The Power of Morning Pages

I’ve been practicing morning pages from The Artist’s Way for almost  six years now – every morning I’m up a half hour before I start my day to sit down and write three long hand pages of whatever is swirling around my head – basically a mind dump of sorts, just sit, write three long hand pages of whatever comes to mind. You could write, I have nothing to write, for three pages, but I guarantee you will have something to write – believe I’ve tried.

As Julia Cameron explains – Morning pages will center you, steady you, empower you…they will intrigue you, challenge, irritate, and activate you… They are a potent form of meditation, and like all meditation, they will make you intimate with yourself, with your personality and all its fears, foibles, and quirks. Practiced over time, Morning Pages become a reliable bridge to the Universe itself. Through them you will encounter the workings of your spirituality, the great creator within, with all its grace, wisdom and power.

My morning pages have pushed me in the past – I left a job because of my morning pages, it was all for the best and I was free from myself always thinking I had to stay in a job that I knew wasn’t right for me, or a situation. My morning pages gave me ans still give me the strength to listen to myself.

Recently, in the past few days my morning pages are pushing me again. They scream at me sometimes and sometimes I listen and sometimes I choose to ignore them and try to steer my thoughts and writing in another direction. This never works, what you resist will persist.

I’ve encountered and witnessed a few situations at work where I’ve been shown the not so nice of life, what can happen to people when they are pushed to far, when they are not prepared for what the universe has in store for them.  The things you don’t think about until you are faced with them head on and it’s time to pull the wool away from the eyes, it’s time to face the truth of sometimes things happen for reason, be it good or uncomfortable. That’s what morning pages are at times, they can be good and they can be difficult.

My morning pages are reminding that it’s okay to write about the darker side of life. That writing what’s inside is what is needed at times, to just get rid of it, to let it go. What it comes down to, is to just write!

I’ve been listening to some wonderful short stories on audible.com (which is great!), and currently the story, The Hospital by Keith Blackmore has triggered a quote that has shown up over the past few weeks. The quote has been lingering around in my mind which now has made it to my writing vision board.

 

I like this quote by Stephen King, yes he’s the king of horror writing and he has given us some pretty scary images over the years. I still don’t like the clown from IT. But, this quote for me rings true. There is a dark writer within me and that’s okay, sometimes the muse gives you an idea and you can just write down the idea and see where it goes, or save it for another day.

Writing is a personal journey and for me everything that happens is for a reason. I’m shown certain things to steer me in the right directions not only in my writing, but in life.

As I create and listen, I am being led. – An affirmation from Julia Cameron.

This affirmation speaks loudly for me. I am being led as I create, listen and witness. I am so grateful for what is being provided and I must continue to write, to keep practicing my craft.

So, as I’m working on my manuscript, on the side I’m working on a few other short stories that have come to me and I’m having fun with them. How are you having fun with your writing?

Until next time, keep on typing…