I’m usually up for a dare, and Blisschick’s enCouragingBliss post this week is a 100-day dare.
It’s to find one thing, something quite difficult, and commit to doing it for 100 days. Well I’m seriously talented at beginning things but not so good at the follow-through, so this sounds like a good discipline.
My commitment is to write my morning pages every day for 100 days. Morning pages are, as many of you know, one of the tools Julia Cameron recommends in her book The Artist’s Way: three A4 pages of hand-written stream of consciousness, first thing in the morning. Three pages that no-one else will ever see. Three pages in which you can write any old crap you want, dredge up all those thoughts and emotions, the good, the bad and the seriously wacky. The exercise works by getting all that clamour out of your head and onto paper, making space to allow creativity in.
I’ve done this before (several times!) and kept it up for about a week. But two things always stop me:
- It takes about 20 minutes and I’m not good at getting up early
- The pages can be uncomfortably self-revealing
So now I have no excuse. Until Monday 27 July, I’ll write my morning pages every day, and find out where they lead me, even if I don’t always like it.
Image by irisb477
Elsewhere:
As the Vatican prepares to investigate the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in the US, Claire discusses the “gnarly old men” in Rome, and Sue has an excellent post about God and gender in Woman, Speak Thy Truth,
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed 
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
Tess. Cool. And now it seems especially important to do this, doesn’t it? With the big changes (and opportunities) that have come your way.
Oh, good for you!
What a great goal!
I’ve tried the morning pages before as well and not stuck with it ~ more than once :-0
I *know* this time will be different for you, as you will be drawing on (or writing from!) the collective energy that we are generating with our gathered commitments. Can’t wait to see how it goes!
Wishing you peace, early risings, flourishing pages, creative surprises on the paper ~ and no writer’s cramps
i wish you well! i am one who starts but lacks discipline to keep going. i should try this though as it might help me get to writing my memoir i so desire to write.
EP
What a wonderful idea. Wishing you peace, and endurance to keep your commitment to yourself.
@Blisschick: yes indeed, and already after two days of morning pages my imagination is kicking in.
@Nerdy Renegage: the writer’s cramp bit does loom a bit – I very rarely write anything by hand, I’m normally kind of welded to the computer keypad.
@Existential Punk: a memoir – how exciting. Something I want to do also. Have you come across Natalie Goldberg’s book Old Friend from Far Away? Subtitled ‘The Practice of Writing Memoir’, the little I’ve done is really helpful. She has all these timed ten minute writing challenges, like “Write about your mother’s shoes” – 10 minutes, Go.
@tinkerbell, thank you, and the same back to you for your challenge.
What a lovely idea. Keep us posted on what you learn–you might inspire us and it might help you keep going.
I was supposed to begin during Easter week, but held back. These past days meditating on your mantra and reading your blog, I’ve strengthened considerably, and am pulling up anchor and setting sail with my own spiritual blog, beginning Wednesday (Earth Day). Thank you, thank you, Tess!
~kigen
@pam: thank you, I certainly will keep you posted.
@kigen: how exciting, I’m so pleased for you. Let me know the URL when you launch.
Oh, I love what you picked. Only good can come from it. I find writing every morning grounds me more than meditation does. And I like the exercise of getting off the computer. I love the smell of ink, the feel of paper (if you get good ones for both, which can be such fun to hunt for)> I often write with a candle lit, with good wordless mood music on, with a fountain pen. I am checking in from Bliss Chicks and posted my 100 day challenge too. Please come by and visit (I keep 3 blogs so I hope you’ll pop in and see if any call to you).
Thanks for the book recommendation, Tess! i think i am going to buy it. i need something to give me writing exercises.
EP
Good vow! You can definitely do it, and will. Plus, if you aren’t having to make it to the office by 9am now, it may be the perfect time to give it a whirl.
I have made it to 40 days with morning pages – and I have a friend at 10 years (which is unbelievable to me.) So I’ll be cheering you on.
Sydney and Lisa, thanks for stopping by and for your good wishes. Sydney, I have been lighting a candle, but I love your idea of a proper fountain pen. Might have to dig mine out. And Lisa, 40 days is great, I’m sure a lot has come out of it for you.
Hey, go for it Tess! It’s a whole new bathtub, remember?!….I mean lake, I mean, ocean – sky’s the limit:)
Family trait my love isn’t it? Starting and not finishing? Okay, you do your writing and I’ll do my walking, me with Ellie and Cleo, every morning for the next 100 days!
@SS: a new bathtub with lovely foamy good-smelling things!
@Lizzie: Go for it! I shall look out of my window to watch you all go past.
We must be related. I love to start new things, including quilts, but also lack in follow through. Sigh! I have more unfinished quilts here than you can imagine, but perhaps in the next 100 days I can make a dent in those …?
… or should I walk?
… or should I write?
… or should I garden?
… or …?
Another problem is indecision!!
Write on, Tess!
Hi Barbara Anne – how about half an hour on each of these things on over a three-day cycle? So Day 1 half hour walking, Day 2 writing, Day 3 gardening then back to walking again – for 100 days.
I’m great at starting and then not finishing, too!
How are the pages going so far?
Thanks for the link, Tess!! And kudos for morning pages. It’s funny how things become a habit. I took them up again about a year and a half ago, and now they are just what I do in the mornings. A great way to defluff the brain
Oh, boy, I really LOVE that pic. Gorgeous.
Hi Tess,
Interesting idea you had! I was reminded about a quote from a book I’m currently reading, “Church of the Old Mermaids” by Kim Antieau:
“Sing, dance, create. If you have to choose one, do all three at the same time.” – Sister Bridget Mermaid
How about that?!
woohoo!! i adore this….i am starting my (gasp) 6th year of morning pages!!! they keep me sane although some might argue with that
. i cannot wait to hear what pops up since i hope you will share at least a tiny bit from the pages!! xoxoxo
@Emma: thanks for your comment, they’re going well so far although early days.
@Sue: that’s what I’m hoping, that it will become a habit.
@Barbara Anne: I heard about that book somewhere just the other day. Wonder where. And yes, all three at the same time sounds great!
@Lucy: I have to admit you are my role model in this, I knew you’d been doing them for a long time and you do sometimes share the most interesting bits. My hope is that they’ll start spinning out ideas, and I most certainly will share some of that.
{ 2 trackbacks }