Visual Morning Page

Julia Cameron, in her book The Artists' Way, created the process of writing morning pages -- 3 long-hand pages in a notebook, just spilling open, whatever, anything goes, but must be done first thing in the morning. I read the book when it was first released [1992, or thereabouts], and have been doing morning pages ever since.

Since my rant about wanting to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in my journal, I made a BIG switcharoo -- every other morning, now, I'm doing a morning visual journal page -- as soon as I get out of bed (but after I tinkle!), I go straight to my studio, open the visual journal to any which page (no order), and start laying down whatever my mind presents. It could be said that on 2 mornings, I seriously scared myself ... I did NOT understand the imagery or the words I chose. But I put them down nonetheless -- I figure if I go back to them after a period of removal, then perhaps their message will be more evident. It could also be said that I allow ONLY 30 minutes, no matter what, even if I have an image glued but it's not on the page yet, oh well, too bad so sad, the page is done.

This page, too, stupefies me. But I really LIKE the energy I feel looking at it. Funny how I recognize, also, how PURE these pages are -- I have to occasionally ask myself, 'Hey, Wench! Is this TRUE, or are you tryin' ta make the page look better?' I invariably bust myself, too, with that question. Wah Wah, cries me --but I don't LIKE making ugly pages. But honestly, who says they're ugly? Why the judgment? Why not just 'this is the page I'm making this morning' and mosey on?

I like the questions. I like this change-up of my morning process, too.