Dump Journaling and Creativity - The Art of Making Art

I have mixed feelings about releasing oneself through dump journaling when it comes to encouraging creativity.  Many artists swear by this technique and write their morning pages and empty themselves of negativity.  The reason I have such a difficult time with this concept is that by "dump journaling" you begin your day with negativity which, to me, can cause a flow of negativity to begin and not end.  You begin your day by filling pages with all that is wrong instead of all that is right.  Journaling can be a double edged sword.  Yes, we do need to face our demons.  Yes, we need to rid ourselves of what is negative, but to begin our day with our fears, our sorrows, and our dashed dreams seems counter productive to me. 

I often journal about my problems.  I begin with the phrase:  What I know.  At this point I state what I know about my worries and concerns.  As I write, I begin to realize that what I had feared most, simply can't or won't happen.  What I know or what I fear are two different things.  At this point, I add another column to my writing:  What I fear.  Many of the things I listed in my what I know column are moved over there.  Usually there is not much left under what I know. 

Fear is our greatest impediment.  We fear the unknown.  We fear what might happen in twenty or thirty years, if things keep going the same way.  Fear causes anxiety and stress.  The problems we face are often extraordinary and difficult, and I do use journaling to help me through each day, however, to me, timing and structure are everything.

Let's recap:
What I know

What I fear

Now, let's add another category.  What can I do?

Many times there is absolutely nothing we can do except to wait and hope.  Hope is a powerful emotion that helps us through times of stress and anxiety.  Sometimes hope feels so tiny that we wonder if there is any at all, but always, there is hope.  Problems will resolve themselves, eventually, maybe not in the way we had hoped they would resolve, but they will resolve.  We can use the resolution to learn and grow, or we can allow ourselves to become bitter and resentful.  That's a choice we need to make.  We can dump journal all day long, and if we are full of anger, that's all that we will find.  Emotions are the last part of the problem to resolve.  Those emotions can stick with us for a long time, but the hope is that each day brings new  beginning and more healing to us.  Sometimes, the healing is small, but it is there. 

When we wake up each day, we don't need to dump journal we need to sit and list, for ten minutes or so, all of the good we have in our lives.  Ask yourself, did you get a good night's sleep?  If you did, begin with that on your list.  Do I have shoes to wear?  If the answer is yes, add that to your list.  Do I make a good cup of coffee?  If the answer is yes, add that to your list.  Soon you will come to recognize, that in spite of your problems, your fears, and your worries, you have so much that is good in your life.  Begin your day with what is good.  This gives you strength to walk through a troubled day.  Cling to goodness.  Later, when you need to, and I can almost assure you that you will need to do this, take 5-10 minutes and dump journal.  When your time is finished,  rip those pages up or delete that from your computer.  You've said it.  You've written it.  You might or might not have found a solution, then let that solution come later.  Let it go.  Do not dwell on your problem.  Store it in the trash or delete it.  Let it go.  You can battle the demons later, when you have to do battle them.  By limiting your time spent in negativity, you can those demons with a calm mind and heart. 

The final step to clearing the air is to quickly write down 2-3 things that are good in your life and might make you smile.  Give yourself that gift.  Remember, it is a gift.

Life is not for sissies. There are so many days that I  want to go back to bed, but I know that if I
do, fear has won.  By surrounding myself with the positive, I make myself ready for my day.  So, World, look out, I'm here! I might be afraid, but I'm not going to give up.  I have hope, and  no matter what life throws at me, I have hope.  From hope springs peace of mind and body.  When I am at peace, creativity has a path to flow. 

The Art of Journaling

I began to journal when I was a teenager.    Journaling has been an important part of my life for many years.  I have kept  poetry journals.  I have kept heartfelt journals about my life.  I have kept recipe journals.  I have kept prayer journals.   I have kept dump journals.
I have kept art journals.  I have kept photo journals. I have kept list journals.  I have kept gratitude journals.  Each one has served an important purpose in my life. 

The good thing about keeping a  journal is that you can spend as little or as much time as you choose.  You can turn journaling into an art form with art journals.  You can make lists as you journal.  No matter how you decide to journal, you will need something in which to write.   You can use a beautiful journal which you purchase, or you can use a simple lined notebook.  You can hand write a journal or you can use your computer to record your thoughts.  Journaling can become a history of your life, or it can simply be your observations of life.  If you have a minimum of ten minutes a day or a week, you can capture your thoughts on paper, real or virtual. 




So, how do you begin to journal, if you've never kept a journal before?

1)  You need a piece of paper (virtual or otherwise) and a pen or pencil (virtual or otherwise.)  Feel free to use what you have handy.  Index cards work well.  Notebooks work well.   I use my IPad to journal. 

2)   Make a decision.  Will your journal be something public (like an online blog) or private.  Privacy does require some thought.  Protect your computer or tablet with a password.  There are some great Apps out there for journaling.  Just check the App Store and see what you can find.  Lock your handwritten journal if you want privacy or put it away where no one else can find it.

3) Begin to write.  Set your timer for 10-15 minutes.  I recommend you write everyday, however, if you don't feel you have the time, then write 2-3 times a week.  No matter what you choose to do, write consistently.  If you art journal, you can make some beautiful journals, but, if you're like me, you might be drawing stick figures, and that's okay, too.  Whatever works best for you, works best!  Keep to the 10-15 minute time frame if that's all the time you have. 

4) Make your journals meaningful to you.  If you're journal is meant to track weight loss, then that is meaningful to you.  If your journal is meant to record your writing, then that is meaningful to you.  If your journal is meant to record your family's history and tell something about those in your family tree, then that's meaningful to you.  If your journal is a list of daily activities, that that is meaningful to you.  The critical part here is to decide the purpose of your journal and work from there.  The meaning and purpose of journals can change, and that's okay.  As you write, your journal can take you places that you didn't expect to find.

5)   Unless you're publishing your journals, don't worry about grammar and punctuation, just write.  You might find yourself writing for much longer times than ten minutes.  If you have the time, that's great!  If you don't have the time, stick to the ten minute time frame.   Write and be happy.  Find your voice in lengthy pieces or in lists. 




I like to look back on my journals from time to time.  I am usually amazed at the growth that is shown in my journals or the common sense I used in not pursuing the object of my growth! 


Do you journal regularly?  Do you want to start keeping a journal or are you just stuck?  Tomorrow, I will be posting some prompts to help you get started or unstuck.  Let me know how it goes.