THE PAGES THAT’LL GET YOU GOING

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Morning (or Bedtime) Pages

As you know, I like to share info about tools that I have tried, tested and found extremely helpful. One such tool is the morning pages journaling technique (also known as brain drain or mind dump), popularized by Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way.

Basically, the idea is to fill three standard-size notebook pages (in your handwriting) with whatever comes to mind when you first get up in the morning, before doing anything else. Just let it flow, without any censorship or concerns with form, grammar, punctuation, etc. Keep in mind that whatever you write is for your eyes only; so give yourself the safe space to get whiny, vent anger, blame everyone and everything else for your woes, etc. If you can’t think of enough stuff to take up three pages, just keep writing something like “I can’t think of anything to write” on the page, until something pops up (and it will).

This simple exercise helps unclutter the mind, freeing it up for more meaningful pursuits; it sparks creativity and makes it easier to find positive solutions for concerns and issues, among other benefits. Whenever I feel stuck, I only have to practice this exercise for a few days in a row to start noticing improvement on my focus, mood, energy, etc.

On a side note: For me, this exercise works better at bedtime; it allows me to let go of the stresses of the day, process challenges and find creative solutions in my sleep state, and often helps me wake up feeling energized and ready to go!

Hope you enjoy this practice :) Let me know how it works for you!

Gisele Marasca-Vargas; 04/26/25

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