Tags: creative writing, journaling, therapy
Have you ever thought of keeping a journal? When I was in the fifth grade, I kept one for a while. You know the kind — a five-year diary with a little flap that closed and locked with a key. I don’t have that diary anymore, but it would be fun to be able to read it now, giving me a snapshot of how I felt back then.
I had an opportunity recently to participate in a journaling workshop with Becky DeGeorge. My experience was different from what I remember as a child. My feelings felt raw as I painstakingly wrote them on my computer. Becky’s compassionate questioning about how my writing made me feel, helped me see things from a different perspective. Her questions brought my feelings to the surface where I could look at them more closely. It is fascinating to me how life changes and moods shift so quickly.
Becky says a journal can be your best friend — someone to talk to when there’s no one around or who will understand. She says journaling inspires creativity, curiosity and self-compassion.
Becky will be visiting Second Sense and bringing her journaling workshop with her on November 14. We’d love for you to join us and try journaling out for yourself. In the meantime, here’s a little taste about how Becky approaches journaling therapy. Try it out and see what you think.
By Becky DeGeorge
Recently, a blind woman in a group shared an experience she had when she went alone into a restaurant. The waitress, in a flurry, took her to a table and then asked, “How do you feed yourself?”
Of course, we all agreed she probably wondered how the woman could distinguish one food from another on her plate.
And, since everyone in the group was blind or has low vision, we groaned and commiserated with the storyteller about the waitress.
Later, I thought, what an interesting question to write about in a journal!
The question can be asked at a deeper level, “How do I feed my body and my spirit?” If this question gets you thinking and feeling, and you already keep a journal or are considering beginning one, you might start with a journaling tool called a “springboard.” Like one of these:
Another form of nourishment might be to write an unsent letter to someone whose question, attitude or behavior left you feeling angry, frustrated or humiliated.
Write quickly without editing. Don’t concern yourself with spelling, punctuation or grammar, and let your mind go wherever it wants.
Becky DeGeorge is a Certified Journal to the Self Instructor. Journal to the Self was created by Kathleen Adams, LPC, PTR to help people use journaling to promote healing, personal growth and life enrichment.