Journals and Papers

Here at Journals and Papers, we often wonder that if children were allowed to write outside the lines in school what kind of creative adults would every child become. Most people prefer a lined journal. We’ve heard comments that if they had a blank journal, their writing would be messy, all over the place, they can’t write straight. We wonder at this logic and the creativity that it squashes. We can be creative individuals if we aren’t constrained to boxed, lined, circular, or rectangular drawn out spaces, which suggest we write inside of and not to go outside of the lines already drawn for us.

Is it the intimidation of a blank page, staring at us, clean and pristine that somehow gives us a sacrilegious notion that we shouldn’t muck it up with plain old meanderings. There is a solution to that. Buy a blank journal, and on the first page, write a title page, such as, “This Journal Belongs To…”, or “Property of …”. And also add a date. Now that the first page tainted with ink, it should be easy to turn to the second page and place some form of graphic upon it. Is it still hard to write on the blank page staring at you? On the second page then, use a photograph, or cut-out a picture, quote or text from a favourite magazine. Place that on the second page. Then on the third facing page, turn the journal on an angle and add some text that goes from the bottom left corner (which if angled is on top now) across to the right corner. There are no lines to constrain your creative efforts on this blank-paged journal.

You can write across the page, down the page, corner to corner, around the outside edges, ending in the middle, or from the middle out, from bottom to top, top to bottom, or side to side. The creativity is limitless, and you would be surprised the type of thoughts that you could be unleashing by not staying to what we grew up with - staying within the lines, and writing neat and tidy-like.

This post is not intended to be tongue-in-cheek, but rather a light-hearted look at other ways to journal creatively within the pages of a blank journal.

How do you relax?

For some a day of relaxation might include time at the spa, or fitness center. Some people enjoy taking part in a nature adventure, walking, spending time with friends and family, reading or doing a craft to help them relax.

How do you express your feelings?

Most people express their feelings verbally, by talking to friend, venting with a partner, arguing or laughing. Others express their feelings non-verbally by being creative, doing an art or craft, such as painting or sewing. Some use exercise and the intensity level changes depending on inward feelings.

There is another way to find peace within your lives.

What if you can’t express you feelings verbally, aren’t a very creative kind of person and don’t enjoy exercise? What if you have some heavy emotional baggage and can’t vent or relax about it? This is where journal writing can be helpful. It is a perfect way to reflect and release emotions that could be suppressed and hidden and may even be unconscious to the writer until exposed through the journal writing process.

Meaningful journaling allows the writer to learn more truth and insight about themselves and what is happening in their lives at any given moment in time. They can express private aspects of themselves without fear of reprisal or hurting someone.

Try keeping a journal to help you relax and find inner peace within. As you continue learning about yourself through the journal writing practice, you will most likely find that your journal becomes a best friend, one that you feel you should visit from time to time. Like any friend, if you don’t visit them often enough, you feel a sense of loneliness.

Today, take time to sit with your friend (your journal). Open your heart, let your emotions flow to the page and you will create peace within.

Writer’s block is a nasty affliction, almost like bottled up tears that just won’t come. You know you have to cry, but are either too mad, or upset to let go and do it. The key here is blockage and trying to figure out why the words won’t come.

Free Fall Writing is one tool a journal writer can use who is experiencing writer’s block, which can come from wanting to censor or edit as we are writing. The inventor of the ‘Free Fall Method of Creative Writing’ was well-known Canadian author, W.O. Mitchell. To practice the free fall method of writing, writers must tune out that internal editor, which is nagging them with thoughts of what and how to write. Forget the editor, and write whatever thoughts come to mind. Be sure to take into account sensory information and memories. The trick is to keep writing, leave the editing and read-back until the end of the writing process.

To practice free fall writing, but not knowing where to start, try looking at pictures, or headlines. If you are on the internet look for a picture with similar subject matter that you are writing about. See if the picture triggers thoughts and just start writing what comes to mind. Don’t sensor yourself.

Free fall is a great idea and wonderful tool to use in most cases of writer’s block. But creativity can still be diminished by those thoughts and feelings that are dragging us down and upsetting us. In this case, it can be just as easy as putting down your journal and going for a walk, doing meditation, letting go, relaxing – simply leaving your writing for another day.

Well, I’ve purchased an iPad. And is it cool! The apps are as varied as the number of flowers in a flowerbed. Whatever you’d like can be downloaded to do many things. As a fiction and journal writer, nothing would do but to search out applications applicable to journal writing and publishing.

I found a couple: virtual notebooks and day timers that I downloaded. One is like an online scribbler, entries are flagged by dates. I found it easy to switch on the iPad, open the app and start writing. I can even email a copy to myself. It was fun, but it reminded me of something - and that was work.

I work on a computer all day, typing. The iPad is fun because it can be held on my lap and I can look up games, things to do on the internet, and read a book. But to keep a journal, to me is not quite right. It is great to jot notes, but I miss the personal feeling that comes with holding a pen and writing my inner most thoughts in a beautiful hard cover leather journal.

I feel electronic devices with journal writing applications have their purpose and are fun to use, but they can’t replace the real thing – like reading a book, or writing in a book. I hope that with the influx of new electronic devices that writers over time don’t forget the joy of pulling out a favourite, dog-eared journal, chewing on the end of a pen, and writing from the heart.

Hope is something we conjure up in deep times of sadness and grief. Hope comes from within, an awakening, a desire, something to believe in. Hope moves us forward, gives us a sense of purpose. Hope is anticipation of a better time to come.

When we journal, we sometimes journal for hope, especially if we are going through a rough time. We journal to write words we believe in, words to give us comfort. A journal becomes a cane in times of hardship. We can lean on it; use it for support and strength.

If you have cancer, or know of someone who is suffering from the disease, or are survivors, the Hope Every Day Journal by Compendium is a delightful gift for the journal writer. It features uplifting, meaningful quotes on every two-page spread that give hope and inspiration.

With every cancer battle, there also come many success stories. Explain first steps taken, fears that are faced and conquered, healthcare workers who have helped. Write about friends and family who have stayed with you and provided support. This small gem of a journal is a wonderful tool for wellness and to track a powerful journey of hope.

We all set them. Whether it’s for weight loss, achieving financial gain or for personal reasons, we all set out with goals or New Year’s resolutions each and every year. Did you do a lot of journal writing in 2009? Would you like to do more in 2010?

Once way to ‘jump start’ your journal writing in 2010, is to begin an entry by jotting down your goals with regards to your journal writing. Ask yourself questions such as:

• How often do I want to write.
  • Be honest and if you simply don’t have the time to write every day, then don’t plan on it. You may choose to have a journal handy and nearby just in case you are ready to write. Maybe there is that one hour out of the week - perhaps while waiting for a child to finish an activity that you can pull out a journal and write.
• What do I want to write about?
  • Take a few moments to think of some topics that interest you. Maybe you want to write about goals, relationships, emotions, or events. If you make a list at the front of a new journal (dated 2010), when you feel the urge or have the time to write, but can’t think of something to write about, you can check the list you made and choose a topic.
• Where will I write?
  • You may decide to take your journal with you to a favourite coffee shop, or park. If you are the type that wants total privacy, you might like the bedroom, or den. If you have an idea of the places you like to write, then you won’t feel intimidated to pull out a journal and start writing. You may even remember to bring a journal with you, as you predetermined your favourite places to write.
• Do I need a new journal? 
  • Nothing motivates like a new, unopened journal. No, they aren’t meant for saving for ‘good’. If you were lucky enough to receive a journal for Christmas, then this is a good opportunity to crack it open and start your entry. If you are not quite getting that fuzzy feeling with an older journal, then maybe it is time to seek out a new writing journal - hmm - maybe even a leather one.
• Where will I find the resource topics (prompts) to help me get started with a journal entry?
  • This blog entry you’re reading now, gives you a great start to 2010 journal writing! There are also a number of books and resources at the bookstore or library on journal writing. You can use the internet and look for ‘journal writing prompts‘. Prompts are one or two sentences that you can use to open a journal entry. You read the sentence, and then just free write what your brain suggests after reading the prompt. Just like the topics you listed, you can also jot down some prompts specific to your interests to save for a later time when you need something to write about.

By writing the answers to the above topics, you have already created a great start to your 2010 journal writing. When you do pick a time to write, take into account the hours in the day when your mind is fresh and you are feeling creative.

I call it ‘regrouping’, which is my term for getting in touch with my spirit source. At some points in life many things can and do change and these changes take you away from your self goals, dreams and the route you feel you should be going in life. We are dragged into situations we don’t want to be in, doing things we really don’t want to be doing that leave us wondering, “What am I doing here, now?”. It is at this point that I use a journal to get me back on track to what I feel my life is about and to help me regroup my thoughts and feelings and get ‘back on track’. I’ve found it is the only tool that helps me personally, and it may be a great tool for others. It’s almost akin to using a brush when you are having a bad hair day.

I make time for myself amidst this chaotic realm of doing what others feel I should be up to and sit down with a journal that fits my mood. I have a special journal for my spiritual writing. When I sit and write, I write about where my life has gone, and what I’d like to be doing. I write about things I am grateful for. I write about goals, dreams and outcomes. The entries are very personal and most likely not shared.

Some people take a walk when life gets too hectic. Me, I pull out my spiritual journal.

I’ve been pondering lately, whether a person can have too many journals, especially last night when I went looking for a journal I had used to write some personal thoughts and goals. I couldn’t remember where I had put the journal, but even worse than that, I couldn’t remember which journal I had even used. I wonder if I am the only person in this position, or if others have had the same problem?

Over the years I’ve managed to accumulate more than a fair share of journals. I have leather ones, and spiral ones, some inspirational types and some I received as gifts. The hardest time of the year for me is staying out of the stationery stores in August and September around the new school year. It’s amazing just how many new styles of journals and writing notebooks they come out with each year. Invariably I pick up a couple. I’ve even resorted recently to sneaking journals into the house.

Now I do keep all my unused journals in one spot. The problem arises when I grab a journal for a specific purpose - such as writing goals, or notes about some emotions I am dealing with. I journal in different areas of the house, or I may take journals with me and store them in a favorite bag or on a shelf for later use. It seems every writing subject requires a new journal, and herein lies the problem - I’ve got too many on the go.

I also don’t believe in ripping pages out of a journal I’ve started and attaching them to another journal, or rewriting the entries into other journals. To me, the writing style and it’s messiness or neatness goes along with the subject matter and the date the entry was written. I’ve come to realize though I may have to gather all my journals I’ve touched with entries into a box and label it “Journal Storage”. At least then I could flip through them all and find what I am looking for.

As for a solution to my problem, for me there isn’t one. I shall continue purchasing the cute, odd, beautiful-gift-type-of journals, writing specific subjects unique to the style of journal, even if it is only a few entries, and trying not to misplace them. I do believe a central spot of storage though would solve part of the problem.

If you like a different journal for every specific subject on your list, then check out my store at Journals and Papers. Perhaps I should sell storage boxes too!

I realized how important writing was to me when I could not do it anymore. In April I had an accident (no fault of my own) and broke my right forearm, both bones, one in two places and had to have surgery. this put an immediate halt to any writing projects I had on the go, to any journaling I wanted to do and to general typing, as I am right-handed. The typing is coming along, caps still pose a problem - seems no matter how hard I push the key, the cap just won’t work - but it’s getting better (*smile*).

Have you ever thought what writing means to you. If you are a constant writer like I am, you will certainly understand. I am the type that always has a journal in close proximity. They (journals) are everywhere in my house. You never know when I might get the urge. The worst part with my injury was that I couldn’t write even a simple note. As I undergo physio therapy, the writing is getting better. Sometimes I have to hold my forearm while writing. Seems to ease some of the pain.

While I was ‘incapacitated’, I was able to meditate on my love of journal writing and I realized it is a part of me that will never go away, and I am really happy to have this forum to talk about journal writing and share my thoughts with you. So I am back and sorry for the delay in blog posts. Hopefully I can do better as I heal more each day.

Sometimes it is nice to be able to find journal entries that were written in the past, but if you haven’t created a way of finding specific entries, you will be searching through many pages for a long time. There is an easy method to catalogue journal entries into a table of contents (TOC) without too much effort.

1. When starting a new journal, leave anywhere from 2 to 3 pages at the beginning of your journal for a table of contents (TOC). (If you have a journal with more than a hundred pages, you may want to leave more pages open.)

2. Excluding the TOC pages, number the rest of your journal pages, at the top or bottom of each page. You can center the page numbers or put them in the corners. Be creative with this. Use a colored pen and write the numbers in calligraphy if you want to.

4. When creating a new journal entry; date it (left or right hand side) and give it a title (centered).

5. In your TOC, on the left hand side, write the page number of the entry you are working on, followed by the title and date (see example).

6. You can even take it a step further and add a one line description below your TOC entry, if you feel you’d like more of a reference about your journal entry.

7. If you have a journal with sections, and you write in your journal in different sections based on a particular subject, you can also split up your TOC into the sections pertaining to your journal topic area.

8. When you have finished filling up a journal (a rare event at my desk), you can place from and to dates on the front cover and spine (if applicable) and a general title (e.g. nature journal, or traveling Europe).

The unique thing about this way of cataloguing entries, is that you have a means of finding entries, and you also have a date reference. You’d be surprised how many years go by and how many journal volumes you can go through. It is cool to wade through old entries and see what types of subjects you were working on. If you are journaling for future generations, they too will have a point of reference for when the piece was written.