Well, it’s that time again! Let’s see what the picture elves can come up with this week!
Tag Archives: journaling
Colorful Ideas
What pens or pencils do you use to write in your journal? Do you have a favorite, or do you use whatever is handy at the moment? Do you keep a special writing implement just for journaling, like a high-quality pen or pencil, or do you just grab whatever will write?
This week, why not consider adding some colors to your journal? Color is a great tool for expressing yourself-most of us have colors that we associate with warmth, joy, excitement, depression, anxiety or anger. What would happen if you chose the color of your journal entry based on your predominant emotion when you begin writing? The colors could well become signals that give clues to the entry’s content before you even read it.
Some people also color-code their journals according to some pre-determined key. Hopes and dreams may be one color, and accounts of experiences might be a different one. Practical, bright ideas could be green, and fanciful ones might be a delightful shade of pink. Memories might be purple, and musings from deep in your psyche could be blue. It’s completely up to you!
What tools could you use to add color to your journal entries? Well, there are a rainbow of inks in pens available, and there are some delightful fine-point markers that just may fit the bill. Colored pencils offer a wealth of possibilities, too. Crayons, on the other hand, are a bit tougher to write with though a person could certainly do so if they tried. Even highlighting markers might have their place when you want to emphasize some words, phrases or sentences.
And you’re not actually limited to words, either. Some journals (and some people who journal) are actually set up to doodle on one page and write on the facing page. There are many ideas that are more easily expressed in pictures than in words, or perhaps you are one of those people who thinks and communicates in more visual ways.
This week, why not leave the monochrome world behind and add some color to your journal! Experiment! Try new things and you just may find a style or technique that truly reflects who you are deep down inside.
Share Your Experiences
One type of journal that has potential for publication is personal experience. Take a quick look around any book store, and you will find countless examples of personal experience stories that had their beginnings as journals. No matter what you are going through or dealing with, there are others out there who would like to follow your story. They want to know how you handled yourself, what triumphs and challenges were a part of your story, and most of all, they want to know that they are not alone. Whether your story is an example, a warning, or something in between, it can serve as a guide and an inspiration to others.
Now, I can hear you thinking, “Who am I to share my story? Why would anyone care what I have to say?” or even, “Nothing really happens in my life; therefore no one will want to read my story.” Not so. You’re human, I suspect, and so you have valid insights into the human condition. Here are just a few examples, but I’m sure you will think of countless others.
- Tell about buying or selling your home. Nearly everyone is faced with a move at some point in their life, and you can be the voice of experience.
- Describe your first year away from your parents. This is another experience that nearly everyone goes through, and your voice just may be the inspiration (or caution) that a young person might need.
- Share your experience with a medical condition or caring for a loved one with a medical condition. This is a very common type of publish-able journal; many, many others need to know they are not the first to walk that path.
- Tell about your religious experience. When, where and how did you become a believer? How has it impacted your life?
- Tell the story of the birth of your child or children. Although common to the human experience, everyone goes through it for the first time, and your thoughts might be just what they need to read. Or, if you are an adoptive parent, tell of your journey to adoption.
- Can you share a skill or a process? If you are crafty or creative, good with wood or sewing, you can journal about your projects.
So you see, you DO have experiences to share in your journal that could turn into a publishable work. And there’s likely an audience for it. Now all you need to do is write it!
Inspiration in Pictures-November 25, 2015
What do these pictures bring to mind? Share in your journal.
Expand Your Horizons
Journaling has many purposes, and best of all, it’s fine to change direction or add a new purpose any time you wish. Today, I’d like you to consider some exploration in your journal. Try writing in new and different ways! Experiment a little bit, and you may discover a hidden talent or a new passion. Who knows, you might even find a path to making your journal profitable! If you’ve never tried any of these types of entries, perhaps now is the time.
For many, journal entries are an opportunity for self-exploration. Writers share their innermost thoughts and feelings in a place where no one else will look without invitation. It’s a safe way to express yourself. The entries typically take the form of a monologue, with the author saying whatever is on his or her mind.
Some use their journal as a record of what happened recently. It serves as a diary of sorts, and the writer can look back years later to see what was important in life back then and also get an assist to recall. Friends and loved ones can enjoy the family stories from long ago when the journal is shared.
Your journal can serve as a repository for ideas and inspirations. Describe your genius thought in detail, then it will be available for action when the time is right. This is a great way to capture moments when you see clearly and know just what you want to try out or accomplish.
Try using your journal to record your progress through new experiences. Tell the steps you take as well as your thoughts and feelings, the progress you’ve made, and what you would do differently next time. Record your insights and your challenges. This type of journal can easily turn into a “been-there-done-that” publishable book! In fact, you could journal about the process of taking your journal entries to publication….
How long has it been since you’ve written poetry? Your journal is a great place to explore the many creative ways that words can be put onto paper. You can try your hand at the traditional types of poetry, with rhyme, rhythm and structure, or you can write free verse, or anything else you wish.
A descriptive essay can be a lot of fun for a journal entry. Choose an event or activity that you truly love, and write to intentionally engage the five senses. Use the most vivid language you can muster, and take yourself (and other readers) into the scene. Include the smells, tastes, feelings, and sounds as well as the description of things that you see.
Novels and short stories can spring from journal entries, too. Make something up out of whole cloth, or start with a real, concrete experience or thing. It can be fun to create a backstory for a character that you’ve read about somewhere else, or to tell the imaginary story of someone you happened to see on the street. Take the perspective of a pet or a common household item like a shoe or a potato and tell about its day.
Sharpen your persuasive writing skills by practicing on yourself. See if you can write to convince your internal editor to change his or her mind about an issue. Write in support of things you believe in, then try writing in support of the other side (it’s a whole lot more challenging!).
Record your hopes and dreams. What do you wish for more than anything in the whole wide world? Why? And how can you turn these dreams into reality? Or should you?
This just begins to scratch the surface of ways you can be creative with your journal entries. The key is to remember that you are not locked into ANYTHING. Your journal is your own, and you can write in any way you wish. Set your sights on a new horizon and push the limits sometimes.
Topic Ideas: Week of 11-23-15
Here are some ideas for your journal this week.
Focuses for a new journal:
- Thanksgiving traditions
- Your family
- Your blessings
Journal prompts:
- What do you remember about Thanksgiving from your childhood?
- Which person from your family would you love to pull out of the past and celebrate with this week?
- Have you ever shared Thanksgiving with someone who was not related to you by blood or marriage? Why or why not?
- How important are traditional foods in your household? Why is that?
- Have you ever helped with a community or charity Thanksgiving feast? What was that experience like for you?
- What are your feelings about “Black Friday” and the traditional shopping spree that follows Thanksgiving?
- How does the run-up to Christmas look to you right now? Are you excited, bored, dreading it? What will you be doing over the next four weeks?
Remember you can get a daily prompt for six weeks by signing up below:
The ABCs of Praise
Looking for a new and creative way to let the Lord know how 
excited you are about knowing Him? In your journal, try the ABCs of Praise. The concept is simple: just write the alphabet down the left side of the page (use extra pages if you need to). Give yourself at least two lines so you have some room to be creative. Now, for each letter, think of a word, phrase or even a sentence that begins that way to praise the Lord. Consider His attributes, and all he has done for you and for the world.
This simple exercise not only will expand your prayer vocabulary a bit, but it will also set you to searching for more wonderful attributes of God. It’s great for those times when your heart is so full of wonder and amazement that it’s hard to know where to begin.
But what if you have trouble with some of the tough letters? How in the world can you come up with praises for J, Q, X and Z? I’ve got a few ideas. If you need help, try these on for size: Judge, Just, Quick, Quality, and Zealous. All of that leaves us with X, the most challenging letter of all. You could look for some obscure X word known only to Scrabble players and crossword fanatics, or you could give yourself permission to use a word that sounds like it starts with X, such as “exciting” or “exquisite.”
Best of all, when you are done, you will have a ready-made prayer of praise! Just read your list of ways to praise God out loud. You’ll want to return to it again and again, so put this one somewhere in your journal where it is easy to find.
Finding Time to Put Your Thoughts On Paper
One of the biggest reasons that people abandon their commitments to journaling is TIME. The journal gets set aside during busy times, times of stress, or times when routines are disrupted, then it’s never picked back up again. Years later, you find your empty notebook with three entries and a ream of blank pages. Sound familiar?
If you’re hoping to someday turn your journaled thoughts and musings into published content, though, this absolutely will not work. In order to make your dream of publishing come true, you have to have material to publish, and the only way to get that through journaling is write regularly over an extended period of time.
The secret is priority. How badly do you want to create that journal content? Are you dedicated to the concept? If so, then read on for some hints about how to make sure you write in your journal nearly every day.
- Put yourself on a schedule. Figure out what time of day is best for you to get creative juices flowing, and then make sure you are in a position to write, undisturbed, for the amount of time you feel best. This might mean locked in your room with notebook and pen, or it might mean in a quiet place with computer and keyboard, or even in a position to dictate your thoughts onto your voice recorder or phone.
- Start small and work your way up. You don’t have to write thousands of words at a time to start being more consistent with your journal. Try setting a minimum time limit instead. Write for at least five minutes at first, then work your way up to writing for fifteen or even thirty minutes.
- Make a date with yourself. Put an appointment into your personal calendar (literally!). I don’t just mean to intend to write and make a mental note; I mean actually pick a time and put an appointment into your personal calendar just like you would for a lunch engagement or a doctor visit. Write it down. If you’re using a digital calendar, make it a repeating appointment. This way, you won’t accidentally schedule yourself out of your journaling time.
- Save time in other areas and use it for journaling. If you’re like most of us, you have some room for improvement in the efficiency department, especially in routine tasks such as house or yard work. Look for ways to get more done in less time, and you will free up time to write in your journal.
- Add a few moments to your day by rising a bit earlier or going to bed a bit later. Myself, I do best early in the morning, but that’s completely up to you.
- Give up a little television time. Let’s face it. Most of us spend way too much time in front of TV. Keep an honest log of your TV time and you’ll see what I mean. Could you give up a show or two to make time for your journal?
- And don’t get me started on digital distractions. How much time are YOU spending on games and social media? It’s time for an honest assessment of that, too. Could you shave fifteen or thirty minutes off of that time, then put all of the minutes together to make time to write in your journal?
- Make a production goal. One reason NaNoWriMo works so well is that it pushes people to write more than they ever dreamed to be possible. 50,000 words in a single month is a VERY ambitious goal, yet each year hundreds of thousands of writers participate. Now, you don’t need to write that much in one month, but you can set ambitious goals for yourself. How about filling your notebook within a certain length of time? Be sure to keep track of your progress in some visible manner, and consider setting up small rewards for yourself at milestones, such as 1/4 or 1/2 way done. Plan a celebration when you do finally reach your goal.
- Keep your eyes on the prize. Once you’ve set a goal, keep it in front of your space all the time. This might be with a sticky note on your keyboard or a home screen graphic on your tablet or computer, but make your goal visible.
- Accountability helps, too. Find someone to be a journaling partner. You don’t have to share your actual writing to do this; just agree to trade word or page counts on a regular basis and to offer encouragement to one another.
Experiment! Find out which of these tips will work for you, and your journal will grow right before your eyes. And remember, if you need a regular dose of writing prompts to build the habit, you’ll want to sign up for the Journaling Life mailing list! You’ll get six weeks’ worth of ideas to write about! Just complete the form below:
Toward More Vivid Writing
No matter what you think you’re doing with your journal, chances are very good that, deep down inside, one of your goals is to have your voice heard long after you are gone. Even if you’re not planning to try to publish your work someday, your children, grandchildren and other loved ones will treasure your written thoughts as a connection to the real you.
Journaling is an opportunity to hone your writing skills. Whether you are describing a special event, the day-to-day pieces of your life, your innermost thoughts or hope and dreams, make your writing memorable by using the most vivid language you can muster.
Vivid language makes your writing come alive for your reader. It will also dance off of the paper when you reread your work years from now. Not only that, but the constant prod to write just a little bit better than you did yesterday will help you continually improve your craft.
How does one go about making writing more vivid? Try a few of these exercises as you journal in the coming days.
- Be intentional about appealing to all the senses when you describe events, places, people or things. Describe not only what you see and hear, but also what you smell, taste and touch.
- Use the most specific words you can muster. Don’t simply describe something as “big;” try fifty-cent words like “gargantuan,” “giant,” or “huge.” If it was frightening, try words like “horrendous,” “terrifying,” or “petrifying.”
- See if you can increase the reading level of your writing by using longer sentences and words with more syllables. You can take a snapshot of a piece’s reading level by typing it into the word processor and doing the more elaborate grammar check instead of a simple spell check. Check your word processor’s documentation to find out how to turn on this feature if it’s not readily apparent.
- Wipe a few of your most commonly-used words from your vocabulary. “Very” is a great example. There are much better ways to express that thought. Try “extremely,” “undoubtedly,” or “surely.”
- Add in some figurative language. You remember these from high school English class: the simile, the metaphor, alliteration, and so forth. You don’t need to name them or analyze them, but add some comparisons to make your writing sparkle, and pay attention to how the words sound if they are read aloud.
Topic Ideas: Week of 11-16-23
Just sharing some ideas about what you could write about this week!
Starting a new journal? Try these themes:
- Your cooking experiences
- Your prayer life
- Favorite family outings
Journal prompts:
Write about these if you are looking for ideas:
- What emotions are prompted by the change from fall into winter for you?
- What comes to mind when you see the trees without their leaves?
- How does journaling help you?
- If you could do any job in the world, what would you choose and why?
- What problem would you wipe out of your life right now if you could?
- What has been your biggest blessing this week? How so?
- Where would you go on a vacation get-away if you could leave today?
Remember you can get a daily prompt for six weeks by signing up below: