Have you heard of morning pages? The meditative journaling practice offers a great way for you to unlock your conscious thoughts. First mentioned in Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way” in 1992, the practice is back in fashion, and it’s something that anyone, artist or not, can do.
What are morning pages, and how do they work?
Remember scribbling notes when you were a kid? Morning pages take their cue from the same type of expression. When you do morning pages, you’re essentially taking pen to paper at the start of every day and writing three pages of unfiltered, stream-of-conscious thoughts. Without editing as you go, or holding back any thought or feeling, your goal is to simply fill the pages every morning. It’s meditative because it enforces honest journaling, which in itself is very helpful. It can also help you isolate what’s wrong or troubling you in your life, so you can move forward and start the healing process.
What You’ll Need to Begin Morning Pages
• A writing utensil
• A journal or pad of paper
• Dedicated time to complete three full pages (preferably in the morning)
Practices to Help You Make the Most of Morning Pages
• Don’t work on your morning pages while distracted.
The point of morning pages is to allow your mind to wander without judgment. Doing your pages while feeding your children or watching the morning news is a good way to distract yourself during this critical practice. Stay focused on your pages, even if you’re not writing anything revolutionary on them.
• Don’t share or read your morning pages.
You might not think it’s a big deal, but if you know that your pages will be seen by someone else, you’ll subconsciously edit them. In fact, not even you should read your pages until after a month or so. This will help you avoid connecting shame or judgment to your work.
• Do your pages every day – even if it’s not in the morning.
Did you accidentally sleep in late, or have an extra-early morning meeting? No worries! Pencil in some time to do them at night. The most important thing about morning pages isn’t necessarily the time when they’re done, but the fact that you’re getting them done on the daily basis.
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