I have not written very much for several months.  It seems my writing goes in spells.  I always thought it was something I did when I was in the right mood or frame of mind.  Recently I participated in an online course to learn more about writing for children.  As usual I did not finish it - one of the traits of an adult child of an alcoholic.  I did, however, glean something very beneficial from it, which is always the case.  

In a discussion group, someone mentioned a book the Artist's Way by Julia Cameron and how much it had helped them and, as I usually do, I went online to Amazon.com and found it for a few dollars, ordered it and started reading.  Will I finish this one?  Only God knows.  Regardless, I have already found something that has been very beneficial for me and is making a difference in my life.  Thus, I am passing it on to others not knowing whom else might benefit from this activity.

The purpose is to unblock creativity.  The premise is we are created by a Creator who created us to be creative.  This was nothing new to me as Myles Munroe, who has been my mentor for some sixteen years, has said this over and over again.  Julia Cameron gives ten principles that I am going to pass on to set the foundation for what I am passing on to you.

1.        Creativity is the natural order of life.  Life is energy: pure creative energy. 

2.        There is an underlying, in-dwelling creative force infusing all of life - including ourselves. 

3.        When we open ourselves to our creativity, we open ourselves to the creator's creativity within us and our lives. 

4.        We are ourselves, creations.  And we, in turn, are meant to continue creativity by being creative ourselves. 

5.        Creativity is God's gift to us.  Using our creativity is our gift back to God. 

6.         The refusal to be creative is self-will and is counter to our true nature. 

7.         When we open ourselves to exploring our creativity, we open ourselves to God: good orderly direction. 

8.        As we open our creative channel to the creator, many gentle but powerful changes are to be expected. 

9.         It is safe to open ourselves up to greater and greater creativity. 

10.         Our creative dreams and yearnings come from a divine source.  As we move toward our dreams, we move toward our divinity. 

From here she goes into the basic tools.  The first of them is "the morning pages" which is what I want to share.  She says "in order to retrieve your creativity, you need to find it.  I ask you to do this by an apparently pointless process I call the morning pages.  What are the morning pages?  Put simply, the morning pages are three pages of longhand writing, strictly stream of consciousness: 'Oh, god, another morning.  I have nothing to say.  I need to wash the curtains.  Did I get my laundry yesterday?  Blah, blah, blah…'  They might also, more ingloriously, be called brain drain, since that is one of their main functions."

So I tried it, hesitatingly, because it is just a writing of whatever is in my head and not something to be thought about.  I do it as soon as I wake up without any planning because I am a writer and if I think about what I'm going to write I will alter my true thoughts.  I wasn't sure I could really do it, but was I wrong.  I am on my fifth day and I am hooked on it.  Here's why.  I have, all of my life, at least as far back as I can remember, stuffed things.  I don't know why or when it started, I just do it.  Maybe because I didn't have a friend I felt I could share with.  Whatever, it doesn't matter, I just did.  Notice the past tense?   

For the past year I have been writing to God almost daily.  I have shared this before.  But, even in writing to God, I didn't clear my mind.  Not really because, well, it is God.  You know what I mean?  Maybe you don't.  Maybe you are totally honest with God and share everything with him no matter what.  If you do, you are very blessed.  This is said with all sincerity.  I have been more like the drunk in the gutter on Bourbon Street who being approached by the Chaplain of Bourbon Street said, "Please don't tell God what condition I'm in."  This writing to God has been a tremendous blessing to me and has made my relationship with him much more intimate, but these morning pages, well they go beyond.

It is as if the paper is a close friend who only listens without any condemnation and with complete trust.  It is different from a diary where the writing is a lot of what has happened and how I feel about it.  Girls are great with diaries.  Guys, well, we are, uh, guys ya know.  Right brain.  Left brain.  No brain.  Anyway, I started writing mechanically.  Whatever came to my mind.  Three whole pages.  Fast.  Furious.  I can't tell you what I wrote.  I don't remember and one of the rules is you cannot read what you wrote for at least eight weeks.  I am thinking I am going to see a lot of changing going on when I do start reading.  If I read it.   

She said I would experience emotions while doing it and she was right.  Things I thought I have dealt with have come up.  Things I have suppressed have come up.  But, the blessing is I start the day with a clear mind, after writing, without any suppressed emotions or thoughts.  Everything out and during the process, God has entered in and is participating.  Don't ask me to explain this.  I can't.  But, you know what?  I have the desire to write again.  My creativity is returning.  What do you think?  Might work for you?