We’re on to Week 4 of The Artist’s Way and this week we will focus on recovering a sense of integrity. Nothing helps better with this than our Morning Pages. Read on to find out why.
Recovering A Sense Of Integrity
Morning Pages Helps Us Make Honest Changes
Writing Morning Pages helps us see the difference between our private and public feelings. In public, you’ll often hear “I’m okay with that” before someone admits to something tough, whether it’s a job loss, a friend disappearing, or someone moving on. But what does “I feel okay” really mean? Is it resignation? Numbness? A suppressed emotion that we haven’t allowed ourselves to acknowledge? Okay is a vague, slippery word that often masks a sense of loss or avoidance.
Morning Pages provide us with a private, unfiltered space to express what we truly feel. They help us move out of denial, which is often the first step toward healing. We skip Morning Pages when we’re avoiding something we don’t want to deal with. When we sense something’s hidden, writing gets pushed aside. Morning Pages help us reflect on our feelings, even the tough ones like anger or the fear that joy won’t last. They help us reconnect with ourselves. They help keep us connected to our own truths.
Chekhov was right: better life, better art. Self-discovery is all about setting boundaries, clarifying your values, and clearing up any ambiguity. Clarity leads to transformation.
For instance, your morning pages might reveal: “This job no longer suits me.” The idea is initially disconcerting; however, subsequent encounters morph it into a call to action and ultimately, a practical plan.
At first, we may resist these realizations, preferring the comfort of old illusions. Change is inherently unsettling. We might even want to reduce our awareness to remain in our comfort zone. Through morning pages, we find our wants and remember we have an ally in ourselves. Doesn’t that feel empowering?
The Kriya: A Spiritual Sneezing Fit
Change rarely happens without resistance. Julia Cameron refers to this as a kriya, a Sanskrit term for spiritual emergency or surrender. This is the cold you get from pushing yourself too hard. Confronting hard truths with loved ones can trigger an asthma attack. Kriyas are how the psyche demands to be noticed. ‘Are you paying attention?’, they ask? It’s not possible to work 80 hours a week. You are powerless to stop your friend from self-destructing. You can’t keep neglecting your own well-being.
Morning Pages help us listen. They guide us toward the actions we need to take to heal, to reclaim our time and energy, and to build the life we truly want. They reconnect us with our inner compass, making us more aligned with our truth.
Truth Over Fantasy
Many see the artist’s life as a fantasy, yet it’s actually rooted in truth. The less vague we are about ourselves, the more authentic we become. Creativity flourishes when we are specific, when we embrace our true selves rather than clinging to a false identity.
This transition can feel unsettling. As we shed old selves, we may feel raw and uncertain. External manifestations of altered perceptions are frequent—we purge possessions, renovate spaces, and restructure schedules to align with a new trajectory. Expect emotional ups and downs as we process long-suppressed feelings. We’re walking away from a demolished past, leaving our old life in ruins, the new one still a construction. But trust the process—just keep moving forward.
Some may claim, “Nothing is happening to me. I’m not changing.” But they are. Writing morning pages is like cleaning a mirror; you start to see yourself more clearly. We frequently lose ourselves in distractions—junk food, alcohol, work overload, toxic people, and endless screen time. Writing morning pages helps us get rid of mental clutter, so our true selves can come out.
They both speed up the recovery process and provide a refuge from it. They are like a boat—carrying us forward while also giving us a place to rest.
Use Morning Pages to Affirm Your Right to Change
This week, affirm your growth. Write for yourself:
“A stronger, clearer, and healthier me is emerging.”
“I am recovering and embracing my real identity.”
Or craft an affirmation that resonates with you.
Excavating Buried Dreams: An Exercise
As recovering creatives, we must unearth past dreams and delights. Write quickly—speed silences the inner critic. List:
- Five hobbies that sound fun
- Five classes that sound fun
- Five things you would never do but secretly find intriguing
- Five skills you wish you had
- Five things you used to enjoy
- Five silly things you’d like to try once
Reading Deprivation: A Creative Detox
Words can be like a tranquilizer; they can numb you. Too much media makes us feel overwhelmed, fuzzy-headed, and uncreative. Without constant input—no novels, social media, news, or television—our minds become open space. When things quiet down, we can hear ourselves think. It can be a bit awkward at first.
This week, reduce external noise to a minimum. Resist the urge to fill silence with mindless scrolling or chatter. Ironically, those who resist it most see the biggest gains.
Things to Do Instead of Reading:
- Write
- Clean your space
- Paint (your walls, your clothes, your face!)
- Meditate
- Dance
- Exercise
- Have real conversations
- Go for long walks
- Try a new hobby
- Play with animals
- Sit in silence and see what thoughts arise
At first, you may experience withdrawal. You could be feeling restless and irritable. Your creative thoughts and inspirations will soon break through the barriers that have been holding you back.
Trust that clarity is coming. Honor the silence. Your creativity is waiting.
♥
Corinne
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