This weekend Thom and I return from our vacation. But rather than a guest post, I am offering one I wrote four years ago. After re-reading it, I realized that this idea was exactly what I wanted to share with you at the start of another new year. Please join me in 2017 as we all write a story of peace, well-being and meaning for ourselves and others in 2017.
As a writer, it’s easy for me to imagine each New Year as a blank sheet of paper awaiting my creativity. But that metaphor actually works for everyone. Every year we each have the potential to start over with a story—our personal story for sure—and any other story we want to create. Some of you may have already started by creating a year filled with all sort of drama and possibility. Others are planning to make this one just another carbon-copy of last year. Or, for those awake and aware, some of us are willing to accept the idea that this year’s story can be filled with all the peace, love, adventure and purpose that we desire. As usual, the choice is up to us.
Of course, the only people who have a pure blank slate to begin with are babies born on January 1, or someone with a brain condition like amnesia. I, along with the rest of you, usually have my mental bags packed and ready to move into the New Year long before the ball drops in Times Square. On one hand, it is very beneficial that we don’t have to relearn how to walk, talk or tie our shoes every time the planet rotates around the sun. The problem comes when we insist on living out each year like the movie Ground Hog Day—re-living each day from sunrise to sunset exactly like the day before. Face it; if something isn’t working in your life, leave it in the past. Or as the saying goes, “If you find you’re riding a dead horse, it’s time to dismount.”
On the flip side, if something adds to the value of your life then feel free to bring it into the New Year. Just remember that even if something is good, there may be things you can do that can make it even better. For example, I have an absolutely great relationship with my husband Thom. For obvious reasons I want that to continue indefinitely into my future. But as everyone in a committed relationship knows, even the best can become stale if we don’t introduce new and interesting elements on a regular basis. In fact, it’s likely that our relationship is so great because we constantly add new inspiration. During this month alone, we’ve signed up to take a photography class, a mindfulness workshop and maybe start yoga again.
Over twenty years ago I first read a book entitled An Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. At the time, I wanted to be a better writer and more creative. I had done a bit of writing up to that point but didn’t consider myself a real writer. Julia had a recommendation. She suggested we each begin a practice she calls “morning pages.” Simply put, morning pages are three pages of longhand writing that are “strictly steam-of-consciousness,” every single day. What these pages end up being over the course of the long haul is a meditation practice that offers the writer a path to a strong and clear sense of self. While the idea of them may not make much sense, the practice manages to create something over the course of doing them that is indescribably important. Now, after two decades of making morning pages part of my daily routine, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind. I am both a writer and I am ultimately creative. I believe they can do the same for anyone.
Every January 1st I gather up my morning pages from the previous year and put them away in an old notebook. Then I place fresh, clean, white-ruled paper into a new three-ring binder along with a new pen—and I start again. This act of symbolism reminds me that the pages and the stories that will be created this year will be as new and fresh as I make them—even though the vessel I’m using looks pretty much the same. It is SMART to remember that every one of us is doing something very similar. No matter how big or little our dreams, and regardless of whether we go to the same job or love the same people as before, it is always up to us whether we will create something new–whether we will be someone new. 2016. What’s it going to be for you this year?
“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.” –Edith Lovejoy Pierce
“Life is just a blank slate, what matters most is what you write on it”. –Christine Frankland
Kathy, really like this perspective – Morning pages – great way to start a good habit, and you are so right it is up to us to create something new.
Hi Dorene! In case you couldn’t tell from the post 😉 I strongly recommend morning pages to everyone, writer or not. They do take time and discipline but I can’t imagine NOT doing them after all these years. Give it a try! And if you fall in love with them like me I would appreciate hearing about it. ~Kathy
I feel fortunate to have a January 1st birthday, as the new year really does feel like a fresh, blank sheet of paper for me! Thank you for sharing your inspirational post, and Happy New Year to you. 🙂
Happy Birthday AND Happy New Year Laurel! You definitely have an excellent reminder to “renew” yourself each and every year. May this year’s “story” surpass all others with goodness, happiness and great health. ~Kathy
I’m intrigued by the notion of the morning pages. I doubt I’d make time for them, but I’m interested to know if you ever went back to yours, and what it was like to read such clear snippets of your past.
Hi Lizzi! Morning pages are not really written to use like a diary. They are more like a purge! Getting things off your mind instead of letting them distract you when you do sit down to write on purpose. Of course, a little bit of everything gets thrown in there. Sometimes I write down ideas for blog posts and sometimes I rant about the crazy neighbors. You never know. I also think it helps to train us by showing that we can write on demand no matter what. I’ve done morning pages when I was really sick and in pain. I’ve done morning pages when I was so busy I didn’t know which way was up. I’ve done morning pages when I had absolutely nothing to say and was completely sick of writing anything. But morning pages shows me that I can always write something. It might not be any good but I can always do it. As for going back and rereading. I do it now and then, but honestly, it usually isn’t that good or that interesting. Sometimes I will go back to try to remember what was going on in my life at any given time and it can be useful for that every now and then. Morning pages are similar to mediation. When you think you have no time to meditate, that’s when it’s REALLY helpful 🙂 Thanks for stopping by. ~Kathy
Question: do the morning papers have to be written in the morning? 🙂 I’m joking, but not really, because the thought of having the time to write out 3 pages of thoughts in long hand, first thing in the morning, is a pipe dream for me! Love the idea, but I think I’d have to be up at least 40 minutes earlier to put it into practice.
Happy New Year, Kathy!
Hi Nancy! hahahaha….I don’t always do them first thing though…in the summer when it is hot I get out and do my walk first. But once my coffee is ready I just naturally sit down and write. I think another benefit is the “purge” they provide. Anything that’s on your mind gets expressed–sometimes not so pleasantly either. Remember, you don’t write it for ANYONE else to read and I seldom go back and read anything I’ve written anyway. Morning pages are a great dump for all that blah, blah, blah racing through our minds demanding attention. Far better to get that out than write it in a blog post!!!! That’s another reason why it makes such a good “therapist” for anyone who does them. Far, far better to write morning pages than to put those thoughts on Facebook!!! ~Kathy
I have two questions: 1.) Will you be taking more classes this year, and if so, in what? and 2.) Would you ever throw away your morning pages?
Hi Mithra! Yes we will definitely take more classes this year. We found a yoga teacher that we both really like so will be taking yoga at least once a week. We are also ALWAYS on the lookout for different topics and activities that intrigue us. We are “life-long learners” and can’t imagine not exploring new subjects as they arise. And in answer to your question about throwing away morning pages–yes. It was actually one of the hardest things to do because they do feel very personal. But when we “rightsized” our home 5 years ago I had so many of them that I knew I needed to let some of them go. So I purged all of them before the year 2000. It was SO-O-O hard putting them in the recycle bin. And now that I’ve got 15 years worth in my bookcase I really should do it again….I’ll let you know 🙂 ~Kathy
That’s so funny Kathy! I do the exact same thing. I even go so far as to start everything over. All my files and office necessities. I’ve always finished them in the evening after the day has already happened. I wonder how it would be if I compared the two. I’m going to give it a try and then see where I’m at when this year is over. Happy New Year I hope you had a wonderful vacation.
Hi Rena! Oh so glad to hear I’m not the only one! With us being on a trip we attempted to do a lot of our clearing before we left but then once we got back we took care of the rest. Did you mean that you do your “morning pages” in the evening? I like them in the morning because they sort of set my mood–like I’ve said before, I consider them a form of meditation and usually include several of my favorite affirmations. Plus, by starting out with a familiar affirmation there is never any hestiation about what to start with. Let me know how your “comparison” goes. And may your New Year be happy, peaceful and fulfilling in all ways! ~Kathy
What a great idea. Who among us has not read her book, but perhaps only a few of those readers have remained constant with Morning Pages. I am among those who have not continued, but today is as good a time as any to renew that effort. Thanks for the incentive, and Happy New Year
Hi Nora! Happy New Year! And yes, Julia’s books are so very beneficial to all of us who like to create whether it is writing or other forms. I don’t know why I made such a strong or long lasting commitment to the pages, except that once I’d been doing them for a while I couldn’t imagine NOT doing them. Does that make sense? In so many ways it allows me to be say anything and everything that I want/need/have to say regardless of whether anyone else is listening. Just having that channel is such a gift. If you get back to it, let me know what you think about it. I think there is such richness there. ~Kathy
Hi Kathy! I love your blog and posts and your book recommendations so much! Any chance of an audio recording of your posts in the future? Would be so wonderful to be able to listen to your American accent I LOVE so much. Just asking. 🙂 Happy New Year.
All the best from Germany
P.S. You have always brilliant commenters.
Hi Gosina! Happy New Year! We spent one night in Frankfurt (at an airport hotel) on our way home — were you anywhere close by???? And thank you so much for your words of encouragement about the blog. I have to admit I haven’t given any thought to doing an audio post but who knows what 2016 will bring? I think Youtube makes that somewhat easy so I might give it some thought. And yes, don’t I have some wonderful people who leave comments here? I always appreciate the feedback AND the input to the ideas. Thank YOU again for following along. ~Kathy
Loved your reply, Kathy! For American standards you could say I was just around the corner (about 450km apart from you) since I live near Munich, which is, btw, a beautiful city.
Ops! that would be approx. 280 miles. That’s the only thing I don’t like about my English learning journey.. there are miles, foot, feet, inches, and not to forget, fahrenheit out there. Still quite exotic for me. hahaha
Hi again Gosina! Oh you weren’t that far from us at all. Now that I know where you live (sort of) I will let you know if/when we make it back to Germany. Counting you, we now have at least three friends there so we have a good excuse to visit. And yes, I’m not good at the conversion either–I so wish the U.S. would have gone metric back when it was a choice so we could all be on the same page! I’ll just have to consider the difference “exotic” as you say!!! ~Kathy
I love that we leave behind 2015 in a neat pile and tied with a ribbon. Then we leap in fresh to start 2016! I’m really looking forward to what the year ahead holds and I’ll be following along with you too Kathy – welcome back and I hope your vacation was fun and has re-energized you for another year xx
Hi Leanne! Happy New Year to you too! And yes, thanks for pointing out that putting my old pages away is a nice way to put closure on any given year. And yes, my vacation was fantastic and I will be writing about it as soon as my brain catches up with my time-zone. Thanks for following along and I too look forward to your words of wisdom and what we each will share in the days to come. ~Kathy
I love the idea of starting with a blank sheet every day. I don’t think I’ll be writing out three pages in longhand (my hand is cramping just thinking about that), but you are so right that the importance of keeping things fresh. There is no reason to hold on to people, beliefs, habits, etc. that no longer work for us. Best wishes to you and Thom for a 2016 full of amazing adventures!
Hi Janis! Happy New Year! And you’d be surprised how good it feels to actually “write” something longhand when you get going with it. I’ve read somewhere that using our hands to write activates and enhances certain circuitry in our brains in ways that are disappearing in the age of the computer. Just like knowing another language, writing longhand connects things in our brains in ways that encourage creativity. I actually tried doing it using the computer, and it didn’t have the same “feel” to me as it does with a pen and paper. Sort of like using your non-dominate hand to access the right side of your brain, using your hand is more visceral. Give it a try. You might be surprised. And yes to more amazing adventures for us all in the coming year. ~Kathy
Thanks, Kathy. I did morning pages during an emotional time in my life and they became the basis for one of my novels. Yes, it’s not published, but some day it might be. Creativity is dormant unless you bleed it onto the page, ala Hemingway. Thanks, Beth
Hi Beth! Happy New Year! And what a great way of expressing what morning pages can do for us. And I love that idea that “creativity is dormant unless you bleed it unto the page!” And as you say, morning pages allow us to move past our natural “critic” and put our thoughts into words in ways we can’t always predict. It sounds like you’ve used them to do something amazing and I look forward to the chance to read the result sometime in the future. ~Kathy
I love the clean start – being excited about the vast opportunities before us! Why not be healthier? Why not find adventure? I look forward to hearing about Egypt as well! Happy New Year!
Hi Suzanne! Happy New Year to you and YES! to a new start! Once I get caught up on my time-zone I will be putting down some words about my trip–it was definitely a jumping off point for another great year. May we all find the inspiration to make 2016 a year filled with happiness, good health and as much adventure as we can handle. ~Kathy
I love this idea. A blank notebook awaits a new year. So I missed one day of morning pages? I can catch up. I like that you make one binder for each year. That book was such a pleasure to read. I remember I borrowed it from a friend years ago but it would be lovely to read again. Thanks for the inspo, Kathy!
Hi Lisa! I just got back from my trip late Friday night but on Saturday I was bringing out my new binder and filling it with fresh clean paper. Sort of like the beginning of school with fresh notebooks and paper. Remember that? I wonder if kids today have that same feeling? And one of the best things about morning pages is that the only thing one needs to do is write. There is no assignment to speak of, only whatever words pop into our minds. As Julia Cameron says, some of the times the words we write are inspired, other times just junk. I think that a big value to them is knowing that no matter what we are going through we can still write something, and from that beginning go wherever we want. May 2016 be that for us all! ~Kathy
A fresh sense of new and beginnings. I like it. I look forward to your Egyptian stories.
Hi Haralee! We got back late Friday night and I must admit I’m moving a bit slower than usual. But it was ALL so very worth it. It was also a great break so I’ll sharing some insights once I get caught up with my time-zone. Happy New Year and may 2016 be a creative, happy and healthy one for us all. ~Kathy
This one was very inspiring Kathy. I am going to put this in practice starting today. I also downloaded the book! Happy New Year to you and thank you for the ongoing inspiration!
Hi Kelly! Happy New Year to you too. And if you’ve not read Julia Cameron’s work before I am so very happy to introduce it to you. It’s really quite remarkable what her recommended practices can do for any of us “creatives.” Let me know what you think of it! ~Kathy
Thinking about your post and looking at your picture, I’m heartened to know that there’s plenty of clear road ahead for 2016. Of course, I’m riding in that old jalopy called my body … but we still have plenty of miles left in us. And so to you and yours … welcome home and happy new year!
Hi Tom! Happy New Year! I think at my age I prefer to call my “vehicle” a vintage model rather than an old jalopy! And like wine, I’d like to think that I’m becoming richer and more “developed” as I go. We’ll see what 2016 brings, right? And thanks again for your guest post. I hope my readers appreciated it as much as I did. ~Kathy
Great post as usual. There is a theory that the very way our calender/year is set up stops us from making any real changes. We have the same holidays of course at the same time each year. Things just keep churning along and before you know it another year has passed by and nothing in our lives is really any different.
Thanks for your blog!
Mark
http://www.minimalistlifestyle.wordpress.com
Hi Mark! Glad you liked my perspective on this. I’ve not heard that the theory that the calendar year is set up to stop us from making changes in our lives. I suppose it is possible though to use just about anything to stop us if that’s what we are hoping to do. The challenge is to push through our natural inertia and embrace change if we can. I can’t imagine anything worse than one year repeating itself over and over again. As Leonardo DiVinci said, “It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.” Thanks, as always, for your thoughts. ~Kathy