Out of the Mind - Onto the Lines
A true love/hate relationship has always been fought within me when it comes to writing.
There’s a love aspect because I tend to feel at ease and whole when releasing my feelings onto paper.
Words can be molded, arranged, and spun into something beautiful and that has always captivated me.
The hate comes from a need for whatever I write to be “perfect”, as if we can’t put things out Into the world because they feel good. No, the work has to be a masterpiece, or it shouldn’t exist at all.
Silly thinking, I know. The cycle goes: nothing is perfect so nothing gets done. Avoid the whole act together. That’s not so much me anymore. Thankfully, I write now just because it feels nice to do so. I learned that journaling has more to do with clearing my brain and alleviating my inner tension. I accepted that even if the product I ended up with wasn’t unique, genius, or art, that I could still benefit from the effort.
So, with all that in mind, let’s talk about journaling and why in my opinion, everyone can benefit from it.
We as humans can fall in and out of routines. (Not necessarily a bad thing if you ask me, because the act of stopping can make you realize how helpful the routine actually was). This was definitely the case with me when I fell off the journaling wagon.
To keep it simple- if I don’t journal, these things happen:
I feel frazzled. My thoughts are as disorganized as the Target dollar bins on a Saturday night. (Ya feel me, it starts out strong and then by the end of a busy day it’s been ravaged and thrown everywhere).
My problem solving abilities suffer. What would seem an easy feat becomes as difficult as deciding if a country should go to war or not.
I’m prone to irritation, frustration, and my reactions are less than tranquil. (Example: Someone put their shoes in the wrong place. It could very well be the end).
Way, way less creative. A blank canvas remains just that.
Writing abilities suffer.
Now, on a brighter note- when I do journal consistently, these things happen:
Less chaos in thought life. Releasing words onto paper allows me to let go of the full weight and responsibility they held in my head.
My brain seems to work things out for me. I don’t even need to really try! If I’m mulling over a decision, usually I come to a few different conclusions I didn’t think of before. This is probably how the brain is supposed to work organically, and hey, I don’t know about you but I’m not going to pass up added assistance.
Reactions are more logical. Something about seeing my thoughts in a concrete form makes me view them more objectively, thus calming down the emotions a wee bit. Instead of holding in pent up feelings, they are able to escape without taking everyone around me out in the process.
Ideas! Lots of creative ideas! The book that got me really into journaling for creativity is The Artist’s Way, which you can check out here. Seriously, the concepts in this book will change your life if you allow them to.
The instrument stays in tune. I’m writing everyday. Even if the words are fragmented, disorganized and not even remotely poetic, I’m still using it as opposed to losing it.
I’m no professional, so I don’t know if there’s a “best” method for journaling. I’m sure there are a lot of therapists and studies that would recommend a handful of successful ways to start, so it would be worth looking into!
As I mentioned before, my process was taken from The Artist’s Way. Julia Cameron refers to them as “morning pages” but I just do them when I get an opportunity. (Morning is supposed to be the best way so that you can set yourself up strong for the day).
The basics:
write 3 pages
you can write about whatever you want, they do not even have to be complete sentences
the only rule: don’t stop, keep writing until you have filled the pages
if you have to write nonsense because you think you have nothing to say, write it
you can even write, “I don’t know what to write” the point is to continue the process without stopping which will prevent you from overthinking it
That’s it.
I’m happy that I am able to recognize what the exercise brings to my life and what is lacking in its absence.
Every little act towards self improvement makes a difference over time.
And if you find yourself stopping and starting and repeating the cycle over again like myself, that’s okay. We are trying. We will always keep trying.
Let me know what journaling has done for you!
Lots of love,
Leah