The Miracle of Morning Pages: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the Most Important Artist's Way Tool: A Special from Tarcher/Penguin

Well, I am here to remind you that you were both safe and sorry. No one undertakes the Morning Pages who is not hungry for change. “Safe and sorry” is the identity you are shedding. You are not who you were, but you are not yet who you are becoming. Picture yourself as a hatchling—awkward, but becoming free.

Meditation gives us knowledge of our Higher Power’s will for us and the power to carry it out. We meditate to discover our rightful place in the scheme of things. This inner power has the ability to transform our outer world.

Again, yes. Pages must be done longhand. The computer is fast—too fast for our purposes. Writing by computer gets you speed but not depth.

In other words, Morning Pages give us not only the light of insight, but also the power necessary to effect positive change. It’s very difficult to write negatively about something day after day without being moved to action.

“Julia, I’ve got a problem I don’t seem able to solve.” Take your problem to Morning Pages. Pose your problem and then listen for an answer. You will “hear” from a source of wisdom greater than your normal consciousness. I often pose four questions to myself and listen for the answers. You are listening for a higher and wiser self. I suggest posing

Many times, students come to me hoping to lose their fear. They believe “real artists” are fearless. Instead, I teach them to have their fears and act anyhow. “Real” artists are people who have learned to create despite their fears.

Morning Pages ask us to have courage. When we do, they give us positive reinforcement. On an “off” day, we can still tell ourselves, “At least I did my pages.” Most days, we can count some small forward motion. Pages lead us to large changes by very small steps.

You may wish to pose many questions in your Morning Pages. A favorite of mine is, “What should I do next?”

Remind yourself not to read your pages for the first eight weeks or so.