~Journaling in April/May~ - Page 3

[aweynsayl]

yay! welcome, momma.

do try clustering... i just did it again... i did two clusters, and that led to writing something....

if you're Totally New To It... you might try the morning pages concept... that might help you find your "voice"...

for a while i did something called "morning pages" (from that work book... oh, gosh, what's it called? something about creating your artist... one of those women-y self-work book things.... was really popular like 10 years ago...?) i actually miss this the most. the idea is you write three pages FIRST thing when you wake up (of course, all the women i know who did it totally cheated, because they all did them at the coffee shop... and i'm fairly sure they all showered first. ). you dont censor yourself, you do it free-flowing. (actually, this might help you on being more intimate/creative!) i really miss that-- it sets the tone for the whole day!

[CariOfOz]

Originally Posted by aweynsayl

yay! welcome, momma.

do try clustering... i just did it again... i did two clusters, and that led to writing something....

if you're Totally New To It... you might try the morning pages concept... that might help you find your "voice"...

Wow.. three whole pages? before coffee?? *not to self, find journey with small pages*

This thread is perfectly timed, I think I shall as dh for a gift cert to borders or something so I can go find the perfect journal.

[BurtsGirl]

YEAH Cari so glad you could join us. You most certainly can just pick up a pen and start writing. It's amazing what wants or NEEDS to come out and writing it down is a good way to get clarity. I'll add prompts and techniques to this thread as we go along. I would also recommend two books if you like to read.

Journaling to the Self: Twenty-Two Paths to Personal Growth - Open the Door to Self-Understanding by Reading, Writing, and Creating a Journal of Your Life

Journalution: Journaling to Awaken Your Inner Voice, Heal Your Life and Manifest Your Dreams

Both EXCELLENT journaling books and they are good about getting started, where to start, and so forth.

[J's Mama]

Hope I can maybe jump in too! I've been trying to get back into journaling lately too and have always journaled in actual books but recently did a few entries on my computer and enjoyed it alot. Theoreticaly, I prefer an actual book and a pen but I was able to get out so much more when I typed and I've got alot going on up there right now so that helped. I jotted down a few ideas that I liked from a journaling website (I think it's the woman who wrote Journalation). The ones that cought my attention:
-Journal a Vision: create a vision for one area of your life (career, relationship, financial, family, spiritual, etc)
-Journal Joy: what types of things have brought you joy in your life? Can you distill these moments down to one statement that sums up the theme of your joy?
-Journal Gratitude: 5 things you're grateful for.

Now, I just need to do one of these MYSELF!!!

[BelovedK]

Originally Posted by BurtsGirl

NPR was interviewing Barbara Walters this morning and even though I was half asleep I managed to hear that one of her most asked questions in her interviews was:

"What is the biggest misconception people have about you?"

I thought this was an excellent journaling prompt. What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about you? Or what misconception do you have about yourself. I came into work and wrote for 10 minutes on this question. Just thought I'd share if anyone is interested.

Burt'sgirl, I want to steal this prompt for the Mother's writing group....Is that okay?? I will give you credit

[BelovedK]

Originally Posted by BurtsGirl

YEAH Cari so glad you could join us. You most certainly can just pick up a pen and start writing. It's amazing what wants or NEEDS to come out and writing it down is a good way to get clarity. I'll add prompts and techniques to this thread as we go along. I would also recommend two books if you like to read.

Journaling to the Self: Twenty-Two Paths to Personal Growth - Open the Door to Self-Understanding by Reading, Writing, and Creating a Journal of Your Life

Journalution: Journaling to Awaken Your Inner Voice, Heal Your Life and Manifest Your Dreams

Both EXCELLENT journaling books and they are good about getting started, where to start, and so forth.

Thank you for these recommendations. I plan to look for them today (I don't want to wait for shipping)

[BurtsGirl]

Js mama, welcome aboard. I also love to "blog" online because I type faster than I write and I thought it would allow me to get stuff out faster. What I've actually found with writing on paper with a pen is that my thoughts are more in order and there's less "fluff". Can you post a link to the website you got the ideas from? Love the journal a vision. I've actually done that one and it was a lot of fun imagining and writing out my ideal life.

NOTE: I think I'm going to keep resources on the first post so they are all in one spot.

Cari, I also wanted to add that you don't have to sit down and write for an hour every day. I pretty much write in 10 minute sessions, sometimes less if I'm under a time crunch. I've written in the car waiting for an appointment, in the doctor's office waiting there, while camping, at work - you can write just about anywhere as long as you bring your journal along for the ride. Mine fits in my purse and I pretty much have it on or near me 24-7.

BK, steal away! And if you get the books let us know what you thought about them!

[CariOfOz]

Hi Rachael Yeah no way could I get that much uninterrupted time, so it'll definitely be a few minutes here & there.. or if something interesting pops into my head that I'd like to ponder later I'm very looking forward to this experience. I blog a little about my homeschooling journey with the kids.. and random thoughts/rants on myspace.. but this will be different because it's just for ME.

[holyhelianthus]

So what does everyone write in and with? What would your dream journal look like?

I'm too tired to respond to my own questions now but had to ask before I forgot (my babies ate my brain cells) :yawning:

[BurtsGirl]

I have found that different journals speak to me at different times or "phases" in my life. Before I've really enjoyed spiral bound books because I cound flip it around so I only had to deal with one side of the book at a time. But this time I was really drawn to a moleskine (link on the first post). It's simple, unlined, and the perfect size to fit in my purse but not too small either. I love the built in bookmark and the strap closure. It just looks simply elegant and I think I needed that with this journal.

For pens, I just use a regular black pen. Sometimes I grab a blue one if I an quoting something or want it to stand out on the page. I've also used pencil for some drawings I've done in my journal. I've heard of people using color pens or pencils and I love the idea, but it's not very practical for me. I have enough stuff in my purse without added a box of colored pencils/pens.

[Oriole]

Okay, this might not be an actual writing journal, but more of a record journal, but we are big board game geeks in the house and we have decided to keep the record of games played and won.


Just for fun.

[aweynsayl]

Originally Posted by CariOfOz

Wow.. three whole pages? before coffee?? *not to self, find journey with small pages*

lol! like i said... everyone i know who did it did it AT coffee.

Ok, ladies-- I FOUND THEM! i went back to my fave book store and returned the machine made-in-china ones and found some lovely usa artisan made, recycled paper journals.... one is larger (7x10) and lined (nice small spaces between lines, i find it makes me focus better...) this one is for my more intellectual musings. i covored it in a soft floral fabric. then i found one i wasnt planning on getting... but it spoke to me. unlined, creamy colored paper with a forest and moonlit path on the cover (the one called "sanctuary"... ohmy! they have many stunning ones!). this will be (guess, cari, rachel?) my pagan/garden journal. :

I also found my new favorite pen! it's a pentel rolling writer. i have to have colored ink. i've done brown, green, blue (if it's not *blue blue*...), and purple... i'm back to blue now, i LOVE this blue!

[BurtsGirl]

Oriole, love the game journal idea!!

Oh my, Awe, those journals are just BEE-U-TIFUL!

[aweynsayl]

so, while looking for something totally unrelated, i happend across something that reminded me of what that book was i keep mentioning (with the morning pages thing)... as it's something i thought some here might enjoy, i decided to share it!

it's called "The Artist's Way"... it's by julia cameron. here's her site.



how's everyone doing?

i'm in love with my new pen. does that make me a dork? i enjoy writing so much better when i love my pen. i'm also getting myself some inspiring music. i find i journal best to music....

[Indigo73]

I did The Artist's Way back in the day. Haven't gotten to starting my new art journal but still bloggin' away.

[Oriole]

Last night I did an entry on relationships in my diary for DSD. She is 15 and dating. Bittersweet. I wonder what she'll think of it when she sees it years from now. Part of me really hopes that my values will rub off on her. Is that selfish for a stepmom? I hope she'll at least appreciate me trying not to meddle, and to support. We'll see... If nothing else this is a good therapy for me. I always feel calmer after I write her a message in the journal, even if I realize that she won't read it for years.

Anyone else feels good after writing like that?

P.S. Btw, aweynsayl, you ARE a total dork with your pen... Not a bad thing though, fellow journal writers understand you and accept you in your "dorkiness"

[aweynsayl]

Originally Posted by Oriole

Btw, aweynsayl, you ARE a total dork with your pen... Not a bad thing though, fellow journal writers understand you and accept you in your "dorkiness"

thank you! my pen and i thank you.

[CariOfOz]

Originally Posted by aweynsayl

so, while looking for something totally unrelated, i happend across something that reminded me of what that book was i keep mentioning (with the morning pages thing)... as it's something i thought some here might enjoy, i decided to share it!

it's called "The Artist's Way"... it's by julia cameron. here's her site.


i'm in love with my new pen. does that make me a dork? i enjoy writing so much better when i love my pen. i'm also getting myself some inspiring music. i find i journal best to music....

OMG I NEED THAT BOOK! (yelling intentional )Sucks cause books aren't in the budget at the moment though I am cross stitching again, but since my 6yo was gestating hehe, I feel like I've lost my ability to create things (although I guess since I have 6,4,2yo's I WAS pretty busy creating humans lol) I used to make gorgeous beaded jewelry and enjoyed crafting all sorts of things... my former home in the US was totally decorated in things I'd created myself. Now? nothing bar one canvas that I stretched a fabric I liked to cover I WANT to make things that make me smile.. but I just can't seem to summon the will to do it :

And no.. if you're a dork, then entire LEGIONS of nurses are dorks LOL. When Iwas working as a nurse if a pen that wrote nicely and felt good crossed my path it often ended up in my pocket I love pens too

[BurtsGirl]

I'm also plugging along. I'll add your book and website suggestion to the first post, aweynsayl. Looks like a good one. And pens are important when you feel like your using them a lot for something very important!

Oriole, I love that your keeping a journal to your DSD. I think it's so sweet and will be something she totally will treasure when she's older. Would have love to have something so intimate from my mother.

Cari, can you see if your library has the book?

I've actually take a couple days off from writting. I plan to start back up today or tomorrow with the deep stuff. I'm really loving how journaling is allowing me to see myself. I've always heard of people talk about their intuition and inner wisdom and wasn't sure what that was or if I had it. I've been amazed by the answers I'm giving myself if I only look closer. Right now I don't have a lot of confidence and I've found that when I start a sentence with the word "Maybe" it's my inner wisdom speaking and I am paying more attention to those very powerful sentences. I'm also still reading Journalution and wow, it's really helping me work through some tough stuff. I've found some awesome passages I'd like to share:

"Each time you write, you get a little closer to your true self. Each time you sit down with your journal, your inner wisdom has a chance to speak to you."

"Once you dump all the crap and clatter that races through your head, the wise person who live deep inside has a voice in your journal. Your mind becomes quiet and you can hear the message of your soul."

These one struck a cord with me:
"We are creatures of habit. Our routines ground us and give us the illusion that we are in control of our lives."

[BurtsGirl]

Prompt/Exercise

Ask a Question
from Journalution by Sandy Grason

"Write a question in your journal just before you go to bed, then leave your journal open on your nightstand. Reread the question a couple of times before turning off the lights, and ask that the answer be revealed in your dreams. As soon as you awaken, even if it's in the dark, write down anything you remember about your dreams. You don't even have to turn the lights on; just scratch out a few sentences to be remembered in the morning. Before you get out of bed write down the details of the dream as specifically as possible. Don't try to interpret the dream yet; just write down all the details as you recall them.

After you've captured the essence of the dream in your journal, go back and read your question again. Then read your description of the dream with your question in mind. Do any sentences jump out at you?Are there any symbols that point you in a certain direction? Use your intuition to figure out what your dream could be telling you."