Two and a half years ago I read the book The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron. This is a wonderful self course in getting in touch with your creative self. I never really considered myself an artist in the conventional sense. I mean, I couldn’t even draw a stick figure. However, I’d always been musically inclined and had always enjoyed literature and writing. As I had never though of myself as remotely creative, I probably never would have considered The Artist’s Way. That is, until Sam started raving about it. He had been taking the course for several weeks and was quite excited by all the growth emerging in so many areas of his life. I thought that I would give it a try. I considered it may even help me with my PhD program. It certainly did. To be honest, I truly believe The Artist’s Way is probably one of the best things I have ever done. Even after several years I regularly practice one of the foundational tools of the course — Morning Pages.

Morning pages are basically journaling, except Cameron insists that while in her course, you write them first thing in the morning. At this point, I don’t usually do them first thing in the morning, or in the morning at all. Consequently, I’ve stopped referring to them as morning pages and started calling it what it is — journaling. I don’t feel as though anything has been compromised by changing the time of day I do them, as long as I do them.

What did I find so powerful in journaling that made me stick with regularly for two and a half years? In many ways, journaling has become my compass. It’s an active meditation that keeps me focused. My journal is also my confidant with whom I can discuss anything and everything. Journaling boosts my creativity. It allows me to unblock whatever it is or was holding me back from creating. It does this my just getting things out, moving them out of our way and into out conscious,  whether it is a bunch of rambling, beautiful prose, poetry, or angry, petty tirades. It’s a way to release the tensions and stresses of life while making room for creation, art, growth, and fun. I feel more balanced when I journal than when I don’t. It’s a great way for me to get unstuck out of situations I find myself in and work out ideas and solutions to multitudes of problems. It’s a refuge for guidance, direction, and balance.

I highly recommend that everyone try it at least for a couple weeks.  See how it works for you. Make a routine for yourself and stick to it religiously. Write for 35-45 minutes everyday, no matter what. If you’re feeling grumpy, write. If you’re sick, write. If you’re elated, write. Chances are that that grumpiness, illness, and happiness want to come out on paper. Don’t fret and stress about having perfect or brilliant writing. Perfection is the death to all creativity. Let your journal be the refuge that sees your sloppiest moments. Don’t be afraid of judgment, just get it out. No one but you is ever going to read it, and even you don’t have to if you don’t want to. Make it something you look forward to and enjoy. Write with things that inspire you. Personally, I use a moleskine, a fountain pen, and write in parks or in cafes after I get home from the gym. I find that journaling after yoga or the gym is a great mental clean out that compliments the physical gym-induced euphoria. Find some medium for writing that works for you — notebook, computer, whatever — and do it. Do it regularly. You might just find that you’ve found a tool that imbues your life with greatness and joy.