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

We become more bold—first on the page, next in our life. We learn to miniaturize our Censor, the negative voice that frightens and intimidates us, bullying us out of making art.

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

“I’ll just keep going” is a central lesson taught by Morning Pages. The pages may seem dull to you, even pointless, but they are not. Remember that they are not intended to be “art.” They pave the way for art.

Write three pages of absolutely anything. If you can’t think of what to write, write “I can’t think of what to write.” Keep writing until you have filled three pages. Three pages full of anything, anything at all.

Trust the prescription of three pages a day. The Artist’s Way has worked for nearly four million readers. Let it work for you just as it is designed.

“Julia, I think I must be doing the pages wrong. Mine are dull, petty, and repetitive—hardly inspirational.” There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages. Remember, they are not intended to be art. They might be what is called “brain drain”—the siphoning off of negativity is one of their main functions. “I forgot to call my sister back.” “The car has

We craft a handmade life. Morning Pages tell us our likes and dislikes. They are precise. The more specific you are in your Morning Pages, the better you are at contacting the Universe, asking for help. This source needs to know precisely where you are and how you are feeling. Write, “I am twenty pounds overweight and I haven’t written in fifteen y

“Enjoyment” may be the right word for the transformation that Morning Pages induce. No matter how dreary, sad, or angry we may be when we undertake pages, sooner or later we will realize that our pages contain many choice points. We see that we choose over and over how we will spend our day. Sooner or later, we will begin to make more satisfying ch