Stream of Consciousness Journaling

The bestselling book, The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron is another way to journal that is focused on enhancing your creativity. This style of journaling is known as "The Morning Pages".

They are described as "a spiritual path to higher creativity". The morning pages are three pages of long-hand, stream of consciousness writing done first thing in the morning. Just like getting up and taking a shower, the Morning Pages are a kind of cleansing of the mind with cumulative benefits. It's not complicated; simply get up each morning and write. Don't overthink, just write.

Artists like Alicia Keys, Elizabeth Gilbert, Russell Brand, Reese Witherspoon, and Pete Townshend has used this concept. It's for anyone. You don't need to be an artist. Simply get up and spill out words, whatever comes to mind, and just keep writing until you've written three pages. It's even recommended to not take your pen off the page so that you don't stop and think.

If you need a place to start. your musings could include:

Dreams, goals, hopes

Your worries of the moment

Your plans for the day

Regrets you have from yesterday

Prayers for people

The strongest emotion you are feeling

Anything that comes to mind

It doesn’t really matter what you write. Just write.

Consider the Morning Pages as a discipline dedicated to your well-being.

Benefits to doing the Morning Pages:

A good night's sleep does not clean the slate of our minds. Often, we wake with a full mind of thoughts soon after we open our eyes. When you write freely first thing in the morning you are clearing out some space that allows you to start your day with more clarity. A de-cluttering of the mind.

The morning pages put you in the present moment with no self-criticism. You are just pouring the thoughts onto paper, not analyzing them. This is a form of mindfulness.

It is a place to process your emotions. Everyone has stress in their lives. Adding to that is the stress that comes to us through streams of news of the world, and it can be overwhelming.

Releasing into the morning pages can help lighten the emotional load by processing all that we take in. It can be a ritual that helps you get to know yourself. It’s so easy to add to our life pile and hold onto things. We can get so bogged down that we lose our sense of self and begin to live in default mode. That’s when your life is running you instead of you running your life.

A free mind allows our imaginations to flow. This is the precursor to creation!

Tips for writing the morning pages:

Up with the sun.

Morning is the optimal time for stream of consciousness writing because you have not been touched by outside influences yet.

Pick a comfortable spot, write three full pages in long hand. Don’t stop.

Let your family or roommates know it is your “do not disturb” time.

Don't read them. The purpose is to transfer your thoughts and clear your head, not relive them.

If you end up writing something creative that you would like to save, then bookmark just that entry or take a photo of it.

Be authentic.

Don’t censor yourself. It’s for your eyes only. Get to know your miraculous self.

There’s no wrong way. Write any way you want to, just fill those three pages.

Commit to 12 weeks and free your inner artist!