I’ve mentioned this technique many times here on my website and on Instagram: “morning pages”, aka intuitive writing. Those who’ve read The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, will already be familiar with this technique. But for everybody else I’m going to share with you today what morning pages are and how you can benefit from them.
What are morning pages?
This technique was first mentioned by Julia Cameron; as one of her main tools to awaken the inner artist. It is a practice in which you write out 3 full pages, first thing every morning. It’s important that you write these by hand, preferably in cursive and using a fountain pen. Though a ballpoint pen or pencil will also do. Writing in cursive will allow you to write down your thoughts faster and it’s easier to let your handwriting become loose. This looseness is connected with a sense of flow, where nothing is prohibiting you from getting your thoughts onto paper. The more time you have to think about what you are writing, the harder it will actually be to write your moning pages.
Thoughts should be written down exactly as they are. Whether it’s incoherent sentences, abrupt thoughts that jump from one topic to another, grammatically incorrect or just one word that is repeated over and over again. There are no mistakes with this practice and it’s essential that you don’t let the perfectionist in you judge whatever it is you are writing down. It can be a monologue or a grocery list. You keep writing, whatever it is, until you’ve completed three pages.
What is the function of morning pages?
The general idea is that when you write down everything that is taking up space in your head/thoughts you will make room for clarity and creativity. Everything that is bothering you will be put on paper, making it easier for you to prioritize and actually do the things you want to do that day.
This can be beneficial for a creative or artist (hence it’s in Julia Cameron’s book) but maybe even more so when you have an office job and need to have a clear head to prioritize your to-do list. Or maybe you’re a stay at home mom and want headspace to structure your day without feeling lost in the proces.
That being said, there are people who like writing their morning pages in the evening, before they go to bed. As a way of reflecting on and letting go of the day – inviting in a good night’s rest. If you feel this might be more beneficial to you, it’s worth trying this time of day instead.
Using it to talk to your Higher Self
However, one of the aspects that I’ve always found incredibly interesting and helpful is by using this technique to talk to your Higher Self. Once you’ve integrated the habit of writing your daily morning pages, you can kick start a conversation with your Higher Self by writing “What message do you have for me?” at the top of a blank page. Start writing and let the message(s) come to you intuitively. This might be difficult at first, because your head is most likely thinking “What am I writing? Am I making this stuff up?”, which makes it hard to let the message flow through onto the page. I would therefore recommend starting a regular morning pages practice first. It also helps to do a bit of meditating beforehand, centering yourself and establishing the connection to your Higher Self.
But if you are indeed able to intuitively write down messages from your Higher Self, you’ll be able to connect and get valuable spiritual insights. You’ll find that you are able to trust your intuition, your gut, instead of using your head to try to make sense of it all. I know this is easier said than done, I too at times struggle a lot with my inner perfectionist/critic.
Other questions you can ask your Higher Self:
- What should be my next step?
- What do I need to focus on right now?
- What do I need to let go of?
You can talk to anyone!
Once you’ve had some time to connect with your Higher Self through intuitive writing, you can expand your session even further. What about having a talk with your inner child (or yourself at a young age), to find out what it needs? Your perfectionist, your inner critic? Your guides or loved ones that have passed?
When you look at it, morning pages or intuitive writing is just a form of communication. A way to make connections and channel information and messages. Nothing to be scared of and a wonderful tool to get to know yourself better.
