What does your journal mean to you?
Mine is my intimate, it never gets bored with me. It is silent, yet it reflects back who I am, my growth, the crystalisation of my understanding and the journey of my life. It politely highlights anomalies in my thinking, allows me to change my mind, and reminds me that I have.
My journal is a place to spill out grief, fear, love, desire, excitement. It doesn’t mind if I get angry, and endlessly allows me to bang on about anxieties in my life.
My journal is consistently there for me, no matter what the time of day or night. I can say the unthinkable and it doesn’t flinch, it simply shows me what I have thought.
And when I retract my impetuous words, it forgives me.
My journal doesn’t seem to mind if I don’t talk to it for weeks on end.
My journal gives me a gift each time we meet. Pressing back against my pencil, sending strength up through my arm, squeezing my shoulder in affection and support it allows me space, blesses me with peace of mind and so often, gives me inspiration.
What is your journal’s gift to you?
The journals in the photograph are special. Click here to find out why.
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Jan, as well as peace of mind, I think my journal gives me the chance to find the language patterns that give me the clues I need… bits of repetition or poetry or refrains that are coming from a dance of delight or some ache in my heart.
I don’t actually have ‘a journal’ as such, I simply can’t stick to one. I have oddments of pads of paper and open notepad files on my laptop and when I need to scrawl, I do.
And my journal listens. I was going to say ‘she’ listens. I think it’s probably a she
BTW I loved your blip photo explanation of the journals… and the blip photos. What a gorgeous grandchild!!!
Joanna Young´s last blog ..Letting Go and Letting Flow
It’s fascinating, you know, Joanna. I am sitting at my desk surrounded by bits of paper, yet if I write more than a brief reminder or do more than jot some thing down on anything other than my actual journal or in a designated notebook I become a little anxious. Reading your words has really made me question that.
And I don’t (yet) see those patterns in my writing. I have plenty of ‘oh, yes, of course!’ moments, but not in the way you describe.
It’s extraordinary how many different ways we find to harness the power of writing.
So glad you liked the blip stuff. And very pleased you spotted the utter scrumminess of my little Oli.
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