The morning pages and "finding the river"

I've been talking a lot recently about "The Artist's Way" - a remarkably effective creative course I'm doing at the moment. A lot of my friends are intrigued by the daily discipline of "The Morning Pages" which is the routine of filling 3 pages of a notebook with stream of consciousness writing first thing in the morning every day for 12 weeks. The morning pages is a critical element of the course. In fact, you could argue that The Artist's Way is nothing without the morning pages.

Maybe it's my enthusiasm or maybe it's just politeness but a lot of people seem interested in the course, to the extent that they appear to begin entertaining the idea of giving it a try. However, they often baulk at the idea of the morning pages. "What is the point of that?" people earnestly ask, skeptical because of the time commitment required by such an endeavour.

I've just started the fifth week of the course and I can honestly say that the shift in my perception brought about by my commitment to the morning pages is amazing and perplexing.

Last night I read an excellent description of the way in which the morning pages assist the "unblocking" process that The Artist's Way is designed to promote. I thought I'd share it with you here, mostly for the benefit of all those people who have asked that pointed question and received an inadequate answer from me.

As for the rest of you reading this - if you have any creative aspirations then I thoroughly recommend the course if you are finding them frequently frustrated. It works.

"The shift is a gradual one. We have been making this shift slowly and surely. With each day we become more true to ourselves, more open to the positive. To our surprise this seems to be working in our human relationships. We find we are able to tell more of our truth, hear more of other people's truth, and encompass a far more kindly attitude toward both. We are becoming less judgmental of ourselves and others. How is this possible? The morning pages, a flow of stream of consciousness, gradually loosens our hold on fixed opinions and short-sighted views. We see that our moods, views, and insights are transitory. We acquire a sense of movement, a current of change in our lives. This current, or river, is a flow of grace moving us to our right livelihood, companions, destiny."

Julia Cameron, "The Artist's Way"