The Many Faces of Journaling

The Many Faces of Journaling

Journaling takes on many forms and many shapes and it has been my experience that what type of journal I am involved with has to do with what is going on in my life. When I am lost without a rudder, I tend to go with a gratitude, goals, or dream journal. When I am feeling a need to heal, I go with a grief journal or a healing journal. If I find I am quick to anger, than I go with a rant and rave journal or a letter writing journal. It all depends on my mood, my reflections, the rhythm of my days, and the space I find myself in. Todo depende en ti.

Here are a series of journals I have found particularly helpful…it is by no means exhaustive, but can be helpful in getting you started. As you read the list, what resonates with you, that may be the place to start. Pues, empezamos.

1. Gratitude: Write 5 to 10 things each day you are grateful for
2. Grief: write about loss of a loved one to help you sort through the powerful feelings and emotions
3. Healing: write about a difficult time…loss of job, divorce, accidents…any time you feel a need to heal from the rough bumps of life to gain perspective and point of view
4. Letters: a good way to help reach resolution about past hurts, past misdeeds, and past indiscretions…write what you want to say to someone who hurt you or did you wrong, or someone who you hurt.
5. Rant and Rave: this is your letting go of anger journal…where you are ranting and raving about everything that is wrong with the world, your life, your spouse, your kids, your relatives, your boss, your co-workers…you get the picture…it can also be your 16 year old…it is all about me journal…rant, rave and get over it…
6. Daily: this is a nice way to get centered at the end or the beginning of a day. What are you doing? Why is it important? Where are you going? How are you getting there?
7. Inspirational: this is where you inspire yourself or others, it can be quips, and quotes, and anything notes to help spurn the creative juices.
8. Goals: here you write your goals—10 or less and how you are going to achieve them. An action plan for meeting your goals. Then check in regularly to be sure you are on track.
9. Dream Journals: This is for the wild, fancy, running naked at the beach in St. Trope journal. Your wildest dreams of what would make life exciting. What do you dream of—the big house on the beach, the cabin in the woods, a house boat on the Mississippi—dream and dream BIG!!!
10. Quote: a special journal to write your favorite quotes…from books, movies, people you know. Those wonderful quotes that resonate with you, move you, make you tingle, or make you smile.
11. Reader Journal: a place to keep track of what you have read and how it has resonated with you, what you liked about it, or your review of the books that have touched you that you want to share with others.
12. Writer’s Journal: this is where you write the plot, the characters, themes, places, seasons, backgrounds for the novel, book, article, etc. that you are writing. It is the place where you interview characters, research historical facts, create languages, try different scenes, and write various plots…just to see what will work and what will get into the finished product.
13. Learning journal: Sometimes when learning something new it is nice to have a learning journal to release your frustrations, understand the process, and appreciate the journey.
14. Guided Journal: This is a journal where you respond to questions, prompts, ideas, pictures, quotes, and other “guides” to understanding the self.
15. Picture Journal” A journal where you respond to visual clues, paintings, sculptors, drawings, etc. what feelings are evoked, what emotions do you feel?
16. Poetry journal: this is a journal of powerful poems designed to evoke feelings, inspire, engage the soul, move the spirit. Write what is evoked, what is thought, what is inspired.

Please add to the list and share some of your own journals that you have found particularly helpful, fun, inviting, and inspiring.

Con un pan y cafecito,
Seguimos ADELANTE

Zulmara

"Mas vale paso que dure y no trote que canse."

Slow and steady wins the race.