Journaling Rut - 5 ways to break the curse
In a Journaling rut? If you’re constantly looking down at a book of blank pages, you’re not alone. Not only am I going to share my most embarrassing journaling moment ever with you, but I’m going to break down what I call the journaling curse and what you can do to never, ever, fall under it again.
I’ve only successfully kept one journal in my entire life, and with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing, that’s really embarrassing to admit.
What’s even more embarrassing is that I gave it away to a high school love interest – after the break-up – in an attempt to be dramatically romantic and show him just what – exactly – he was going to be missing.
That journal was beautiful. It was worn in, filled with poetry and illustrations and story concepts and mimics of my inspirations at the time, like the art of Aubrey Beardsley and the writings of Charles Baudelaire.
It was my true identity and I gave it away to a boy who probably tossed it in the trash by the time the newest girl came along.
From that point on, I struggled to find the perfect size, the perfect cover, the perfect texture of pages. I would get a journal, write on a few pages, and then neglect it, blaming it on midterms, the wrong type of pens, or the inconvenient size of my desk.
And so I fell under the Journaling Curse. You know the one – it descends upon you when you decide to forgo your passion for writing by doing any number of ridiculous or stupid things --- like giving your journal away.
Ok, so maybe you didn’t give your journal away (I’m confident that I am the only person on the face of the Earth to do this), but you still struggle to fill up a journal for one reason or another.
Are you the person that can't bring themselves to "ruin" a beautiful journal? Are you the person that freezes at the sight of a blank page? Or are you the person that has to wait for the right chair/writing desk/task lamp to come along before you're going to be successful at filling a journal?
If you answered yes, then you are definitely under the curse.
So now that you know you're under the curse, here's how you're going to break it:
1. Stop feeling guilty about your bad journaling track record.
This is the main reason you’re in a journaling rut. You keep telling yourself and others that you’ve never successfully filled a journal, that you have tons of blank books lying around your house, that your family demands your undivided attention.
Stop it. How many times are you telling others about taking personal time? How many times are you encouraging others to cultivate their talents? When are you going to start practicing what you’re preaching?
2. Don’t commit to overwhelming goals
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve purchased a new, beautiful and inspiring blank journal and vowed to my empty bedroom walls that THIS would be the year I would record the on-goings of every day, just like Dorothy Wordsworth, starting on January 1st. Yes, well, needless to say, I never think about that new, beautiful and inspiring blank journal until August when I find it lodged between my winter boots and the hamper in my closet.
3. Compile
Stop looking at your pile of half finished journals and compile them. Rip out all your favorite pages and put them in an album or binder and think of it as creating “The Best Of ….”
Now you’ve got a collection of your favorite journal pages through the years, and best of all, it looks like you did it on purpose.
4. Follow a prompt guide
But what if you think your life is boring? Or what if you’re used to getting in the journaling groove, and then bam – writer’s block? Find a guide or a prompt list – that’s what the bloggers over at A Year to Inspire are doing. They’re following the prompts from the book, 365 Journal Writing Ideas, and creating beautiful pages as a result. The book gives 365 prompts, but they’re undated, so journal writers have the freedom to start whenever they want. There's even prompts for weekly actions you can take to help you live moments worth journaling about.
5. Embrace the white space
Not every page needs to be covered in words, top to bottom. Add art/doodles/photographs. Heck, one time, I had one sentence about the change in price of stamps. You can even use some pages to glue/tape little items like ticket stubs, gas receipts, a note from a friend, or a dried flower your 2 year old picked for you. Add a little one-sentence snippet about the item and you’re done for the day.
Please follow this advice and pass it on to your teenagers, especially the ones who have a knack for observing and writing and creating. Their journal is a historical document, preserving the essence of who they are in this moment -- they just don't know it yet.
Looking for more journaling ideas? We've put together a collection of inspiring diary pages and other journaling ideas on our Pinterest Board.
My Embarrassing Journal Moment
I’ve only successfully kept one journal in my entire life, and with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing, that’s really embarrassing to admit.
What’s even more embarrassing is that I gave it away to a high school love interest – after the break-up – in an attempt to be dramatically romantic and show him just what – exactly – he was going to be missing.
That journal was beautiful. It was worn in, filled with poetry and illustrations and story concepts and mimics of my inspirations at the time, like the art of Aubrey Beardsley and the writings of Charles Baudelaire.
It was my true identity and I gave it away to a boy who probably tossed it in the trash by the time the newest girl came along.
From that point on, I struggled to find the perfect size, the perfect cover, the perfect texture of pages. I would get a journal, write on a few pages, and then neglect it, blaming it on midterms, the wrong type of pens, or the inconvenient size of my desk.
The Journaling Curse
And so I fell under the Journaling Curse. You know the one – it descends upon you when you decide to forgo your passion for writing by doing any number of ridiculous or stupid things --- like giving your journal away.
Ok, so maybe you didn’t give your journal away (I’m confident that I am the only person on the face of the Earth to do this), but you still struggle to fill up a journal for one reason or another.
Are you the person that can't bring themselves to "ruin" a beautiful journal? Are you the person that freezes at the sight of a blank page? Or are you the person that has to wait for the right chair/writing desk/task lamp to come along before you're going to be successful at filling a journal?
If you answered yes, then you are definitely under the curse.
So now that you know you're under the curse, here's how you're going to break it:
1. Stop feeling guilty about your bad journaling track record.
This is the main reason you’re in a journaling rut. You keep telling yourself and others that you’ve never successfully filled a journal, that you have tons of blank books lying around your house, that your family demands your undivided attention.
Stop it. How many times are you telling others about taking personal time? How many times are you encouraging others to cultivate their talents? When are you going to start practicing what you’re preaching?
2. Don’t commit to overwhelming goals
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve purchased a new, beautiful and inspiring blank journal and vowed to my empty bedroom walls that THIS would be the year I would record the on-goings of every day, just like Dorothy Wordsworth, starting on January 1st. Yes, well, needless to say, I never think about that new, beautiful and inspiring blank journal until August when I find it lodged between my winter boots and the hamper in my closet.
3. Compile
Stop looking at your pile of half finished journals and compile them. Rip out all your favorite pages and put them in an album or binder and think of it as creating “The Best Of ….”
Now you’ve got a collection of your favorite journal pages through the years, and best of all, it looks like you did it on purpose.
4. Follow a prompt guide
But what if you think your life is boring? Or what if you’re used to getting in the journaling groove, and then bam – writer’s block? Find a guide or a prompt list – that’s what the bloggers over at A Year to Inspire are doing. They’re following the prompts from the book, 365 Journal Writing Ideas, and creating beautiful pages as a result. The book gives 365 prompts, but they’re undated, so journal writers have the freedom to start whenever they want. There's even prompts for weekly actions you can take to help you live moments worth journaling about.
5. Embrace the white space
Not every page needs to be covered in words, top to bottom. Add art/doodles/photographs. Heck, one time, I had one sentence about the change in price of stamps. You can even use some pages to glue/tape little items like ticket stubs, gas receipts, a note from a friend, or a dried flower your 2 year old picked for you. Add a little one-sentence snippet about the item and you’re done for the day.
Please follow this advice and pass it on to your teenagers, especially the ones who have a knack for observing and writing and creating. Their journal is a historical document, preserving the essence of who they are in this moment -- they just don't know it yet.
Looking for more journaling ideas? We've put together a collection of inspiring diary pages and other journaling ideas on our Pinterest Board.
Jul 11th 2014
