What are Morning Pages and Why You Might Need Them.
Morning pages are an idea from the book, The Artist’s Way, and they have served as a powerful tool for me in several ways. The idea of Morning Pages is simple. Every morning before you do anything else (except maybe pour yourself a cup of coffee) you sit down and write three pages.
Now there are some rules.
Write these by hand. Pencil, crayon, pen - it doesn't matter as long as you’re not typing. Personally I like choosing something enjoyable to write with - like a pen that slides like Christi Yamagucci on ice. For you, it might be a trusty Bic #7 or a feather quill, it doesn’t matter.
Fill three pages. You can write whatever you want, it just has to be three pages. Front and back? Fronts only? Whatever feels right to you.
Do this before anything else. You need a fresh, fuzzy mind not filtered through your daily inbox or social feed. Coffee, water and a light yoga or five minute meditation are allowed.
Just. Write. Do not think about spelling, grammar, punctuation, anything like that. Whatever comes to your brain or through your hand, write. If you get stuck just write blah blah blah, literally, until something else starts to flow. It’s equal parts focusing on the movement and feeling in your hand and just going with the release.
Do not read your pages. Especially at first and especially if you’re a beginner on this self development path. Once written, tuck them away in a labeled envelope or folder where no one else has access. This simply releases you from fear of any judgement - from another or from yourself. You are now more free to express yourself. After 12 weeks you may go back and read if you wish.
So what do they do? Why am I such a fan?
Because they quite literally help me change my life. Here’s how:
They give me clarity. I am ADHD so I constantly have roughly 46 thoughts and ideas going around in my head at any given moment. I am a business owner and mother so I also have to be able to be efficient with my time and have a clear plan and goals. Morning pages allow me to brain dump many of the ideas or thoughts out of my system so I can clearly focus on the ones that need to be a priority that day.
They give me guidance and help me answer difficult questions. You are everything you ever need. And you are so much more knowlegabe than you think you are. Sometimes when faced with a difficult decision or question, I write it down then just begin free writing, steaming consciousness. I do not think about what I am writing, the spelling, grammar, or if it even makes sense. Every time usually the answer just spills out so clearly and easily. I spent the first year of this practice in amazement. Although I am now used to it, its still incredible.
They are a powerful, and I’m talking POWERFUL tool for manifestation. My amazing relationship I’m in? I wrote about in some of my first pages back in 2015. My studio? Those pages were written in 2016. The home we love and purchased in 2019? A six figure business doing what I love while having freedom to spend my time the way I choose? I described it in detail in 2018. Trying to fill three pages with something you want requires you to add a lot of detail. Any time you are trying to visualize an outcome or manifest something into reality, the more detail you can imagine the faster and more satisfying result.
And if you’re interested, here’s a link to the full book, The Artist’s Way.
