PaintedSkies commented on a post
I haven’t read more in this book yet because I wanted to adjust my routine to morning pages without having too much else to worry about yet. I am very well versed in free writing and I still found it quite hard! It was the sort of challenge I wanted to lean into and I was very easy on myself when I needed an accommodation! I wanted to share some things I did to make morning pages work for me. I am neurodivergent and have chronic pain and some disabilities. I seem to be in good company on this app so I wanted to share in case it helps anyone else.
Morning pages becomes any time of day or night pages: I can already hear the Julia Cameron loyalists telling me this defeats the purpose of morning pages. To that I say, hush! The alternative to my accommodations was this not getting it done at all. I definitely shoot to get these done in the morning, I have alarms and calendar reminders set. If I get it done in the morning, great! I try to push through “I just don’t wanna!” But I am making space for times when I really can’t. If I don’t do morning pages in the morning I set the alarm for later in the day, sometimes even at night. I actually think Night Pages are very cool and I’m usually in less pain with a very open mind as my day winds down.
Morning pages can be multi media! I use my voice recorder for mornings when hand writing or typing is not working for me. I have a voice recorder on my phone but I also have a separate one because I am a nerd and a writing tutor and I recommend voice recorders as an accommodation all the time! Julia Cameron asks for 3 pages? Why not record 3 minutes on a voice recorder? More of a visual person? Try the camera on your phone! 3 minutes of video. I love recording diary entries of myself just for me and I found that to be another great resource!
If you need to skip a day (I’m calling this veto in my journal), or if you need to do less than the three pages or three minutes of recording, SO BE IT! I am refusing to be hard on myself just cuz I’m not an able bodied neurotypical!
I will say, with my accommodations, I feel very productive getting these pages done. I find it helps with more than just my creative output. It helps me get my thoughts together about the shit I need to do in my life.
I am happy to say the pages also help me write. I am getting a lot of work done but that is not just cuz of this book. The reason I picked up this book is because I want to lock in and finish my novel this year. I have been co working with friends to get it done and co working helps a lot! If you don’t have anyone to cowork with, hit me up! I have friends I cowork with but not enough! We don’t have to exchange numbers if you have Discord (I also have What’s app and Signal).
I hope this helps someone!
And remember, if you are having a hard time with The Artists Way, that is not on you! Accessibility matters and this book has very little of that!
PaintedSkies commented on PaintedSkies's update
PaintedSkies TBR'd a book

Theo of Golden
Allen Levi
PaintedSkies started reading...

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Stuart Turton
PaintedSkies wrote a review...
View spoiler
PaintedSkies started reading...

Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again
Rachel Held Evans
PaintedSkies finished a book

I Who Have Never Known Men
Jacqueline Harpman
PaintedSkies started reading...

I Who Have Never Known Men
Jacqueline Harpman
PaintedSkies paused reading...

Don Quixote
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
PaintedSkies started reading...

A Tale for the Time Being
Ruth Ozeki