Morning Pages: A Simple Habit That Can Support Your Creative Life

The practice of Morning Pages from the classic bestselling book on creativity, “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron is simple: three full pages of longhand, stream-of-consciousness writing (without stopping) in an 8.5” x 11” notebook, done as soon as you wake up. Get whatever is at the forefront of your mind OUT and ONTO the page. Do not hold back or judge what you write. Forget grammar, and just write.

Morning Pages can be beneficial to everyone who does this practice. For creative types in particular (such as: singers, instrumentalists, and songwriters), Morning Pages can have a positive impact on our artistic endeavors. One of my clients shared how Morning Pages opened the floodgates of inspiration and helped her to start writing songs again. I’ve been doing morning pages consistently for the past 8 years. In fact, some of my best creative ideas actually come through my Morning Pages!

The practice of Morning Pages serves as:

• A ‘brain dump’ of our thoughts and feelings
• A space to ask your inner wisdom deep open-ended questions
• A receptacle of inspiration and ideas for creative projects (and life in general)
• A way to set intentions and get organized for the day

To quote Julia Cameron: “Once we get those muddy, maddening, confusing thoughts (nebulous worries, jitters, and preoccupations) on the page, we face our day with clearer eyes.” While there is no wrong way to do Morning Pages, here are a couple helpful tips I encourage:

• Keep your Morning Pages notebook and a pen near your bed and start right away each morning.  
• Before you start, select an open-ended question to ask during morning pages after you “clear the slate” by getting out your thoughts and feelings first. Example questions:
  • What wants to be released now? 
  • What wants to be received now?
  • What wants to be known now?  
  • What wants to be done now?  

(For more tips on how to write morning pages, you can also watch this 2 ½ minute video about Morning Pages by Julia Cameron http://juliacameronlive.com/basic-tools/morning-pages/ )

As singers and creative individuals, we can’t really separate our art from the rest of our lives. It’s all connected. Whether you’re new to morning pages or not, I encourage you to do them daily. Experience first hand how they can help you. With that in mind, happy writing and singing!

AUTHOR: ANITA HOUSER