Why I Stopped Writing My Morning Pages (And Started Painting Them)

Morning pages, but with paint instead of words. Eight of them in a single morning, on cheap butcher paper, standing at the easel — and no attempt whatsoever to make art. This is Day 2 of the purge. The idea is simple: whatever is in your head goes onto the paper as fast as it comes, out loud, no rescuing, no judging until the end of the day. What comes out is not meant to be good. It's meant to be out. What surprised me is what it turned out to reveal. Target: 56 purge paintings in 7 days. THE PURGE CHALLENGE · 8 paintings a day · Large enough that I had to stand — 80x60cm, body engaged · On crappy thin butcher paper, so I wouldn't get precious · On the easel, to keep me standing · Filmed it, no matter how crap it was · Narrated it as it came out of my mind · Spoke to camera about the crap as it poured out The eight rules 1. Speed. Never stop moving — your ego needs time to deliberate. 2. Aim for six or eight a day. When there are eight, no single one matters. 3. Get it off the easel the moment it's done. Next sheet up. 4. No rescuing. The second you try to save one, you're making art. 5. Say it out loud as it comes. Silence is where we censor ourselves. 6. Big paper, big brush. It stops you being fussy. 7. No judging until the end of the day. 8. If you feel disappointed, you're probably making art. Heres Day 1    • I Made 13 Pieces of Crap Art Before Lunch ...   Full playlist: THE PURGE    • The Purge (For Artists)   The painting you glimpse near the start is Eden — it grew out of a purge exactly like this one. I filmed the whole thing, and that's coming to this channel shortly. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTERS 00:00 Trust the contents 01:06 You don't have to be Jung to get it 02:24 Morning pages, but with paint 03:39 Yes, it's a kind of therapy 06:12 The mist — first one out 08:43 Newspaper, no thinking 09:50 Painting with my eyes closed 11:02 Trying to paint like a normal person 14:11 When I try to be non-objective, it feels like fraud 15:21 Using up the whole palette 16:53 The high state of you at your best 18:30 The little voice saying "eyes" 19:13 Nefarium 21:03 The trash from my brain ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DIVE DEEPER INTO THE SOULMAKING UNIVERSE (Videos mentioned in this episode) ➡️ The Gordian Knot (How to Handle The Flood):    • 6 Steps to Fix a Creative Logjam (It's Not...   ➡️ Scaring Away Your Muse (How to Handle The Drought):    • Why Your Art Intellect is Scaring Away You...   ➡️ The Two Artists in Your Head (Apollo & Dionysus):    • This Ancient Myth Explains Why You're a Sc...   ------------------------------------------------------------------------ FREE TOOLS TO UNBLOCK YOUR CREATIVITY (Downloadable PDF worksheets) ► The 7 Bones of Creative Power: A no-fluff manifesto for artists who are done outsourcing their authority. https://courses.helennorton.com.au/pa... ► The Step Zero Blueprint: A gentle worksheet to find clarity when you're overwhelmed and can't choose where to start. https://courses.helennorton.com.au/pa... ► The Gordian Knot Challenge: A practical guide to cutting through creative paralysis and overwhelm. https://courses.helennorton.com.au/pa... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONNECT WITH HELEN ► The Soulmaking Hub (Blog & Resources): https://www.soulmaking.com.au/ ► My Professional Artist Website (See my 40-year painting practice): https://www.helennorton.com.au/ ► My Artist YouTube Channel (Watch me paint):    / @helennorton   ------------------------------------------------------------------------ LEARN TO PAINT WITH ME ► Teachable Workshops: https://helen-norton-art.teachable.com/ ► Skillshare Classes: https://www.skillshare.com/en/profile... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA ► Instagram:   / helennortonart   ► Facebook:   / helennortonartist   ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is Soulmaking for Artists, where we go beyond simple tutorials to explore the deeper creative life. If this resonates with you, please subscribe and join our community of soul makers.