“Unlocking Freedom: How Embracing the Chaos of Journal Writing Can Transform Your Life”
- Forget about lines. Turn your journal sideways or upside down. Write in the margins or on the spine. Write in a spiral. Draw a shape and fill it with words. This was one of the first creativity techniques I ever used and it really got the ball rolling.
- Ever come across mind-blowing imagery in a magazine or online? Print it out, cut it out, and paste in in your journal for inspiration.
- Write with colored pens, crayons, or Sharpies.
- Copy passages from your favorite books into your journal, or jot down your thoughts, questions, and reactions to whatever you’re currently reading.
- Write down words. Not sentences — just words — words you like, words that evoke intense emotions or strong imagery or words that simply resonate. Randomly fill the blank spaces in your journal with these words. Write them big, write them small, and write them in all different colors!
- Make lists of names and places (make up some place names!). List foods, song titles, and sensations. List nouns or list adjectives. Or simply list random, short thoughts that pop into your head.
- Doodle, doodle, doodle, and draw. Or try writing and sketching in your journal with chalk or charcoal. See what happens when you smudge and smear your words. Maybe you’ll make some pictures or abstract art!
- Use stream of consciousness, also known as freewriting.
- Dreams are a popular source of inspiration, and ideal for journal writing. You can get story ideas, imagery, and bizarre notions from your night visions. Write down your most interesting dreams in your journals.
- Use journal writing to engage in dialogue with people who are inaccessible. Write letters or short notes to people you’ve lost touch with, people you’ve broken up with, and people who have passed away. Chat with your characters. Converse with your heroes (dead or alive).
- Invest in happiness. Use your journaling time to focus on positive, happy thoughts, ideas, and experiences, or keep a gratitude journal, logging the things you’re grateful for.
- Stuff your journal with memorabilia like ticket stubs and gum wrappers. Write about these items and where they came from, or invent fictional stories about their origins.
All-Purpose Journal Writers
Treasure your journals! Let them them get wrecked up and messed up. Fill them up with your thoughts, ideas, and imaginings.
