Three pages. Every morning. Handwritten. Uncensored. Whatever pops into your head. This is an exercise that comes from Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. I have to say when I first learned about this exercise, I was rather doubtful; doubtful I would have the perseverance and discipline to stick to it. And I have to admit, I have not always succeeded; but ultimately, overall, I have not failed. The one thing I have found is, when I do it, the clarity of thought and times of creativity to seem to come more frequently.Cameron recommends that you set your clock to get up about half an hour earlier and go right to doing the pages. I did this for some time, before I even got out of bed. But after a few months of not doing them, on the first of this month, I started doing them again. This time I did them after I got out of bed, fed the hungry dogs and cat, sometimes walked the dogs, sometimes did a few chores first, etc. The most important thing, though, is to do them. I am sure this is some of my proclivity to rationalize things, but I also believe we all have our own personal rhythms and this fits into mine.
So I do it. I sit down at the dining room table with my spiral notebook and begin to write. No TV, no radio and the dogs seem to have learned that they need to entertain themselves or take a nap while I tap into the stream of consciousness of my mind. And the stream does flow.
I rant. I rave. I write what the little voice and the inner critic have to say. I dialogue with them. I have gotten reacquainted with them. They are life-long friends. Their mission is to keep me safe and keep me honest. I have come to understand this and sometimes I have to tell the critic to be quiet. Yes, I appreciate his input, but he is not always right. But it is good to know what he thinks. The inner voice is usually more in tune with what is going on with me. He usually knows the answers. I just need to ask the questions, be quiet, and listen.
If this sounds a bit schizophrenic, well, I don’t think so. I do know these voices I hear are me, hashing it out. I know, like you most likely, I tend not to hear what these inner voices are saying when we get caught up in the activities of daily living. The morning pages have helped me focus more. It is remarkable the “coincidences” I experience when things happen during the day that echo what was expressed on the page that morning. The awareness of what the universe is revealing is astonishing.
And as you might note, I am writing again. Baby steps. Getting back on track. Little exercises like the morning pages work. Whatever it takes. Morning pages or some other discipline to get in touch with your inner self. It may take time. It may seem onerous at times. But the perseverance pays off. Even when you don’t feel like it, just forging ahead and doing it anyway helps. And that is what those morning pages are all about. Ultimately I have come to learn I can listen to my inner critic, thank him or her, and then move on. Even an critic can be a friend.
