This week's exercise comes to us from creativity guru, Julia Cameron. In her book, The Artist's Way, she swears by Morning Pages as a must-have "creative recovery" staple for every artistic endeavor.
Feeling creatively stuck?
Cameron would argue that you have to clear your mind to unlock new creative energy. She refers to “[Morning Pages] as the daily broom that clears my consciousness and readies it for the day’s inflow of fresh thought.”
Welcome to Your Creative Recovery Exercise
What It Is
A daily exploration of all the things, big or small, on your mind, written by you for your eyes only.
Why We Love It This is essentially writing meditation. By just writing out what you think and feel, you'll uncover new ideas for projects as well as realizations about yourself and others.
How It Works
Reserve a spot in your calendar to be completely alone for a moment of reflection on 2-3 specific days this week. Consider the morning when you first wake up, a quiet time during lunch, or in the evening.
When you get to your reflection point each day, spend 10-30 minutes writing whatever is on your mind. This isn't about getting it right or following one storyline. It is about embracing stream of consciousness and letting your thoughts flow onto the paper.
At the end of the week, consider how this daily practice felt. Did your daily pages clear away mental space for something new? Did your pages help you uncover a new idea or source of inspiration?
Need a little more? Here are some kindred threads for further exploration:
To learn more about the routines of some of history's greatest minds, check this out.
For more on how to exercise your idea muscles, check this out from James Altucher.
Whaddaya Think?
If you have praise, gripes or random thoughts about this trek, drop us a line at treks@lifetrekkers.me.
Here are some highlights from past treks, courtesy of your fellow trekkers.
"The 'mindful meals' trek was one of my favorites. It started with one meal, but I've found myself focusing more intently on almost everything I've eaten since."
- Ev Boyle, Director @ LA-Tech.org
