Unlocking Your Creativity with Morning Pages
Welcome to Day 1 of our 30 Days of Creativity challenge! Today we are looking at Morning Pages, an exercise designed to get your creative juices flowing and set the right tone for your day. It is another great example of the versatility of the idea of freewriting, which we have already discussed here and here.
The Magic of Morning Pages
Morning Pages is a technique introduced by Julia Cameron in her book The Artist's Way. It involves writing three pages of longhand, stream-of-consciousness writing, usually as soon as you wake up.
Morning Pages are a beautiful idea because they are simple. It's a way to focus on your creative work by clearing out all the thoughts that clog up your mind. They act as a gateway to your subconscious thoughts, often revealing ideas and solutions you didn't know you had.
How to Establish Your Morning Pages Ritual
- Make It Private: Consider these pages a judgement-free space where you can freely express your thoughts. They're for your eyes only.
- Go Analogue: Opt for writing by hand over typing. The tactile experience of writing stimulates creativity in a unique way.
- Aim for Three Pages: Strive for three pages each morning. If that seems a lot, start with one and slowly build up.
- Morning Pages Are for Mornings: Aim to write as soon as you wake up to capture your raw, uncensored thoughts.
- Unleash Your Thoughts: Dismiss worries about grammar, coherence, or punctuations. Let your thoughts flow unrestrained.
Here are some prompts to help you get started:
- “The thing I'm looking forward to most today is…”
- “I feel most creative when…”
- “If I had no fear, today I would…”
- “The words I need to hear the most today are…”
- “One thing I've been avoiding that I can address is…”
- “Imagine you're a character in a novel. Describe your surroundings.”
- “Craft a dialogue between you and your favourite fictional character.”
- “If I could step into any book, I would choose…because…”
- “Describe an ordinary object in an extraordinary way.”
- “Write about a place you'd love to travel to from a fictional character's perspective.”
Feel free to use these prompts or let your thoughts lead the way. Remember, this exercise is about connecting with your inner self and clearing the way for creativity to thrive.
So find a quiet corner, equip yourself with a notebook and pen and start your creative journey with Morning Pages. It's not about creating a perfect piece of writing; it's about giving your mind the freedom to wander and make way for creativity.