My first encounter with “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron happened 20 years ago and it changed my life. I was in my early 20’s, a young aspiring journalist and a “diary girl” reflecting and journaling since my early teens.
I traveled to London as a backpacker and while there, I met my second uncle John, a creative writer, therapist and philosopher. He was decades older than me but somehow we found ourselves talking and talking for hours about writing, journaling and expressing ourselves. It was a chat that changed my life.
Before I left my relatives house and got back to the young and hipster-like youth hotel in central London, John mentioned Julia. “You must read this book called the Artist’s date, You must get to know Julia’s tools”, he said with a sparkle in his eyes. “Promise me you’ll buy it”.
And so I did. I read and diligently followed the weekly course laid out by Julia Cameron. I loved some of the suggestions and prompts and some felt “less me”, but I finally felt that what I’ve been doing for years and years as a “diary girl”, writing my thoughts, feelings and downloading intuitive narratives was normal. It was not just me, it’s a real method, proven one. For 20 year old me, it was a revelation that changed and inspired me to go through the path that led me here, to Write.Your.
But first, Write.
One of the first steps I made with “The Artist’s way” was establishing my morning pages routine.
As Julia says, one should wake up and before brushing your teeth, making coffee or any other action you do in the morning, start writing. Be in that place where you’re half asleep half awake and let everything on your mind download onto the page, without judgment, for at least 20 minutes or 3 pages from both sides.
As I mentioned I journal from a very young age but this was a step forward. Writing was there as a friend only when I felt like writing. Now it has become a wellness habit. As I woke up with all my mental bonanza, my recollection of things that happened yesterday, my blocks and tasks and worries and other issues, I opened my notebook and it all came out there blasting onto the page. I could feel the ease that came with this. I downloaded everything through my writing and suddenly felt calm, had a clarity that wasn’t there and my natural fears and worries were somewhat smaller.
Intuitive writing, which is the base for morning pages, is now researched as a wellness tool. Its benefits for our body, mind and soul are well-known not just in the personal development, coaching and creative communities but in the academic world as well.
Morning Pages Benefits
Mental Clarity: Writing morning pages helps clear the mind of clutter, allowing for greater mental clarity. By putting thoughts, worries, and emotions on paper, you can create space for more focused thinking and creativity throughout the day.
Emotional Release: This practice serves as a therapeutic tool, helping to process and release pent-up emotions. Writing intuitively allows individuals to confront their feelings, gain insights, and let go of negative emotions or thoughts that may be holding them back.
Enhanced Creativity: Morning pages stimulate creativity by allowing a free flow of ideas without judgment or censorship. The act of writing anything that comes to mind opens the door to new thoughts, solutions, and innovative ideas that might not surface otherwise.
Self-Discovery and Awareness: Regularly writing morning pages can lead to a deeper understanding of oneself. It uncovers subconscious thoughts and patterns, providing insights into personal desires, fears, and motivations. Over time, this practice can lead to greater self-awareness and personal growth.
Reduced Anxiety and Stress: Intuitive writing can be a powerful stress management tool. By externalizing worries, fears, and anxieties onto paper, individuals often feel a sense of relief and reduced mental burden. It can serve as a daily mental “declutter” to help manage stress more effectively.
Improved Focus and Productivity: Morning pages can help set a positive tone for the day by organizing thoughts and prioritizing tasks. The practice can enhance concentration and productivity by mentally preparing individuals for the challenges ahead.
Encouragement of Unfiltered Expression: This practice allows for complete honesty and vulnerability without fear of judgment. It encourages expressing oneself fully, which can be liberating and foster a sense of authenticity in one’s life.
Supports Problem-Solving: When engaging in intuitive writing, individuals often uncover hidden insights or patterns that can help solve problems or overcome obstacles. The practice can lead to new perspectives on issues that seemed unsolvable.
Cultivates Gratitude and Positive Thinking: Morning pages can be a space to practice gratitude and reflect on positive aspects of life. Regular reflection can lead to a more optimistic mindset and appreciation for everyday experiences.
Fosters Mindfulness: Intuitive writing is a mindful practice that focuses on the present moment. It helps to develop a greater awareness of thoughts and emotions as they occur, promoting a more conscious and intentional way of living.
Promotes Healing: Writing about personal experiences, especially challenging or traumatic ones, can have therapeutic effects. It helps process and make sense of difficult emotions, fostering emotional healing and resilience over time.
Find your personal “morning Pages” Routine
Julia Cameron suggests very clear rules for writing morning pages. Preferably on blank pages, as early in the morning as possible, 20 minutes continuously or three blank pages. After that, the pages are discarded as an act of throwing away all the “blah blah” from our lives.
For me, as well as for the woman I coach as a creativity coach and a writing coach, I try to establish rules and routines that are suited for our personal life. I believe every woman can adopt this writing habit, but it’s worth being flexible between the lines.
As a mother of two school kids, I need to wake up early so I can get my peace and quiet time before the rush-hour of the morning in our house. I wake up and I do need my coffee. I make it fast and take my notebook and cup of coffee to my apartment’s balcony. I write for 20 minutes before my girls wake up.
For one of my clients, morning pages happen while she walks along the beach next to her house, at sunrise. She brings her notebook with her.
Explore your writing routine with these prompts
- What will help me start this routine tomorrow, and keep it?
- How can I do it without it becoming a chose or another task I procrastinate?
- Are there any other wellness habits (such as walking on the beach, making a healthy smoothie) that I can pair up with my morning writing routine?
Help yourself with some clear and open-minded prompts
For Julia, there’s no need for instructions. “Just write,” she writes and says. This is her philosophy, on which her entire teaching is based. All the “props,” tools, and exercises do not exist when we meet ourselves in the morning, in the daily habit. With determination, she recommends just writing, everything that comes to mind, everything felt in the body, every little detail.
For some of the women I’ve coached over the years, I found a difficulty in doing so, at least in the first few weeks. There is something about the encounter with a blank and empty page that evokes different feelings – overwhelming for some, paralyzing for others. It’s different for each one. Here, I believe it’s worth using various aids.
Exercises, opening sentences, questions and other prompts can help to make our date with the blank page, while trying to establish this habit, more soft and with more ease. Slowly, you’ll find that you don’t need the prompts anymore, and work intuitively.
No need for a multi-step writing exercise or pre-written words. I believe that simplicity wins here, too. Simple instructions, almost self-evident, provide a starting point.
Simple writing prompts that can help you start
Use these prompts daily to get to the page and start writing without feeling lost or just weird:
- This morning, I feel
- I feel now that I
- The thing that is mostly on my mind right now is
- I’m thinking about
- I’m feeling that
- My thoughts take me to
Morning pages are a wonderful tool to create clarity every day. They allow us to dedicate time to a unique, delicate encounter with what is really happening inside us, with all the range of emotions that make us up. They allow us to clean the space and make room for creating something new.
I am so happy to have this tool be a part of my life for so many years, thanks to one encounter in my backpacking adventure in London. Thanks to my uncle John (and to Julia).
