How To Do Morning Pages (Fully Explained)
Morning Pages are the very first tool introduced in Julia Cameron's most famous book, The Artist's Way, a Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity.
Morning Pages are three pages of longhand writing done first thing in the morning. They're one of Julia's toolkit for unblocking creativity, and I have the pleasure to confirm that they work.
I've got to admit that I was initially skeptical when I first saw the title "a spiritual path to higher creativity". I didn't even know who Julia Cameron was! Yeah, a bit or maybe too uncultured... haha. But as soon as I started reading that book, it was as if it was speaking directly to my wounds and the wounded artist child within me.
This book was exactly what I needed. I was yearning to express my creativity, and The Artist's Way was like a refreshing stream of water, revitalizing my spirit, and my thirsty artist child, who needed immediate recovery.
I was so blocked, and I believe, Julia's tools truly saved me. That's why I decided to use her tools for the rest of my life.
The tools formally presented in The Artist's Way are Morning Pages and The Artist's Date. I've had the opportunity to join Julia Cameron for several classes, and she has elaborated that there are a total of four tools:
Morning Pages
The Artist's Date
Walks
Writing for Guidance
In this post, I will be focusing on Morning Pages, drawing from my experiences with working with The Artist's Way, The Artist's Date Book (you can check my review on this book here along with over 52 ideas for an Artist's Date), The Artist's Way Video Course (that you can find on her website), YouTube videos like this fantastic interview by Marie Forleo, Write for Life, another amazing book where she also explains Morning Pages in detail, and of course, several sessions where I've had the privilege of learning from her in a live class.
Morning Pages are a non-negotiable daily practice. The golden rule is three pages, no more, and certainly, no less. Three is the magic number here.
You see, if you do more than three pages, then you're a narcissist. If you do less than three pages, you will miss out on uncovering what's truly blocking your creativity. In both cases, you won't reap the full benefits of morning pages.
They're not intended as a writing practice or a form of journaling. They simply serve as a canvas to jot down whatever pops into your head without care, you don't even need to understand what you just wrote.
They're meant for the act of moving your hand across the page without any concerns, they're for your eyes only. They're also not meant to be pretty, smart, artful, coherent, or anything "good" at all. And most importantly, there is no wrong way to do them.
NO ONE is allowed to read them, not even you during the first eight weeks. You shouldn't show them to anybody, that would be a form of self-sabotage, and it would be very painful.
Julia Cameron also made a very concise video to explain morning pages that you can find on her website.
The Power of Morning Pages
In her video, she explains that what you write in your Morning Pages are what in meditation is known as "cloud thoughts". These are the transient and passing thoughts that drift through your mind. These thoughts are like clouds passing through the sky, they are unstructured and don't have any particular meaning or importance.
In meditation, you learn to observe these thoughts without judgment or without becoming entangled in them. Instead of reacting to them, you acknowledge their presence and allow them to pass by, pretty much like clouds moving across the sky.
That's why Morning Pages are a form of meditation, the act of writing these thoughts allows you to clear your mind of these passing and distracting thoughts, making space for your mental clarity and creativity. When these thoughts are on paper, you release them, they won't be able to clutter your mind throughout the day.
I think of Morning Pages as a morning cleaning habit, just like showering or brushing my teeth. They are the first thing to be done in the morning because they are what clear my mind so that I won't carry any mental clutter with me all day.
They function as a way to sweep away the dust that has accumulated. I view and experience Morning Pages as if I'm literally taking a broom, sweeping and dusting the corners of my mind, and then mopping it clean. The notebook you use or the envelope or folder in which you place your Morning Pages is like the trash bag where you dispose of the mental clutter.
In essence, they are a form of meditation. We often believe that meditation involves closing your eyes, focusing on your breath, and connecting to a higher vibrational state.
Well, Morning Pages are a particular kind of meditation. They're done when you're grumpy, just woken up, perhaps annoyed, cold, hungry, tired, and vulnerable overall. It's in this state that you rise and release all that's weighing on your mind, leaving you feeling lighter and ready for the day.
It might even seem that they have nothing to do with creativity. But what they do is to dig deep and take away all the mental blocks that were impeding the flow of creativity within you.
Your ego may lead you to believe that Morning Pages are useless or that you've become more self-assured, creative, and expressive lately for other reasons. But it's the Morning Pages that have simply started removing the obstacles that were obstructing the creative river's flow within you.
The Censor
The censor is your inner critic, and it's always present listening to your ideas. It whispers things like, "It's the first time anyone has said something like that, that's so absurd and ridiculous" attacking your originality. It might say, "Who do you think you are? You call that writing? haha, it's the most basic and senseless thing I've ever read", or "You're not a writer," or "You're clearly not an artist".
The censor is a saboteur, and it's guaranteed it will make its appearance during your Morning Pages. It will for sure rear its head. Thanks to the pages, you start to recognize it and hear its voice.
Julia teaches to caricature the censor, give it a name, and imagine a cartoonish character. So, every time it appears and makes a critical comment, you can respond with a simple "Thank you for sharing". Julia calls her censor Nigel, and she describes him as a gay designer.
In my case, it took me about eight weeks before I could clearly identify the voice of my censor, I knew it was there, I just didn't know exactly what it sounded like, or what its name was. One day, I discovered during my morning pages that his name was Gasparin, a mini creature, part clown, part ghost, who's cruel and sadistic, he enjoys and adores warfare.
Oh, and he's VERY offensive. But I have him identified, and when he makes an appearance, it's quite amusing because I can talk back to him directly and say, "Thank you for your comment Gasparin, but your opinion doesn't count. I'll continue anyway".
It's incredibly relieving and refreshing for your inner artist to have the censor identified, because trust me, you do have one.
During your recovery process, it's vital to identify it, give it a name, a form, a pesky little voice that just wants to sabotage everything. It's like a family member who always wants to make inappropriate comments and sabotage all family gatherings.
When you see your inner critic as a caricature with a miniature voice, it becomes much easier to keep going. It no longer dominates you because you've learned to talk to it and say "Thanks, but I don't listen to you".
You'll find that as you progress through this recovery process, your censor's voice will become smarter but it will also start losing its power, this is when you say "I will do it anyway".
In fact, that's how I created a YouTube channel haha! Before Morning Pages, there was simply no way I would have ever recorded a video of myself and had the audacity to upload it on the internet. Now, when my censor says "You're not a Youtuber, your videos are useless, English is not your native language, and you have nothing to say" I tell my censor, "Thanks for sharing, but I'll do it anyway".
How long do Morning Pages take?
Depending on how fast you write, Morning Pages can take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. When I first started doing Morning Pages, it took me a full 30 minutes, and my handwriting was IMPOSSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND. I had never written anything right after waking up before haha, so it was quite a big challenge.
I can say that over weeks and months, it hasn't improved significantly haha, but at least it's somewhat legible now. Fortunately, you don't have to read your own Morning Pages during the first 8 weeks.
You might find that some days you write faster, while other days you will do it slower. Ideally, you should wake up half an hour earlier, and have your pages and pen ready so that the process is as quick as possible once you wake up, which brings me to the next point.
The 45 minutes Window
You have a 45-minute window to start writing your Morning Pages. That's because the first 45 minutes after you wake up are when you're most vulnerable and your mind is still somewhat dream-like. That's when you're not fully engaged in the analytical, critical, and rational thinking that tends to dominate the rest of the day, this is exactly the mental state that you need to be in to get the best out of Morning Pages.
So, if you'd like, you can prepare a cup of coffee and then do your pages, but, of course, don't spend 45 minutes making the perfect coffee. Just jump into the pages as quickly as you can.
Can you write Morning Pages at night?
The answer is no. Morning Pages are meant to be written in the morning, not at night. This is because by the evening, you will have already gone through your day, and they won't serve their purpose as a clearing tool as effectively as they should.
They should be done first thing in the morning so that you can go through your day with a clear mind. Make an effort to wake up earlier to do them.
There have been times when I couldn't manage to wake up earlier, but I've prioritized Morning Pages so much that I didn't mind being a bit late wherever I needed to go just to do them. They've become a sacred ritual for me. There was only one day when I forgot to do them first thing in the morning, and I felt grumpy, annoyed, and foggy all day. I figured it was because I forgot to do my Morning Pages. I did them in the evening after the whole day had already passed, but it's just not the same.
Julia Cameron says that Morning pages must be done in the morning. But if you say that doing them at night is the only way you'll commit to the practice, then do them at night. But know that you won't benefit from them as much as you could.
Can you type Morning Pages?
Technically, yes, you can. But Julia says you shouldn't. There is a huge difference between typing them out and writing them longhand. Typing them will offer you speed, but it leads to disconnection. On the other hand, writing morning pages longhand will allow you to have a deeper connection and a profound cleansing of the mind.
Think of it this way: typing morning pages is like superficially cleaning your floor with a mop without sweeping it first. You may be able to cover the surface quickly, but you miss out on the opportunity to clear away the debris and truly refresh the space.
Similarly, when you write morning pages by hand, you engage in a much more intentional and mindful meditation that goes beyond mere speed, which is what typing morning pages gives you.
The physical act of writing slows down your thoughts, allowing you to process them more deeply. Moreover, writing morning pages longhand creates a tangible connection between you and the page. It's like you establish a personal and intimate relationship with your thoughts.
Morning Pages vs Journaling
Morning Pages and Journaling are two different practices that serve different purposes in your daily life. Morning pages are a clearing tool, while journaling gives you a space for more reflection and exploration in many ways throughout the day.
Morning Pages are a private and personal practice. They're meant for your eyes only. and have no structure at all They're like the tissue you use to blow your nose discreetly haha. Morning Pages serve as a release valve that allows you to unload those "cloud thoughts" that are weighing you down. When you write morning pages, you gain clarity and mental freedom.
On the other hand, journaling is a practice that can be done at any time during the day. It gives you the opportunity to reflect on your experiences, emotions, and insights. It allows you to capture moments, express your gratitude, set goals, and explore your inner world in a much more intentional and structured way.
What to do with old Morning Pages?
The best you can do is to get rid of them, and you SHOULD during the first eight weeks of starting doing them.
However, in the course of "The Artist's Way" book by Julia Cameron, there is a specific instruction to read your morning pages during week eight. This week is another point in your journey, where you may start to uncover some important and hidden issues that need to be addressed. While it's painful to read your morning pages, it's also the catalyst for facing some of the issues you're having.
Julia Cameron herself tries not to read her morning pages. She says that if you're reading them is because you're afraid of forgetting something important. But you must trust that it will resurface during your future morning pages. Trust in the process and have faith that your morning pages will show you everything you need to know from them every day while you're writing them.
The decision of what to do with your old morning pages is personal though. I choose to throw them away and never read them.
What size notebook for Morning Pages?
I personally use A4-sized pages, literally the ones used for printing. I find that this size is what I feel comfortable with and it provides ample space to freely express my thoughts without feeling constrained.
Avoid using a notebook that is too small in size. When the pages are too compact, you're unable to fully explore your thoughts and what's really blocking you. That free flow of consciousness won't be that free if you use a small size of a notebook.
Julia Cameron also has a Morning Pages Journal that you can get. It's specifically designed to support your Morning Pages, and it even has some prompts that you can use. If you prefer a structured approach or want to enhance your Morning Pages experience, definitely get it.
Example of Morning Pages
Here's an example of what Morning Pages might look like:
"Oh, I forgot to mow the lawn yesterday. I need to find the time for it this weekend. It looks horrible, and that neighbor who's a pain in the ass will complain. I haven't heard from my niece in a while, what a heartbreak. I'm not really liking this new coat I bought, it just doesn't feel right. Why am I even doing Morning Pages? I should be sleeping instead".
Overall, these random thoughts make no sense at all, and you find it one after the other. That's exactly how you release the clutter in your mind and gain the clarity.
Definitely try Morning Pages. You will see remarkable results in your life as you open yourself to creativity.
This post was all about Morning Pages.
I've created the Creative Sketch Sunday Newsletter where you can receive an art journaling prompt every week to help your creative journey. Join and I'll make sure you get them every Sunday!
