A Simple Daily Practice to Boost Creativity
Ever heard of the ‘morning pages’?
It’s from Julia Cameron’s creative restoration programme, The Artist’s Way.
And it’s a practice I’ve been practicing for the last couple of years.
Here’s the deal …
- You write three pages, longhand, first thing every morning
- You don’t read them back, you don’t show them to anyone
- And they can be about anything at all
Usually takes me about 10 minutes, and if I miss a day that’s OK.
So, what’s the point?
1. You get whatever’s bugging you out of your head and down on the page, so you can get on with the business of creating or doing what you need to do. Often I’ll realise I was feeling burdened by something I hadn’t consciously acknowledged.
2. Because you’re writing without an eye to quality — or even a final product — you may stumble on something really original that can fuel your proper work.
You don’t have to be a writer to get something out of the morning pages. They work no matter your pursuit.
My only fear now is that I’ll get knocked over by a bus and someone will come across my morning pages and discover what a fruitloop I actually am.
Anyway, why not have a go?
They could work for you too.