Why I Write Morning Pages Every Day

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One of the questions I get asked most frequently is whether or not I journal. And if you would have asked me a couple of years ago, the answer would have been no! I mean, maybe occasionally, but not as a regular habit. 

These days, I’m an avid journaler. I’m hooked. 

Only I don’t call it “daily journaling,” I call it “Morning Pages.”

What are Morning Pages? 

The term morning pages comes from Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. It’s an 8 week creativity course that has a book and workbook you read and complete. I have yet to complete it, because at the time when I bought it, I was in a self-help CRAZE. 

If you’ve been around for a little while, you might have seen my end of year reflection blog for 2020, in which I listed the insane number of courses I purchased last year when I was furloughed and later laid off from my job due to the pandemic. It was also during this time that I officially registered my business and began to be fully self-employed for the first time. 

During this hectic time, I did begin The Artist’s Way, and what struck me the most was this idea of writing every morning about whatever you feel like. Whatever you’re thinking and feeling and wanting and hating. Anything and everything that comes to mind. It’s essentially another term, and in my opinion a better word, for free writing. 

So when I say I’m going to do my Morning Pages, I go into my office (or somewhere that has a table surface) and write my 3 pages for the day of whatever I think of.

The catch? I don’t stop writing. I don’t “collect” my thoughts, and I don’t stop to organize them either - they just get onto the page in whatever order they get from my brain to my hand. 

You might also be thinking that 3 pages is a lot. And, for some people it might be! I tried the recommended amount when I first started because I knew it would stretch me, although if you’ve met me you probably know that I have about that many thoughts going at any one time, so it’s really just writing them all down on a daily basis that’s the challenge. 

I’ll also point out that my 3 pages are not standard paper size 8.5 x 11”. I write them in a journal that’s about 6” x 8” give or take a quarter inch. My favorite brand is Peter Pauper journals, and I fill one up about every 6 weeks. It’s a nice incentive to keep writing when I know I get to pick a pretty new journal.

So that’s it! Those are Morning Pages.

Why I Write Morning Pages Every Day

I write Morning Pages every day because I like it. Well, that and it’s had some amazing benefits that I just can’t get enough of. 

It used to be hard for me to commit to writing every day, even as a writer - ironic, right? These days, I find that I actually can tell a difference in the entire day when I accidentally skip Morning Pages or do them later in the day. 

First and foremost, Morning Pages get me writing. It might not be a section of my novel, or a paid client article, or a blog. But they’re my words on the page! And it’s glorious when you can flip through them and see all the words you had in your head living neatly on the page in brightly colored ink. 

They also get me thinking. I don’t know if you have this trouble, but sometimes I get so far into my own head that it’s hard to think clearly about anything, let alone something that’s supposed to be “good.”

Having time to just write freely in the morning allows me space to think about whatever I want, but also gives me space to think about things I can’t get away from. 

It’s a great space for problem-solving! Just the other day I made this great discovery about my business and I was SUPER pumped about it...until I realized that it was so different from what I’ve been working on that I kind of went into panic mode. Like…a business identity crisis. 

Thankfully, when I did Morning Pages that day, I was able to take time to think through those troubling thoughts (that actually weren’t that different from what I’m doing, they just felt like it at the time). Then, because I was able to clarify my fears, I could express them to someone else who kindly talked through it with me. Problem solved! 

Clearly, doing Morning Pages offers me an unprecedented opportunity to dump all of my unwieldy emotions onto the page before they begin to affect others around me...well, usually at least. If I’m angry, it’s a safe place to rant. If I’m sad or anxious, I’m free to wallow for a little while and figure it out before I get assistance or move on with the day.

When I began doing my Pages every day last April, we were firmly ensconced in pandemic lockdown. As in, we could barely even go to the grocery store. So, finding alone time was a valuable asset to me in a small house with my husband and dog when we were together 24/7. I treasure time alone with my thoughts, and although I love my husband and my boys, there are just some things you don’t say to other people! 

Looking back now, I’m also glad to have a record of the whole year - or, most of it at least. It’s really amazing to me the changes I’ve seen and, quite honestly, the sh*t we went through. I mean, everyone’s got their stuff, right? But seeing in on the page really does give a different perspective. In my writing and business, I’ve also been able to identify key moments, almost down to the day, where huge mindset shifts happened, which is pretty neat. 

Journaling really offers the unique chance to record the “right now” in a way that most other forms of expression don’t quite match up to.

Plus, it’s a pretty sweet perk that I get to regularly pick out a pretty new journal to write in.

 I’m not sure what I’ll do when I run out of designs with my favorite journal company (which, by the way, is actually pretty affordable!), but until then, I enjoy my trips to Barnes & Noble, or a good look around Amazon. 

I’m sure the list of Morning Pages benefits could be longer, after all, I’m a lifelong devotee now, but those are my favorites.

Space to think on paper is invaluable to writers, and I highly recommend it, even if you don’t want to do 3 pages worth! 

My challenge to you is to do Morning Pages for a week (including the weekend) and see how you feel afterward. 

Have you tried Morning Pages? How did it go? Do you do another form of daily journaling that helps you as much as Morning Pages helps me? I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations! Find me on social media or drop a comment below.