Morning Pages
May I recommend a simple daily practice that can do wonders to clear your mind, and increase your focus and creativity.
It is Morning Pages, and comes from the book The Artists Way by Julia Cameron.
Morning Pages are, essentially, a brain dump with a prettier name than brain dump. And thank goodness, as I have always loathed the word dump (“photo dump” anyone?). The one exception being when I was a child, and my dad and I would drive to the dump down a forest road from my grandfather’s cabin and sing, to the tune of The Lone Ranger, “To the dump, to the dump, to the dump dump dump…”
If I seem to be rambling, perfect! That is the whole point of this exercise.
Morning Pages, as prescribed by Cameron, are three pages of longhand, written first thing in the morning, of whatever comes to mind. It must be a stream of consciousness - no editing, no second-guessing, no rules. For three pages, just let whatever enters your head pour out onto the page, even if it’s “I have no idea what to write.” Keep going.
If your mood calls for it, may I also recommend my favorite writing advice from Mark Twain, who once suggested,
"Substitute 'damn' every time you're inclined to write 'very.'"
I’ve been practicing Morning pages since I read The Artists Way about six months ago, and am a fan. Here are four ways it has helped.
1. Morning Pages clear your mind
I often wake up swirling in thoughts from the day before - and they are usually not pretty. Doing Morning Pages before anything else clears the mental clutter, and helps me start the day with a clean slate and fresh perspective.
While I typically prefer typing to longhand, I have found that writing in a notebook forces my racing mind to slow down. I also throw the pages away when I’m done, so there is no censoring for fear of how my thoughts might be perceived.
Julia Cameron said, “When people ask ‘why do we write morning pages?’ I joke, ‘to get to the other side.’ They think I am kidding, but I am not. Morning pages do get us to the other side: the other side of our fear, our negativity, of our moods.”
2. Morning Pages provide insight
The biggest surprise of Morning Pages, is that they are surprising. Most of what I write, honestly, is illegible or garbage. And yet when I read it back, I often notice something of which I was hardly aware. Writing in stream of consciousness has a way of unlocking ideas and solutions to problems that I have not been able to discover any other way.
Practicing them has helped me develop a greater self awareness, and identify and process unresolved questions and worries.
Julia Cameron said, "Each morning as we face the page, we meet ourselves."
3. Morning Pages start my day with a feeling of accomplishment
Perhaps my favorite benefit of Morning Pages has been the feeling of accomplishment it gives me first thing in the morning. It is such a quick and simple task, but when done before doing anything else, provides the satisfaction of having started my day on the right foot. This creates a feeling of momentum that can carry me through the morning, and set a productive tone for whatever needs to be done.
4. Morning Pages unlock creativity
Although Morning Pages is a writing exercise, it is certainly not just for writers. Anyone can benefit from their ability to generate new ideas and creativity.
We often associate creativity with the arts - design, literature, music, dancing - but the truth is we are all constantly creating .
Every day we create our environment and experience. We create our meals, wardrobes and schedules. We create our movement, traditions, interactions and relationships. We create our happiness and our life.