I’m in the trenches…
The messy middle of writing a book.
I’ve talked about it briefly in my 2024 recap. It’s called The Exodus Book, and I’m teaming up with a talented photojournalist on a coffee table project to celebrate Playa Del Carmen and highlight the journeys of its newest residents since 2020. Beyond stunning imagery, our book offers a critical analysis of global gentrification and challenges conscious global citizens to engage thoughtfully with the communities they enter.
Buuuut, I’m at the part where the excitement of starting has worn off, but the finish line still feels like a rumor.
I’m at that point where I have to remind myself daily why I started because the temptation to pack it up and say never mind is strong. The project is actually coming along beautifully. I’m enjoying collaborating with such a talented photographer. It’s my own resistance I’m dealing with.
And it’s not just the book. I’ve got a lot going on: deadlines looming, a business to run, and relationships to maintain…life to live. The world isn’t stopping so I can sit in a cabin and write in peace (though I would very much like to be in a cabin right now).
This is why so many people start books and never finish them. Because writing requires stamina and the ability to pace yourself so you don’t burn out. I’ve been doing it professionally for 20 years now.
I’ve also battled multiple bouts of burnout over the years and every time I re-emerge with new tools in my creative arsenal.
Lately, I’ve been really leaning into a practice that has transformed my relationship to writing forever…
It’s something I picked up after reading Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way a few years ago.
A Book That Finds You When You Need It
If you don’t know about The Artist’s Way, let me tell you about it.
Over two decades ago, Julia Cameron wrote this book and it’s become like a creative bible for artists, writers, and musicians…
Or basically anyone who feels stuck or disconnected from their craft. The dope thing about this book is that you can also think of it as a 90-day coaching program to help you get out of your head and into creative flow.
It’s a process that Cameron does a great job of walking you through, step-by-step.
That practice I mentioned leaning into is the Morning Pages.
It’s three pages of unfiltered, stream-of-consciousness written by hand first thing in the morning. There’s no editing or overthinking. You’re not even trying to be profound or poetic here.
You’re just dumping whatever’s in your brain onto the page so you can clear the junk out and get to the good stuff.
I first read The Artist’s Way years ago with
, but lately, I feel like it’s been everywhere in my orbit.I don’t think that’s a coincidence. In addition to stretching myself creatively by co-authoring this book of mine, I feel like so many of us are in a season of creative rebirth.
I hear so many Black women trying to reclaim our voices and fight through the resistance that keeps us from doing the work we’re called to do.
Even Doechii—yes, Grammy-winning, critically acclaimed Doechii—was documenting her journey with The Artist’s Way back in 2020, long before most people knew her name. She committed to the practice, bet on herself, and now? She’s reaping the rewards.
When I learned that, her success made even more sense to me. Because this process works.
And right now, as I’m deep in the book-writing trenches, I need all the creative stamina I can get, chile.
So Much of Creating Art is Managing Your Energy
This book isn’t writing itself. We want to publish this year because it’s been three years in the making.
And with everything else on my plate, I have to be intentional about managing my time and energy now.
I saw someone on Threads say that so much of creating art is managing your energy and I whole-heartedly agree.
I know I can’t afford to let my creativity get backed up like traffic on I-285.
That’s where Morning Pages come in.
They’re my daily brain dump. My creative colonic. My permission to be just me before I have to be good.
Some mornings, I’m writing full pages of nonsense.
Other mornings, I’m getting my feelings off my chest.
And sometimes, I even stumble onto an idea that would’ve stayed buried if I hadn’t given it room to breathe.
Morning Pages keep me moving. They make sure I’m not waiting for inspiration to strike—I’m creating the conditions for it to show up.
From Hustle to Flow
Honestly, if I had stayed in Atlanta, I don’t think I would’ve ever slowed down enough to embrace this practice.
Atlanta is all gas, no brakes. It feels like everybody’s booked, busy, and proving something. If you don’t have ten things on your to-do list, are you even grinding?
And then I moved to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.
Listen. Tranquilo is the way of life here. People are not rushing. The sun is shining, the sea is right there, and things happen when they happen. I even talked about how the Mexican Minute has taught me how to reject the hustle and embrace my natural flow:
At first, the pace was a shock to my system. I had all this space in my schedule, and instead of enjoying it, I was trying to fill it—like I needed to earn my right to slow down.
Morning Pages helped me chill out.
It gave me a way to sit with the stillness instead of fighting it. It’s provided me the safe space to carve out time for myself as a person, not just a writer. And it reminded me of something I should have already known:
I don’t have to earn rest.
I don’t have to be productive every second of the day.
I can just be.
…And that’s actually when I’m at my best.
Sharpening My Voice
People always tell me I’m well-spoken and that I know how to articulate my ideas with confidence.
Toastmasters has helped, sure. But you know what really keeps my mind sharp?Writing every day.
Morning Pages gives me daily practice with expressing my thoughts before I even open my mouth. They make me clear on what I think before I have to explain it to anyone else.
So when I turn on the camera to record for the Black Expat Stories podcast, I’m prepared.
And when I step into high-stakes conversations—whether I’m negotiating, pitching, speaking on a panel, or advocating for underrepresented voices on informal White House advisory committees—I’m not scrambling at the last minute.
I stay ready.
Closing the Tabs, Clearing the Cache
If you’re anything like me, then you might have 27 tabs open in your mental browser at any given moment. My Morning Pages practice has helped me close them and optimize my creative operating system.
They let me process instead of ruminate. They clear the mental clutter so I can move through my day without feeling like my brain is buffering.
And more than that…
They remind me why I write in the first place.
Because before writing became my profession, it was my refuge.
Before it was about deadlines, clients, or book deals, it was about me.
And before I worried about how my words would be received, I wrote because it felt right.
Ironically enough, even though it requires consistent effort and discipline, Morning Pages brings me back to the core of my joy for my craft.
In a world that constantly demands so much from us, any practice that helps us return to ourselves is nothing short of magic.
Now, I Want to Hear From You
Even if you’re not writing a book, Morning Pages can transform any creative endeavor you’re working on—because it changes you.
It shifts your mindset. It gives your ideas space to breathe. It helps you move through resistance instead of letting it stop you.
So, tell me:
Have you read The Artist’s Way? If so, what creative breakthroughs have you had?
If you haven’t, do you plan on picking it up?
And while I’ve got you here… can y’all do me a favor?
Keep ya girl in your positive thoughts and prayers! Send me all the good creative energy because whew, this book-writing life is not for the weak!
I’ll keep you posted on how it’s going in some of my upcoming posts.
For now, let’s yap. Tell me about your creative process in the comments!
-Courtney
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