Morning Writing

I started this habit in London when my dear friend Melanie gave me a leather-bound journal for Christmas. My morning pages are a way to begin my day with a cathartic, reflective, yet refreshing task - like yoga for my mind. I handwrite three pages each day - a concrete target - it doesn't matter what exactly I write. Some days, it's a struggle to get the words flowing, to form cohesive ideas, to express myself in a logical and understandable way. But on these days, I remind myself that my writing is only for myself: for encapsulating the delightful moments of my daily living, and for cleansing my thoughts from negative energy.

Which is most likely why, today, I'm not writing as fluidly - I have an audience.

There's definitely a mental shift that needs to happen when your writing is going to be read by an undefinable and shifting audience. I'm in this process, wrapping my head around writing for 'multiple purposes & audiences,' and hopefully I won't get stuck in the gears and grindings of the details and shy away from expressing.

Which is why, up to now, my blog has been rather image-heavy: lots to look at with minimal writing. It's easier to show than to describe.

...
I pause once again, to look over at Nicholas as he's curled up under the blankets, trying to hold onto that last bit of sleep before the day trumpets its inevitable arrival... I think the snooze button was invented for moments like this. I can only see his reddish curls poking above the covers, but his arms, even in sleep have wrapped themselves around me. I'm writing in bed, with the laptop open to its widest, propped against my stomach, and I'm very much awake - and hungry. I'm thinking about the homemade jalapeño and cheddar bagels in the fridge, served with scrambled eggs and hot sauce... and with all my remaining energy, I will that beautiful sleeping form of Nicholas' to stir and respond to my hunger. For nothing tastes as good as breakfast in bed, served by a sleepy-eyed disheveled chef.

I wish every morning could be like this.
...

Blogging: They certainly don't teach this genre of writing in schools.