The Morning Pages
There is no wrong way to do morning pages.
That hooked me, so I figured to try it out a few times and see what happens. This will be a rambling section of my site. Nothing needs to be paid attention on it. The purpose is only to get me writing. Don’t expect any profound truths or big fat lies. Like I just said the purpose is just to get me to write.
My friend bought me a book titled the Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity for Christmas, I guess. I was away during the break so she didn’t have a chance to give it to me until after the new year began — which fit my timing perfectly.
The book starts off with an assignment called The Morning Pages. Basically, each day we’re supposed to write 3 pages of anything. Its purpose is explained in the book, so if you wanna know more check it out there. I recommend taking a look at it, but whether the morning papers is usefull, well, check back here over the next several days and see what happens.
Although, don’t forget to give me a break. The author, Julia Cameron, does suggest that the morning papers be private and that even myself should not read it (except for maybe like a week later). Its purpose is solely to get us writing.
Stream of conscious style. Doesn’t matter the quality but rather its the quantity. Maybe it will help to slow my mind and expel the myriad thoughts that race about each day. In that respect, its a concentrated meditation practice.
A long time ago, I did a meditation retreat in Chiang Mai, Thailand at a temple named Wat Ram Poeng. We did insight meditation.
Its different from concentration meditation in that the practice focuses on acknowledging thoughts and feelings as they arise and then return to concentrating on counting breathes. So, if a thought arises, I would say silently to myself — Thinking, Thinking, Thinking. If I head something, I would think — Hearing, Hearing, Hearing. If I smelled something, Smelling, Smelling, Smelling. And then try to return to breathing, breathing, breathing.
I guess the morning papers would be like that in that one of its goals is to get me into the present moment where the writing just flows. Without any judgement as to its length, content, or meaning. Meaning will come later. Quality will come later. Now, its time to put in some practice time.
I’m listening to KCRW Morning Becomes Ecletic simulcast on iTunes. Also been listening to Groove Salad — a tasty place of ambient beats and grooves.
After my second cup of coffee, I’m going for a walk in Griffith Park. Got to go boil some water now and get ready to read some morning papers — now that I’ve written some of my own morning papers. Sillyboy. Oh, there is that Censor that Julia talks about that squashes creativity. I better not judge this and you, gentle reader, better not either.
ciao 4 now.
scott
