Finding value in the simplicity of pen and paper
“I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.” Anne Frank
Not many of us are writers by profession, but we all write. Texts, emails and social media posts are all written forms of communication.
While I value the efficiency of digital communication I still prefer to use a paper diary. I look forward to choosing a new one every year and I love being able to flick back and forward to see what’s coming up.
What was the last thing you wrote using pen and paper? Perhaps it was a shopping list, a birthday card, or an entry in your journal. For me it was my ‘morning pages’.
Starting a writing practice
Writing morning pages is a practice I learned about from reading The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. It’s something I started doing over 4 years ago and it’s changed my life in unexpected ways.
It’s well known that journalling is good for our mental health. It can help reduce stress and anxiety and boost our mood.
Before I got going with it I always found the idea of journalling a bit daunting though. How do I put into words how my day was or what I’m feeling? How do I make it sound coherent?
After reading The Artist’s Way, writing became a lot more accessible to me. The practice of writing morning pages simply involves emptying your thoughts onto paper.
It’s not about writing anything creative - although it can be - and you don’t have to make sense of what you write. It’s really about having a conversation with yourself and clearing your mind.
As soon as you can after you get up in the morning, open a notebook, write the date at the top and start writing until you’ve filled 3 pages. It’s as simple as that. It usually takes me about thirty minutes.
Writing by hand might sound like an inconvenience compared to typing. Putting pen to paper takes more time, but it’s the slowness that helps us connect to our emotions.
There isn’t a right or wrong way of doing morning pages and it doesn’t matter about spelling or grammar. When I find it hard to get started, I use these prompts:
Today I feel…
I’m worried about…
I’m looking forward to…
What’s bothering me most at the moment…
I’m happy about…
I’m grateful for…
Today I need / want…
The benefits of writing
I get up earlier every day to fit in writing, and whatever happens in my day it feels good to have made that time for myself.
If I have a difficult day, I know I have somewhere I can ‘offload’ my feelings the next morning.
Here are 10 ways writing morning pages has changed my life:
It improves my mood
I feel more in control of my day
I find it easier to get perspective on problems
It helps me acknowledge and celebrate what’s going well
I can work out more quickly what exactly is bothering me
I can express uncomfortable things I would otherwise suppress
I’m getting to know myself better
I have more ideas and feel more creative
It reminds me I can change how I react to things
I feel I’m investing in myself every day
Since starting morning pages I’ve filled numerous journals. Another thing I love about the practice is there’s no expectation you’ll ever read what you’ve written or do anything with it.
The value is simply in the process of putting pen to paper.
When I do re-read my morning pages as part of my end of month reflection, I’m often surprised by my thoughts on various things and what I learned over the month. Sometimes I’m also reminded of positive and happy things I’d forgotten about!
The practice of morning pages is an important part of my morning routine. I guess you could describe it as a kind of therapy.
There’s no judgement and as it’s for your eyes only, anything goes.
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