Morning Pages - A Tool For Creativity

Morning Pages is a tool from Julia Cameron's The Artists Way. You don't have to be an Artist though - this is a tool for everyone and anyone. Fans of the practice liken it to therapy, mindfulness, mediation and magic! 

I like to refer to it as a homecoming. The pages quite literally bring you back to yourself. We lead such rich and busy lives it is easy to become clouded, confused and even reliant on other people's lives, opinions, or approvals. When we become so externalised we lose the ability to tune in and trust ourself and we literally become disconnected from ourself. 

I'm a big fan of collaboration and connection but not at the expense or replacement of the connection to yourself. True connection and collaboration with others comes when you have nurtured a relationship with yourself first. I strongly believe that any work you do to support the relationship you have with yourself serves to support the relationships and connections you have with others.

When you are disconnected from yourself, this can show up in your lives as people-pleasing, indecisiveness, lack of direction, restlessness, uncertainty, lack of clarity, feeling stuck and loneliness. You can feel this on a day-to-day level as well as on a bigger scale when you ponder the meaning and purpose of your life. Existential crisis anyone?!

But seriously, these feelings aren't pleasant and often lead you to seek further external validation or guidance - continuing the spiral of disconnection from yourself. The good news is, you have so much juicy wisdom inside of you just waiting to be unlocked and tapped into so it can guide, help and support you. The pages return you to this wisdom inside and help you build strong roots from within so that you may spread your wings and truly connect to the people and world around you.

At an absolute minimum Morning Pages sets you up for a more grounded day in which you will have more clarity and calm. Carry on reading to find out how to practice Morning Pages and how this tool works it's magic...


What Are Morning Pages & How Do You Do Them?

  • Three pages of longhand written stream of discourse done first thing in the morning (ideally). Julia Cameron recommends three sides of A4 but that's quite a lot if you're new to the stream of consciousness journalling. Don't worry too much about the size of the page - three pages of any size is good for now.

  • You wake up, and before you start your day (eg. before looking at your phone, showering, eating breakfast etc), you take to the blank page with a pen and simply start writing and don't take your pen off the page until you reach the end of three pages. You write whatever is in your head, whether it makes sense or not. Some people ask if they can be done on a laptop and Julia Cameron advises pen and paper is the way forward.

  • They are a process not a product. Eg. they aren't a piece of writing to be read back or shared. It's recommended that you discard of the pages after you write them. I might start an annual bonfire tradition with mine!


What Is Happening During Morning Pages?

CLEARING OFF THE DUST
Julia Cameron calls this part "dusting" - I love this term! Ultimately this is the offloading part. I like to imagine an ocean with this as the sea foam, the algae, situated on top of the body of water. The foam is the superfluous, chitter chatter at the front layer of our consciousness. 

MINDFULLY OBSERVING
Morning Pages develops a practice of noticing the thoughts and feelings that arise as they land on the page. Self awareness is the gateway to all the good stuff - emotional intelligence, positive change, self development, connection, authenticity, creativity - EVERYTHING basically!

SPOTTING PATTERNS
As your noticing and awareness develops, you begin to spot the patterns appearing on the page - the whirlpools and currents of your mind. Ultimately the pages show you where there are unresolved problems or situations playing out in your life.

As we know, creativity loves spotting patterns because creative thinking loves finding solutions. The practice of Morning Pages not only highlights problem areas but it allows for solutions to emerge too.

PRACTICING ACCEPTANCE
Meeting yourself on the page each morning, in all your facets - the light sides and the dark, both the placid and the stormy waters  (especially the dark side which we often hide and perceive as negative - hones your ability for self-acceptance over self-judgement. It simply is what it is, neither good or bad. Developing self-acceptance leads to the development of self -compassion, self-esteem, self-confidence and self-love. Sign me up to that! 

COMING HOME TO YOURSELF
Oh I just LOVE this part! This is the bed of the ocean. Throughout your process of Morning Pages, moments of your own truth or inner knowing pop out to you. But what are people actually talking about when they say "speak your truth", "my truth" etc. Well, to put it simply, it's about what you believe and value in your heart of hearts. It's pure, unattached to any limitations or external influences. Those moments when you just know, no explanations or evidence required. Moments that feel like magic but are in fact just you in your purest form. This is your intuition having it's time.


Tips For Getting Started

Just start. Plain and simple. You can't think your way around this tool. There is no right or wrong way to do it. It's all about the process. So have a play around with it and see how you get on.

Set your alarm 30-45 minutes earlier, or try it on a non working day so you don't have to worry about the timings at first. Try it out for at least two week - so to really give it a chance.

Have a listen to these Julia Cameron podcast interviews below - once you hear her talking you will fall in love with her and all her magical ways! 

The Good Life Project - Behind The Artists Way

The James Altucher Show - The Best Tool To Unlock Your Creativity

And remember, with any new habit (especially the ones that are good for us) resistance rears its ugly head and does its best to prevent us. Even though I love Morning Pages and believe in their value, I still struggle to do it every day. But the pages are always there for me to return to and that's what a practice is all about.

Let me know how you get on. Any questions, let me know!