How To Build Your Creativity Muscles

How's the new year going so far?

Did you pick your one thing to focus on?

Or did you do like most people and overwhelm yourself with too many goals and give up?

It's normal to get off track when trying to change your habits.

It's also normal to have a hard time narrowing it down.

Here's a tool that can help you clear your head, tune in to what's most important, and get back on track any time of the year.

It helps you prioritize your day and also tap into your creative, intuitive side when you follow the directions closely. 

A lot of artists and writers use it to start their day and turn on their creativity muscles.

It’s called Morning Pages. 

How to do Morning Pages:

1. You need to do them first thing in morning.  Ideally when you first wake up but in the first hour for sure. This is the time when you are half awake, half asleep and not quite fully conscious.  It’s the easiest time to listen to your inner voice.
2. You must hand write…no keyboards allowed.
3. You will write 3 full 8 ½ x 11 pages each morning.
4. Begin by writing down any memories you may have of your dreams.
5. Next write 10 things you are grateful for from yesterday.
6. Then just write whatever crosses your mind. Nothing is too petty, too bad or too silly to write down.  No censoring.  Even write the angry, ugly stuff.  Just get it out.  No one will read this.  Write quickly or slowly. Find a pace that works for you.
7. When done daily it’s like a meditation.  Watch your breath.  Watch your mind.  Be still and just let it all pass from your mind to your paper.
8. Lastly, shred or throw away your papers.  These are not to be read again by you or anyone else.  Just a daily exercise to dump the junk and have clarity be your guide.

Pro Tip: Keep your notebook by your bed.  Avoid looking at your phone before you do this exercise.

What if your “stuck” during your Morning Pages time?  Here are some questions to get you in flow:

• What do I need to know?
• What do I need to accept?
• What do I need to try?
• What do I need to do?
• What do I need to grieve?
• What do I need to let go of?
• What do I need to celebrate?
• What do I love?
• What does my body need today?
• If I didn’t have to do it perfectly I would try____?
• Where do I need to stop over delivering or over doing?

If you’ve tried working through these questions and still can’t get started on morning pages, you may be dealing with… major monkey mind!   

Here’s a remedy and different tool to start with instead: Eliminate the NUTS in your life.  NUTS are those nagging unfinished tasks that go round and round in your mind.  I breakdown how to crack your NUTS in this blog post.

If your mind starts to resist or rebel after you’ve been doing morning pages for a while, keep going.
 
It’s a good sign.  You’re on the verge of a breakthrough.  Woohoo!!!

Writing this email has inspired me to do a month of Morning Pages.  I hope you’ll join me.  Every time I’ve done it in the past, I found it transformational and so freeing. 

To Calm & Strong Creativity Muscles!
 
Mollie
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