Morning Pages Magic Stories
Stay on the page. Stay on the page and keep writing.
I’ve been journaling on and off since I was a kid, exploring various styles along the way.
In 2021, while living off-grid in the beautiful countryside of Margaret River, Western Australia, I committed to the morning pages practice from The Artist’s Way as a deliberate method to expand my creativity. I’ve been doing it ever since, continually deepening this daily practice.
Morning pages is a free-flow journaling method where anything that comes to mind goes onto the page unfiltered. Sometimes the words flow effortlessly; other times they don’t. All is accepted.
Today, I’m sharing four separate entries that capture the magic of the morning pages experience, with just a few slight edits for readability.
A more in-depth journaling guide is coming soon, so stay tuned for that!
Now, are you ready to dive in and explore?
Table of Experiences - Choose your adventure:
A Blank Page, A Pen, And Just Yourself
A New Day, A New Way, And A Blank Page
Show Up As You Are And Decompress
The Blank Page, Contemplation, And Letting The Pen Lead The Way
1. A Blank Page, A Pen, And Just yourself
I bring out my notebook and start writing.
It's a blank page, and I can write about absolutely anything.
In today's modern world, this may seem like insanity.
A blank page, a pen, and just yourself?
No structure, no prompt?
Actually, if you follow Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way and the morning pages setup, you write until you fill up 3 pages.
Yes, some boundaries and limitations are necessary; otherwise, we may float endlessly and directionless in eternity. And we don't want that, do we?
So there I am with the blank page in front of me.
It's morning, and I'm still waking up.
I didn't do my movement practice, barefoot walk, or cold plunge.
It takes longer to connect to myself, my body, and the page.
I feel unfocused, scattered, and a little numb.
I begin to write, but all I want to do is to close my notebook and do something more 'productive'.
Is this madness—to explore a blank page and yourself?
I keep writing.
I start asking questions on the page because I'm unsure what to write about.
Before I know it, words start appearing more effortlessly, and the writing flows with more ease.
I feel closer to myself, my inner landscape, and insights.
🌱 How would you like to connect and create before facing the busyness of the day?2. A New Day, A New Way, And A Blank Page
The Blank Page.
Each morning gifts me a fresh start on a blank page.
I embrace the freedom to create however I want.
The page is mine to express, explore, and experiment with.
Each morning grants me the choice of how and where I show up.
Today, my muse is a cosy café in Stockholm 🇸🇪.
🌱 Where will your journaling take you this morning?3. Show Up As You Are And Decompress
Dear Morning Pages,
So grateful for this place to show up as I am and decompress.
First thing or after my morning movement. My place to take a step back even further.
To create that distance from my thoughts, emotions and experiences.
To see things "as they really are" without the noise, distortion and judgement. Not always easy.
To catch yourself, allow whatever is there and not judge yourself.
But as I keep doing this for myself, no matter what is going on, there is an acceptance and calm that keeps growing. Sometimes we go sideways, backwards, stand still or even dance.
My ability to reflect, taking an even bigger step back to create that distance and space, I hope will be followed through and practiced daily. In one way or another.
Whether it’s journaling like this, moving and immersing myself in nature, or connecting with some incredible humans.
♥️🌱 Keep reflecting, keep moving.4. The Blank Page, Contemplation, And Letting The Pen Lead The Way
I had moved my body, and sat down to write my morning pages as I typically do.
I started journaling, paused, and breathed.
I continued writing, not knowing what would come next.
I continued to pause and breathe every now and again, wanting to slow things down intentionally.
Some days it may be about processing emotions or drawing. Some days it's about envisioning, evaluating or even concrete planning. I genuinely feel curious and excited as a child to explore the page most days.
This is nothing spectacular yet; the magic is in the simplicity of these morning pages—a form of free-flow expression.
The beauty I see in this is balancing the hyper mind-driven and structured ways in the modern world with exploring the unknown and what wants to emerge naturally.
There is so much beneath the surface that our minds can't possibly, or at least initially, comprehend. Remember that it's said that only up to 5% of our mind is conscious; the rest is subconscious!
It can be particularly helpful for transitional and uncertain times, when life calls for a softer and explorative approach.
So why not allow ourselves and our bodies the space to slow down and to be listened to, to allow that expression underneath to come through?
I'll leave you with Richard Rudd's words: "The more we slow down, the more life appears to expand."
🌱 In what ways do you explore the unknown and your creative energy?I have given you a taster here.
In the fast-paced modern world and the busyness of city life, it’s such a privilege to have these pockets of pause—moments for deeper listening, curious questioning, and the creation of new possibilities.
This is what the morning pages offer me—a sanctuary and a ritual that nurtures all of this and more.
🌱 Which morning page experience is speaking to you the most?