I mentioned in my previous post, Dealing With Anxiety, that I’ve recently begun a journaling class. I also did a virtual writer’s retreat on Saturday, which took me down some very emotional routes! I’ve been writing as far back as I can remember, but I’m learning a lot at the moment about how beneficial it can be emotionally—and that’s not just limited to people who write out of a passion for writing, like myself.
Writing is a form of expression, and you don’t have to be good at it to express yourself. (I suppose this applies to all the arts.) You don’t have to have a passion for writing or a desire to be a writer. You only need something to write on and with. This could be pen/pencil and paper/notebook, a computer and word processor, a phone or tablet. You also don’t have to share what you write if you don’t want to.
First let me explain what journaling is (and I only recently learned this). Journaling is a very versatile, private and personal way of writing. You don’t have to keep a factual account of what happened in your day (though you can if you want). You can write anything you like.
Some ideas:
- Gratitudes: things you are thankful for; that you are appreciate. Just noting a few down regularly can be emotionally beneficial. These can be anything; big or small or in the middle.
- Mindful writing: observe and describe your environment. It can be anything—the feel of the pencil in your hands; the taste of your mid-morning snack; how the weather makes you feel when you’re outdoors.
- Freewriting: Set a timer, say for five minutes, and then just write whatever comes into your head for that time.
- “Braindump”: If something is stuck in your head and you can’t get rid of it, write it out. It’s good to get it out, though if you plan to re-read your journal entries at a later date, it might be a good idea to mark pages pouring out negative things so you can skip over them if you want. It’s also a good idea to finish off by writing something positive, such as a few gratitudes.
Now to poetry. You don’t have to understand or read poems to express yourself through poetry. You can write absolutely anything in a poem; anything goes. I’ve known people who aren’t writers or even consider themselves creative people, who have turned to writing poetry at a particularly difficult time in their lives. Poetry doesn’t have to rhyme; it doesn’t have to use fancy words or metaphors; it doesn’t have to be a certain length or structure. (Though you can use those if you want!) It doesn’t have to be about any particular subject. Basically, there are no rules.
I started writing poetry in my teens, and although I personally am aiming to be a professional writer, many of the poems I’ve written over the years have been my way of trying to deal with emotional issues in my life; some of which I may never publish for various personal reasons. Reading them back often evokes a lot of emotions. A few months before my thirtieth birthday, I read a poem I’d written as a 22-year-old to my 30-year-old self, and started crying because it described the place I wanted to be at this point in my life. Another explores some difficult relationships between people I know, so may never be seen by anyone else.
In my writing retreat, I had a period in the afternoon where I was stuck for ideas, and in desperation googled “poetry prompts”. One of the ones I came across evoked some childhood memories, which started me on a poem that ended up questioning my attitude towards some people in my life and made me realise that I have more work to do than I realised in the area of forgiveness. From there I moved onto writing poems that were letters to deceased family members. It was extremely emotional and I felt exhausted afterwards, but also relieved that I’d managed to express those things, a lot of which I hadn’t even realised were in my head.
So yes, writing can throw some difficult emotions into light; but it can also help you process, and even serve as an insight into yourself. For anyone who has difficulty talking openly to other people about things that bother you (and even if you don’t), I would recommend giving writing a go. Just make sure that, if you’re writing really personal things, you keep whatever you write it in somewhere private.
If you plan on showing what you’re written to someone else—first of all, I congratulate you on your bravery, because I know that takes guts! Secondly, be selective in who you show it to, and make sure they know what kind of response you’re looking for. If you’re not looking for feedback on the quality of your writing, make sure they know that. Unexpected criticism, even from someone who means well and does it kindly and constructively, can be very upsetting, especially if what you’ve written is extremely personal.
I’m new to journaling, but I’m trying to put together a Links & Resources section where I plan to post stuff related to these topics, and will add to as I learn more. And if you have any questions, don’t be afraid to pop them in the comments or use the contact form, and I will try to answer them!