Babette’s Book Club
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The Artist’s Way: Morning Pages
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The Artist’s Way: Morning Pages
I’ve been doing morning pages consistently for years, but as I wrote in a reply to @Krys I’m pretty bad at it. I get distracted, so it takes longer than it should, and sometimes I just take stabs at it during the day until I’ve filled two or three pages. But honestly, it has mostly evolved into a long rambling moan about my never-ending to-do list that leaves me exhausted before I even do anything. I’m not sure what to do about that, but today, I timed myself, and it took me 40 minutes to finish 3 pages even with several distractions, which was better timing than I’d thought. (Maybe I could do three pages in 30 minutes if I hid in the bedroom.)
Like @Isabelle wrote, I’m glad I don’t have to go back and read my morning pages. I have stacks and stacks of old morning pages notebooks dating back decades, and I still haven’t looked at them. I might need to make a bonfire of them in the yard before I die so nobody else reads them, but I’m sure that even if someone tried, they’d soon abandon the effort out of boredom. I won’t read them, and I don’t want anyone else to, but burning them somehow feels wrong. I guess I’m superstitious about keeping them. Hmmm.
I have developed a habit of underlining action items in my morning pages, then adding them to my long running to-do list. Maybe that’s why my to-do list is such a source of anxiety: Pretty much everything I ever thought I should do is on there. If not for the list, I’d probably be blissfully unaware of all the plans and projects I’d planned to do and then abandoned. The thing is, I am SO GOOD at shoulding on myself, and I’ve made the morning pages into just another thing I ought to do better. Another hmmm.
I’m looking forward to hearing how others approach their morning pages. Have you developed any new habits –or tethered to old ones — to help you get the pages done? How do you feel about doing them? Have any epiphanies bubbled up from your subconscious? Challenges? Celebrations? Fabulous ideas to share?
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2 Replies
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I started the Morning Pages last Sunday. I’ve been successful at getting them done first thing while having my first cup of coffee and toast. That time used to be spending time on checking the weather, my e-mails and Facebook. There’s been a situation at home that I’ve been struggling with. The Morning Pages have helped me to express them. I’ve had plenty to vent about so at least this week I can say that it’s been easy to write 3 pages each morning. Writing things down has help me a lot. I usually finish with a question or two. Like what is the lesson here? Why am I going through this? It’s interesting how some have been answered.
As far as keeping the pages, I don’t really want to do that. I feel like burning them would create a release and would be good. I also don’t want anyone reading them. Is there a rule about that? I have not read anything yet where it says what to do with all the pages.
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Hi @Isabelle
There is no rule about the morning pages except not to read them until you’re some distance into the class (which she mentions in the book when we get to that point) and if I recall correctly, that’s only if you want to. I don’t see any point in reading them afterward, especially since I jot down any important thoughts, ideas, and marching orders in a different place in my Bullet Journal. The Journal comes with a few index pages in the front, so I can also put page numbers for any contents I don’t want to forget.
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