JOURNAL OR SKETCHBOOK

A new year means a new journal. I have kept a journal for about 15 years. Every year I buy a new plain bound book with blank pages that I put in a leather case.

Some people may have a hang-up with the idea of writing a journal, but I have a highly recommended alternative approach. “Morning Pages” was introduced to me by author Julia Cameron.

“Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, a stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages. They are not even “writing.” They are about anything and everything that crosses your mind – and they are for your eyes only. Morning Pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and synchronize the day at hand. Do not over-think Morning Pages: just put three pages of anything on the page...and then do three more pages tomorrow.”

In my Morning Pages I write what I appreciate in life, thoughts I’m pondering, and events of the day. Sometimes it takes me years to figure something out and sometimes I figure it out the moment it hits the page.

The second blank book I use is my sketchbook. I have been drawing since I was a child. In my 30’s I finally stopped worrying about my drawings being works of art and now considered them as visual ideas. I was putting too much pressure on myself. It’s better to just get it down on paper and keep the flow going.

Don’t think of the blank page as scary, its just paper. No one has to look at it or judge it. It’s only for you, so give it a try.