Being completely honest, I’ve been feeling a bit out of it lately, both personally, and professionally. And I’m not entirely sure why.
Perhaps washing cars for 45 hours a week has taken it’s toll on me. Or maybe my terrible habit of being my toughest critic has dampened my ability to create. Regardless, I know something has to change. I realize this is just a small bump in the road in grand scheme of things, but I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t been struggle.
Today I’m kicking off a 30 day trial in which I start my morning off with 3 handwritten pages every morning: stream of consciousness fashion. Whatever comes to my mind, I write down. There’s no pausing to think, no going back to edit. Whatever I’m inspired to write I put down.
I picked up this concept from the book The Artists Way, and have a friend who swears by the magic of the pages. Naturally my curiosity was sparked.
The idea is that when you put your thoughts on paper before your day starts you’re then able to focus on what matters. Instead of having your mind run wild, all your worries and are released into the world. Having done the pages a few times, I noticed much of what I wrote was fear speaking, yet as I continued to write the fear began to shrink. I also had a few sessions in which a brillant idea began forming right in the middle of the session. So it will be interesting to see the results over 30 days straight.
According to the guidelines in the book, you’re forbidden from looking at what you’ve written down for at least a few weeks. Some fellow morning pagers even go as far to recommend you rip the pages up after you finish. As of right now I don’t intend to share any of what I write, but I suspect you’ll see my creativity pick up in my writing as natural side affect.
I’m very excited to see how this 30 day trial turns out. Lets hope it leads me out of this rut. 
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I love morning pages. It’s a great free writing exercise that can help to burn the cyclical thoughts out of your brain and kick start some more original, productive, and creative thought patterns. I think it will help you.
I’ve heard so much about The Artist’s Way. I really MUST pick up a copy of it! Good luck with your morning pages… Sounds awesome!
This is too weird; I woke up this morning and did my first session of morning pages (just finished a minute ago). I like it… So I’m going to do it for at least the next thirty days.
Strange coincidence.
Another great inspiration for free writing is Natalie Goldberg (Writing Down the Bones and Wild Mind). Not particular to morning, but wonderful insight about releasing into what your authentic self wants to write. Great post, good reminder. Thanks.
Yeah this is great. You get to see all those little suckers, put them down on paper and basically live simpler. That like cleans up your mind. How much do you want to bet that your mind will want to write the problems that you believe in?
Morning pages sounds like a cool idea. I haven’t tried that, but I do create some blog posts in a stream of consciousness fashion, and that’s usually in the morning. Morning thoughts often seem to flow better, at least they do for me.
I think I am commenting on your blog for the first time ever, but I think the idea is wonderful.
I am saying that because there have been times when I have been dull, aimless, bored…and all I did was write on a topic I was thinking about continuously until I finished writing with zero censoring or editing or thinking – “what will others think of this”. And it worked! Sometimes what I wrote in that uncensored, “flow” state turned out to be directly fit to post on my blog! And every time I did this, I definitely ended up feeling more purposeful and meaningful.
Which is why I wish you all the best.
Hey man-How are you getting along with it so far ?
When I this I instanly felt the need to tell you of something -When I started writing just about a bit more than a month ago I discovered 750words.com. It’s a great little simplistic tool created for exactly that purpose but adding a little extras that try to motivate you and also give you the chance to learn a bit more about yourself in the proccess.
Check it out, it’s free and it really gave me a boost, especially for those days where the writing seems all too hard
Wow a blogger who admits he’s feeling down, now I’ve heard everything! Don’t you know you are supposed to have everything sussed so that we come and collect the pearls of wisdom at your feet
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Seriously man I’m impressed, well done for the refreshing transparency. Let us know how the journey develops.
With blessings,
Stephen.