“The Artist's Way”
In 1992, Julia Cameron published her self-help book "The Artist's Way," intended for literal artists to enhance their creativity flow. The book is where the infamous idea of morning pages originated, and from where we can understand their initial intention. The book is a 12-week program with guidelines for reading a chapter a week to unlock creative potential and inspiration — though you can and should do the program, by all means, we're covering her morning pages concept.
So what exactly are morning pages? Well, it's a three-page writing dump first thing in the morning. Yes, literally a brain dump that should fill at least three pages worth of writing. There is no "right" thing to write about as long as you write. Morning pages are not about the most heartfelt journal entries or even being coherent, for that matter — they're about putting anything in your consciousness down on paper to clear mental space for the rest of the day and several other benefits.
What Morning Pages Can Do For You
Writing daily morning pages is a means for you to clear out all of that unnecessary mental chatter. Consider it this way — by writing about the things at the forefront of your consciousness first thing in the morning, you’re addressing the people, thoughts and feelings that consume most of your time. You have not even fully woken up, and your mind is already flooding you with those thoughts; that’s grounds to do some serious house cleaning of the mind!
Other than addressing the issues that require the most of your attention, morning pages also make room for more presence. If you work through the most problematic things in your life first thing in the morning, just imagine how much more attentive and present you could be throughout the day. By putting anything you are dealing with into perspective via morning pages, you will also subsequently reduce anxiety and stress and make space for creative ideation to flow.
Tips and Tricks
Getting started with writing of any kind is a challenging feat. Though sometimes just going for it is the half of it — as counterintuitive as that may sound. In order to make time to write these three pages, plan for 30 minutes of your time each morning. If you don’t have 30 minutes to spare, then a little less sleep may be a fair trade-off for this transformative mental health practice.
Consider investing in a nice journal and pens as well — although any old journal or pens work, having quality stationary materials may prompt you to want to write more. It is also imperative that you have quiet, unobstructed time to conduct your morning pages. If you have a partner, children or roommates, find a location in your home that is quiet and private. Or, even better, take it outside (if the weather permits) and soak up that sunshine as an added health benefit while you complete your morning pages.
Finally, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. These pages are for you and you alone to discover the areas of your life consuming the most of your mental energy and to free yourself of those thoughts for optimal creativity and a positive mood.
