Morning Pages: A Simple Practice to Clear Your Mind and Make Room for Creativity

There is something about writing first thing in the morning that feels a little bit magical.

Before the day begins, before the emails and errands and responsibilities start asking for your attention, there is a small window of time when your mind is still your own.

For me, that is when I like to write my morning pages.

The practice of Morning Pages was made widely known by author Julia Cameron in her book The Artist's Way. The basic idea is wonderfully simple: sit down in the morning and write whatever is in your mind. No editing. No planning. No worrying about whether what you are writing is interesting, beautiful, or even particularly coherent.

You simply write.

And then you let the words go.

I have found this practice to be one of the simplest and most effective ways to get things out of my head, express what I am feeling, and create a little more room for creativity.

What Are Morning Pages?

Morning Pages are essentially stream-of-consciousness writing.

You sit down with paper and a pen and begin writing whatever comes to mind.

You might write:

I am tired this morning. I need to remember to call the dentist. Why did I say yes to that thing? I really want to finish that painting. The kitchen needs cleaning. I had such a strange dream last night. I wonder if I should...

And you keep going.

There is no particular subject.

There is no right way to do it.

You don't have to be a writer. You don't have to have something profound to say. In fact, the less you worry about saying something profound, the better.

Morning Pages are not meant to become beautiful journal entries. They are not meant to be shared with anyone. They are not even necessarily meant to be read again.

They are simply a place to put your thoughts.

And sometimes, that is exactly what we need.

Why I Love Morning Pages

I have always found that when I have too many thoughts swirling around in my head, it becomes difficult to hear the quieter, more creative thoughts underneath them.

There is the grocery list.

The thing I forgot to do yesterday.

Something one of the kids said.

An idea for a project.

A worry about something that may or may not ever happen.

A decision I need to make.

A conversation I keep replaying.

A dozen little things competing for attention.

Writing them down gives all of those thoughts somewhere to go.

Sometimes I write about something that is bothering me. Sometimes I complain. Sometimes I make lists. Sometimes I work through a decision. Sometimes I write about something I'm excited about.

And sometimes I write complete nonsense.

It doesn't matter.

The point isn't to create something.

The point is to clear something.

Once the thoughts are on the page, I often feel lighter. My mind feels quieter. And in that quiet, I notice that other things begin to surface—ideas, creative thoughts, solutions, inspiration.

It's almost as if clearing the mental clutter makes room for something new.

Morning Pages Aren't About Being Positive

I think this is one of the most important parts of the practice.

You don't have to make your morning pages positive.

You don't have to turn a bad mood into gratitude.

You don't have to find the lesson in everything.

You don't have to write about what you're thankful for.

If you're annoyed, write that you're annoyed.

If you're worried, write about the worry.

If you're bored, write about how bored you are.

If you're angry, let yourself be angry on the page.

The paper can hold it.

There is something very freeing about having a private place where you don't have to edit yourself.

You don't have to be the calm mother, the thoughtful partner, the productive person, the creative person, or the person who has everything figured out.

You can simply be yourself.

The Beautiful Connection Between Morning Pages and Creativity

As an artist, I especially love the relationship between this practice and creativity.

Creativity needs space.

But our minds are often incredibly crowded.

We wake up and immediately begin thinking about what needs to happen that day. We check our phones. We respond to messages. We start making decisions.

Before we've even had breakfast, we've already given our attention away.

Morning Pages offer the opposite experience.

For a few minutes, you are not consuming anything.

You are not scrolling.

You are not responding.

You are not trying to produce something for someone else.

You are simply listening to yourself.

And I find that this can be surprisingly nourishing for creativity.

Sometimes an idea for a painting will appear in my morning pages. Sometimes I will suddenly understand why I've been feeling stuck. Sometimes I'll discover that something I've been worrying about isn't actually as important as I thought it was.

And sometimes there is no revelation whatsoever.

That's okay, too.

The practice still creates space.

How to Start Your Own Morning Pages

The beauty of morning pages is that you don't need much.

All you need is:

• A notebook

• A pen you enjoy writing with

• A few quiet minutes

• A willingness to write without editing yourself

I recommend keeping your notebook somewhere easy to reach so that the practice becomes simple to begin.

1. Write Before the Day Gets Loud

Morning is ideal because your mind hasn't yet been filled with everyone else's thoughts and expectations.

You don't necessarily have to write the moment you wake up. Have your coffee, sit by a window, or find another little morning ritual that feels good to you.

The important thing is to create a little space before the day takes over.

2. Start With Whatever Is There

Don't wait for inspiration.

Just begin.

You can write:

"I don't know what to write this morning..."

And then keep going.

That first sentence is enough to get you started.

Your thoughts will usually follow.

3. Don't Edit

This is perhaps the most important rule.

Don't worry about spelling.

Don't worry about grammar.

Don't worry about whether you're repeating yourself.

Don't go back and cross things out.

Don't try to make your writing sound good.

Morning Pages are for your eyes only.

Let yourself write exactly what you think.

4. Don't Judge What Comes Out

You may be surprised by what appears on the page.

You might discover that you're angry about something you didn't realize was bothering you.

You might realize you really want to make a change.

You might write about something you've been avoiding.

Or you might spend an entire page complaining about the weather.

All of it is welcome.

There is no such thing as a "bad" Morning Page.

5. Keep Going When You Think You Have Nothing to Say

Sometimes the most interesting things appear after you've run out of the obvious things to say.

If you feel stuck, write about being stuck.

"I have absolutely nothing to say. I don't know why I'm doing this. I can't think of anything else..."

Keep your pen moving.

Eventually, something else may emerge.

And if it doesn't, that's okay.

You've still given your mind a place to empty itself.

What If You Don't Have Time in the Morning?

Start small.

You don't have to create an elaborate morning routine.

If you have ten minutes, use ten minutes.

If you have five minutes, use five.

You can even begin with a single page.

The goal isn't to create another item on your to-do list that you feel guilty about completing.

The practice is supposed to give something back to you.

If mornings are chaotic in your house, perhaps you can wake up fifteen minutes earlier, write while you drink your coffee, or find another quiet moment before the day begins.

And if you miss a day?

Simply begin again tomorrow.

There is nothing to catch up on.

You Can Do This With Coffee, Too

Although they're called Morning Pages, I don't think you need to have a particular kind of morning—or even a particular kind of drink—to make this practice meaningful.

For me, there is something lovely about pairing writing with a warm cup of coffee or tea.

The warmth of the cup.

The quiet.

The smell.

The first sip.

The pen moving across the paper.

All of these little sensory experiences can become part of a slower beginning to the day.

It becomes less about getting your journaling done and more about creating a small ritual of coming home to yourself.

A Few Prompts for When You're Really Stuck

Morning Pages are generally meant to be free-form, but if you're completely stuck, you can give yourself a gentle starting point.

Try:

Right now, I am feeling...

The thing taking up the most space in my mind is...

What I really want today is...

Something I've been avoiding is...

If I could give myself permission to do anything today, I would...

Something I'm looking forward to is...

My creative mind wants to...

And then let the writing take you wherever it wants to go.

The prompt is simply the doorway. You don't have to stay on the subject.

Think of It as Mental Housekeeping

One of the ways I think about Morning Pages is as a kind of mental housekeeping.

We clean our kitchens.

We organize our closets.

We clear off our desks.

But we don't always think about clearing out our minds.

Yet our minds collect things, too.

Thoughts.

Worries.

Ideas.

Lists.

Expectations.

Conversations.

Plans.

Distractions.

Writing gives us somewhere to put them.

And once they're on the page, we don't have to carry all of them around with us.

That, to me, is the real gift of Morning Pages.

They aren't about becoming a better writer.

They aren't about producing something beautiful.

They aren't even necessarily about figuring yourself out.

They are about giving yourself a few quiet minutes to listen to what is already inside you.

And sometimes, when the noise gets a little quieter, you discover something wonderful underneath it:

space.

Space to think.

Space to breathe.

Space to feel.

And, perhaps most importantly, space to create.