Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Morning Pages and Journals….

This morning I opened boxes that had been sealed in 2003 for our move to Toronto.

They've moved with me, boxes unopened, several times since then.

Journals and Morning Pages….


I discovered Julia Cameron's Book,  The Artist's Way

and began writing Morning Pages (3 long hand written pages) in 1994.

At first I wrote on pads of lined paper,
then transitioned to writing in 'book form' journals a few years later.


I prepared a shelf for my journals and these morning pages….

as part of my

 S. P. A. C. E.

(an acronym for Sort, Purge, Assign a place, Containerize, and Equalize, the last I changed to Evaluate)

project.

This is organizing specialist, Julie Morgenstern's system for organizing and purging.

I read Julie's book 'Organizing from the Inside Out' when it first came out in 1998

and I've turned to the 'SPACE' concept every time I attempt to organize. 


Part of how I'm attacking my current sweep of organizing….
is to go through everything I own, and put 'like' items together in one spot.

Moving frequently, and being under construction for most of my adult life, with several studio moves,
had me duplicate items that I want (and need) to condense. 

Also, I've just kept too much stuff.

The next step will be to go through these papers, and see what I've been up to all of these years.

As for the daily writing (Morning Pages)….

I wonder if any of you have done that, and purged the pages?

They are not really journals. I consider them Brain Drain. A way of purging my mind of useless worry.

Who needs to save worry (and fear and anger)…..?

OK there were lots of desires in there too 
(that came into fruition I must add.)

I'm also sure that half of the pages in the formal journals are empty. What do we do about that? 

I need to free up space. 

I'm considering a ceremony.

or maybe I'll just dump them.

I know how good that will feel.  Just getting them out of the boxes feels good. 

Releasing their energy and all that….

Read what Judy Martin did with her journals HERE and HERE…..

I'd love to hear what the rest of you do with yours.

+ + +

Addendum:
I just Googled 'what to do with morning pages'
and came up with
THIS 

A discussion on Julia Cameron's blog regarding the subject.

Looks like a bonfire is in my future.

7 comments:

  1. I only did maybe one or two daily pages but I always have a sketchbook or two going and it is interesting to look through and see where you have been. I do keep a day book of daily activity just for sanity. Those I could burn but maybe my relatives will pick them up and see all the times I was calm and kind to them when they treated me with no regard. Nah, that won't happen!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Mary Ann! Thanks for visiting. I have daily books of notes and to-do lists as well. I'm also not sure anyone would really be interested in seeing those either. My 'burn' pile may become larger than I originally thought. I've also kept all my written calendars for years and years until I became fluent in this on line stuff. I have not opened any of them since I first closed them at each year's end. Yes, the pile becomes bigger and bigger. I predict getting rid of all of them will be very cathartic. I have to wait until October tho....packing for a trip now.

      Delete
  2. I recently built that big bonfire, and haven't regretted it one bit. However, given your talent for writing, I am sure there's lots of good reading in those files and journals! Keep writing! Enjoy the trip!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for this compliment! I will persevere. I'm looking forward to my bonfire upon my return..... That is after reading a few lines or more. I'm pretty sure most of my morning pages are just filled with whining and complaints....

      Delete
  3. i did morning pages for one month. i found it a seriously ridiculous exercise. those will be burned when i find them as i prep for moving. i got all my old love letters together a while ago and had a wee fire one day. there is so much stuff that is unnecessary in every way. if you know a farmer who will take it, you could shred everything and it could go in the barn for bedding. then, mixed with urine and manure it becomes compost...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Morning pages were grueling for me, but I think wrote them on and off for 20 years......could that be!??? Back then I do believe they saved my creative life. Gee, I thought you already moved! What you write about Love letters and compost has me thinking again...... I will dig deeper into my unnecessary stash.... And do the burn as my situation is not quite rural enough for the 'shred'. OX

      Delete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete