Experiment #12: Morning Pages
Ahh, the freedom in there being no wrong way to do this...
I learned about Morning Pages ages ago…
A term used frequently in the writing world, “Morning Pages” is a concept created by author and “The Godmother” of creativity, Julia Cameron.
Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing,
done (you guessed it) first thing in the morning. There’s no wrong way to do Morning Pages. They’re not high art. They’re not even “writing.” They’re about
anything and everything that crosses your mind– and they are for your eyes
only. Morning Pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and
synchronize the day at hand. Do not over-think Morning Pages: just put
three pages of anything on the page...and then do three more pages tomorrow.
The Experiment: As I read The Artist’s Way, the experiment is to do Morning Pages EVERY day, consistently for 12 weeks.
Hypothesis: I don’t know if I had any sort of expectations for the book or the Morning Pages themself except to learn more about myself and to unlock a wellspring of new creative ideas.
Result: I’ve done them 99% consistently. I’ve ebbed and flowed with both loving and loathing The Morning Pages. I enjoy the consistent routine, writing habit, the space to process and feel, and as per usual… I have thoughts…
Whenever I heard about people doing Morning Pages (usually in writer’s circles/groups), I thought they were only for REAL writers…
The reason it took me so long to read Julia’s book in the first place was because I thought it was only meant to be read by “real” writers.
I’m unsure where the line is between real and nonreal writers is, or why my brain decided to lump me into the latter category when I write every day for a living, but that was my starting line. “Maybe, just maybe,” I dreamt, “Morning Pages will be the key to turning me from a nonreal writer into a real one.”
There’s no wrong way to do them, but Morning Pages still have “rules”…
Last month, I attended a virtual event Julia Cameron did through the Kripalu Yoga Center and she spoke more about what Morning Pages were and were not. There’s no right thing to write when you’re doing them, but as the inventor of the concept, she recommends a few parameters to get the most out of em’ (aka put the most into em’).
Morning Pages are to be done first thing in the morning. You’re allowed to pee, get a glass of water, take your vitamins, make coffee, and according to Julia, that’s it.
Morning Pages are to be three, full pages of long-hand (not computer) writing.
Morning Pages are honest, uncensored, whatever is on your mind, no rhyme nor reason, no bowing down to the grammar and punctuation gods, and for your eyes only. Cue the stream of consciousness.
Morning Pages aren’t to be looked back on or reread (though she has an activity later in the book that makes you do this… 🤔)
How my Morning Pages went…
I’ve been writing in journals since I could write and have done ample amounts of journaling in my life. I’ve sometimes had a structure, and sometimes not. I’ve done it in the morning, at night, sometimes both. I’ve journaled during the best of times, and the worst of times. I’ve used prompts, spitballed off the top of my head, and journaled during the world’s most boring Anatomy and Physiology II class. I’ve published journal-style writings online as blogs and I’ve burned pages too depressing to admit to being the author of. I’ve tried every notebook under the sun and dried out many a pen ink.
But I’d never done Morning Pages before, so I embarked earnestly.
A few caveats:
I do my Morning Pages AFTER a short, 15-minute walk. The first-morning light in my eyes is a key piece of my routine, so it takes priority.
I also play Wordle while I make my coffee, which I do before my Morning Pages
I don’t have children so it’s much easier to get time to myself in the morning
I’m self-employed and work from home, so I have the luxury of creating a morning routine that can easily be shifted around and adapted as I try new things/scrap things
What do I write about?
Not much of anything… sometimes a lot of everything. I use Morning Pages to work through content of the chapter I’m reading in The Artist’s Way, brain dump, make shopping lists and to-do/to-call lists, rant, cry, be nice to myself, be mean to myself, plan, ideate, console, feel, awaken, deaden.
What have I learned/gained?
The number one benefit for me has been simply prioritizing WRITING time for myself. Time when I’m not doing to do, I’m not working, I’m just writing and being for ME and no one but me. I’ve gotten my fair share of epiphanies on things, but they’re more whispery than I like from a proper epiphany.
Some days I hate Morning Pages. Most often when I’m tired, bored with myself, or overwhelmed. Most days, I love them like a best friend. I love the insights I gain, the things I learn about myself or others. They make me feel like I can taste a morsel of potential in myself, and I especially love the days when I end up filling the pages with gratitude and love for my life.
I think my biggest awareness (so far) was around perfectionism and my need to do the Morning Pages 100% perfectly for the entire 12 weeks to prove myself, get an A+, hit the magic number of pages that unlocks the novel or book or my life path, I haven’t fully unpacked what was behind the need to get an imperfect task perfect but…
One week was exceptionally busy and my routine was upset for two days. On those days, I wrote 2.75 pages and 2.89 pages and then, I got supremely annoyed with myself because I hadn’t done them “100% perfectly”. I wouldn’t really call myself a bona fide perfectionist but this showed me areas in my life where perfectionism seeps in. The partial emptiness of those two pages taught me more than the pages upon pages of full ones bookending them.
Do I recommend Morning Pages?
Yes, AND... don’t half-ass it!! Depending on your personality type, you might need an accountability buddy! If you’re not the kind of person who can uphold a commitment to yourself, I recommend checking in with someone who won’t let you wriggle out of it. It may feel self-indulgent. It’s not. It may feel self-centered. It’s not. It may feel like a waste of time. It’s very much not. It may feel boring, tiresome, inconvenient, not helpful, angering, annoying. Sometimes it is.
Will I, Emily Aborn, continue Morning Pages after I’m done with the book?
I have exactly two more weeks to go until I’m finished with the book. I’ll continue to do the Morning Pages (99% perfectly at the very least 😉) up until the last word in The Artist’s Way.
Then… well, life is short, and this takes up about 30-35 minutes of every day! After the experiment officially ends, I’ll continue journaling daily, first thing in the morning (after Wordle obviously), but I’d like to try some new things and other journaling methods. Additionally, I think for someone like me, it’s also not a terrible idea to spend less time in my head, and more time in my body and/or taking action! 💃🏻
Will you/have you/would you try Morning Pages?
If you’ve done them - I want to know how it went for you! If you do them, I want to know how you like it, and if you’re considering and still have questions, of course I want to hear from you too!