Morning Pages
Happy National Notebook Day, y’all!
I have been journaling ever since I could write, but my approach to journaling changed when I discovered The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron along with the Morning Pages.
I don’t remember where I first heard about Morning Pages, but I remember that I was intrigued by the idea of stream-of-consciousness writing as a creative practice that clears the mind and opens the door to a world of new ideas.
Morning Pages aren’t about “writing well” or even “writing something meaningful.” They’re about showing up first thing in the morning - hence Morning Pages - and dumping all your negative thoughts and feelings onto the page.
Every morning, before you do anything else—before the coffee, before Instagram, before checking emails or packing lunches—you write three pages. Longhand. Stream of consciousness. No editing. No overthinking. Just you and the page.
It’s not always pretty. Sometimes it’s boring. Sometimes it’s surprisingly profound. But always—always—it’s authentic.
Julia Cameron calls Morning Pages a spiritual practice. Not in a preachy way, but in the sense that they reconnect you with your truest voice. That whisper beneath the noise. They teach you to listen—not just to what you think, but how you feel. They teach you to trust that voice again.
Here’s what I’ve learned since starting Morning Pages at least a decade ago:
I don’t always know what I think until I write it down.
My inner critic is loudest in the morning—but she quiets down if I let her speak without judgment.
I have more clarity and peace on the days I write.
The pages are never wasted, even when they’re full of complaints, jealousy or pettiness.
If you’re curious, I challenge you to try it for a week. Just seven mornings. Set your alarm fifteen minutes earlier. Grab a pen and notebook you actually like. And write three pages. Don’t read them back. Don’t try to make them pretty. Just show up.
You might be surprised at what you hear.
And maybe—just maybe—you’ll meet yourself there.
-Nicole
365 Thank Yous
I’ve kept several journals throughout my life, most only a quarter to half filled. But I still love a fresh, new journal. My most successfully completed journal was a workout one - go figure! Writing about my day to day challenges and progress in the gym helped me develop the discipline of not only exercise, but tracking data, setting goals and checking in with myself. It taught me to find gratitude in the most minute sliver of progress - in the early days, that often meant just showing up.
One of my earliest forms of journaling truly started with writing notes. Now living in the age of the smartphone, it seems like a lost art. My husband and I traded many, many notes back in high school when we first dated - several of which I kept not knowing that one day in the distant future, we’d marry. They’ll forever be sweet mementos of the beginning of our story.
Writing notes and letters always felt like journaling with the added bonus that you usually get a letter or note in return. As a kid, my letters to pen pals and friends were often streams of consciousness - updates on the latest drama, secret crushes, and whatever was happening or not happening during my summers. My friend, Natalie, would write me the longest letters - trying to hit a page goal and test out her newest wild handwriting technique - she still has the best and coolest handwriting of anyone I know, to date. It was always exciting to open the mailbox and find a letter from her with details of her Tennessee friends, her latest thrift store finds, and who would be playing at the next concert or music fest she attended. Now our updates are exchanged in long, sprawling texts, videos and pictures of our kids - and the response time is much quicker!
As I’ve gotten older and technology has taken over, my handwritten notes and letters has drastically reduced to thank you notes sent after major life events - a wedding, baby showers, a death in the family - and the words I write in birthday, anniversary, congratulatory, and sympathy cards. And sometimes that even feels like a fading tradition.
I recently listened to 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life by John Kralik and because of it, I’ve considered adopting this practice - not to necessarily change my life, but to show and share my gratitude with the people who impact my life. Kralik mentions sending a thank you note to his local barista. Of course, I say “thank you” every day, all the time, for things I’m grateful for - but isn’t it something a bit more to really get specific about it?
I’m not sure about your barista, but mine knows my name (and I know his). He knows I like a medium cafe au lait (from this particular cafe). He always confirms whether or not I want whole or nonfat milk because I often change it up on him - and he asks if I’d like one for my husband too. He usually finds a small way to compliment me (like noticing a haircut), ask me about business, or simply tells me to enjoy my day. Even when he’s super busy, he’s making sure everyone feels seen. That’s a rare gift - one I’m grateful for. One worth writing about.
xo, Abrie
Do you or did you journal, write letters or notes? We challenge you to think of someone or something you’re grateful for and write a few sentences about it or them today.