolve conflicts.

It lets me vent without hurting anyone else's feelings.

It makes me confront my bad habits. It lets me develop ideas for writing projects.

I use plain notebooks now, the cheap and easy ones that don't make me feel like I have to write a novel (like those leather bound ones do). I fill them, have several going at once, and feel free to throw them out if I want. I keep the ones that have nuggets of good stuff in them. But, I don't try to force my morning pages to be anything more than three simple pages.

I know now that it is the process of releasing my thoughts that matters. It is the process of listening to this voice that brings growth and heightened creative ability.

Have your written today?