My Morning Pages
My Morning Pages
Creating a new ritual - the practice is as important at its purpose
I choose a different spot each day to write my Morning Pages, usually by the river so that I can listen to and observe the space around me, but I have also found myself lazily sitting back on my lounge chair in the studio, writing my thoughts as if I was using the white wall as a blank canvas.
Writing my Morning Pages has become a new, daily habit for me as I inhabit my ArtKeeper role here at HOTA, Home of the Arts. It is a form of forced writing that wires my creativity straight to my vocabulary, so that I can access words in more meaningful and direct ways when songwriting. At least that’s what I hope it is doing.
I stole the idea from Julia Cameron in her book The Artist’s Way and have adapted it to suit my own particular exploration of the Nerang River. Julia writes that this exercise is a “primary tool of creative recovery” and a way of bypassing and evading our own creative internal critic. Put simply “the morning pages are three pages of longhand writing, strictly stream-of-consciousness” that helps let our artistic brain play whilst telling our logical brain to be quiet.
I have found that this daily practice has become as important as its purpose, as I observe the spaces around me whilst nurturing my own creative process. I have already generated a few song ideas from these observations and I hope that by continuing this writing practice, the everyday environment of the river will naturally seep its way into my project.
Here are excerpts from my Morning Pages. None of these are dated, because it’s about place, not time. And for those not familiar with Aussie terminology, tinnies are small runabout boats!
Morning Pages (in the afternoon on the Pontoon)
“I have my back to a post on a pontoon. It is not necessarily comfortable, it is making known the painful spots in my back, but I get to feel the sporadic energy of the river, back and forth and around. The pontoon and the post move to a different sway. Like two drunk dancers moving to different parts of the same song.”
*Here is a hydrophone recording I took from the pontoon.
Morning Pages (from under the Green Bridge)
“Three swans in single file speed straight towards me and upon realizing I have no treats, they swim on, exploring the mangroves and dead tree trunks nearby before venturing further into the middle of the river. Three children scoot under the bridge, their voices and their wheels are momentarily amplified and reverberated by the bridge. The same occurs when their three accompanying mothers follow.
Morning Pages (in the office)
“It is cool in here with the aircon. The gentle hum can be a distraction, if you decide to be distracted. I started the day playing flute. Bass flute was a struggle but I will find my way again (and my breath) the concert flute was great. I am starting to play more technically. My fingers are moving and I am able to be more playful and non-linear.”
Morning Pages (From the Lakeside Room looking at HOTA Lake)
Just past 6am. It is lovely being at HOTA in the early morning. There is a lone swimmer in the lake. A few early tinnies zipping past. I have been here since 4.50am. It is nice to see life begin to get busy for the day and the heat to slowly appear and work life to transition from the dogwalking pre-day activities. Rowers on the river with their coaches calling from a nearby boat. Galahs squawking and darting around ‘til they find a patch of grass to peck at. The doves seem to always be here poking around. The seagulls are few and the occasional lorikeet or two dart past. Fish are jumping.
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