Morning Pages

UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2025

One of the questions people as me most as a writer is whether or not I journal. For many years, I’ve been an avid journaler.

I’m hooked. 

Only I didn’t call it “daily journaling,” when I started. I called 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.  During that time in 2021, I was laid off my day job and began to be fully self-employed for the first time. It was chaotic.

When I started reading The Artist’s Way, what struck me the most was the 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 said “I’m going to do Morning Pages”, I went into my office (or somewhere that has a table surface) and wrote my 3 pages for the day of whatever I think of.

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

You might 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 weren’t standard paper size 8.5 x 11”. I wrote them mostly in journals that are about 6” x 8” give or take a quarter inch. My favorite brand is Peter Pauper journals because they’re pretty but also affordable since I tend to go through them. It’s a nice incentive to keep writing when I know I get to pick a pretty new journal.

Why I Write Morning Pages Every Day

I wrote Morning Pages every day because I liked 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 can actually tell a difference in the entire day when I skip Morning Pages or do them later in the day. 

First and foremost, Morning Pages got 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 got me thinking. 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 allowed me space to think about whatever I wanted, but also gave me space to think about things I couldn’t get away from. 

It’s a great space for problem-solving! I’ve made great discoveries about my business, mental health, emotions, relationships - basically all aspects of my life.

Morning Pages offered me an unprecedented opportunity to dump all of my unwieldy emotions onto the page before they began to affect others around me...well, usually at least. If I was angry, it was a safe place to rant. If I was sad or anxious, I was free to wallow for a little while without judgement.

When I began doing my Pages every day in April 2020, 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. I treasure time alone with my thoughts - 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 shit 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.

I’m sure the list of Morning Pages benefits could be longer, but those are my favorites. Space to think on paper is invaluable. I highly recommend it when possible! 

How I’ve Adapted My Morning Pages Practice

You might have noticed that I’ve been using past tense. That’s because I don’t do them anymore, at least not the same way.

In the fall of 2022, I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), which impacts my joints. Even though it’s pretty well managed, I still have stiffness in my hands and wrists that make it pretty difficult to write 3 pages at one time with a pen and paper. When I realized I couldn’t do it anymore, I gave up for a little while because I’ve always loved that feel of a pen gliding across paper. It was devastating.

But like everything else in my life at that time, I realized I could adapt it to something I could do. I had to adapt if I wanted to keep writing regularly, which was definitely important to me. So I tried several variations, lengths, times, and even typing a few times (which was not the same at all).

What I landed on, and what I do now, in fall 2025, is micro-journaling.

I write less than a page, but because of how short the writing itself is, the important or major things I want to think about come to the front right and get on the page right away. And I can write it with a pen in my pretty journals just like I did when I could do 3 pages. You can do micro-journaling with prompts, which is great if you want a little direction or your brain is busy (I totally get that!), but I like to do it freestyle because I’ve always loved the brain dump aspect. I’m often surprised by what comes up. It’s definitely not always what I was expecting.

I also write at night before I go to bed as a way to process the day.

I love the concept of Morning Pages and had I not been doing them for so long before I couldn’t, I may not have been so driven to find a journaling practice that works for me. I would encourage you to try it and see what you think! You could start with Morning Pages, or micro-journaling, or something in between.

The goal is simply to release the thoughts, energy, worries, joys, and whatever else might be living in your body and might that day. Even if you don’t like it, it never hurts to try.

Curious about micro-journaling and want prompts to try it? Sign up for my weekly newsletter Where Gentle Grows. I send a new prompt, along with new content and energy-friendly tools every week.