How to Creatively Fill A Journal Part One: Self-Discovery

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By Jessie Fitzgerald
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bridge the gap between self and page

My previously considered article title was "How To Journal And Get Out Alive" and this article is how to creatively to do so. Here are five ways to spice up your relationship with your journal. Use these techniques to find new life in journaling, and further discover yourself. Before you do anything else, you need to relax and determine the sensory elements that create the environment that you need to for journaling.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Step 1

capture your life

Biographical exploration
Take snapshots of your life. Pictures are more than okay, but you can find gripping sensory tidbits equally informative. Often, these simple selections of your life or a list of them creates plenty of inspiration to write on other things. Also try to write synopses of your life's current status at regular intervals and then look back at them after a period of time. You can then journal about your growth. Journaling about yourself provides an endless avenue of inspiration and material to fill any journal. Try to find unique ways to write about yourself, and suddenly you can read yourself like an open book: your journal will be full of content!
Step 2

fill in your dreams

Personal vision statement
It is helpful to write about yourself in the future. Write about the future you want to happen. Fill your journal with meaningful content about the life you want. Pick the place you want to live. Write the person you want to be. Determine the character you want other people to recognize. Write your legacy and then you are free to enjoy that life you want. This is something you can journal endlessly about, between the initial discovery of yourself to the continued discussion on your vision and your progress.
Step 3

move forward

Goals
You explored yourself, explored your visions, and now you need to find your tools to achieve said vision. This is when you journal goals. Determine goals by planning backwards from your vision and focus goals for each specific area in your life or role that you have. Set goals, journal about them, discuss with yourself why they are goals, determine how to meet them and record your progress and struggles. This is one the most beneficial techniques to journal for yourself. You can fill any journal with this wealth of growth.
Step 4

see the light

Get spiritual
You have followed so many other parts of yourself. Now write meditations, prayers, verses, truths, ponderings, musings, use pictures or snapshots (again) of your emotions or responses regarding your spirituality. Here lies further infinite potential to fill your journal and your soul.
Step 5

find your targets

Current events
Now, step outside your own scope and write about the international, national, region, state, city, town, even street scope of what is going on write now. Discuss your thoughts and opinions. Even brainstorm about solving issues of our time. It could be the next city hall citizen's forum topic or letter to your senator or even help you see who fits your ideals and help you vote! It also means that you are interacting with yourself and with the world and gives you a sense of connection to today. Sometimes you can feel stuck in yourself and nearly a timeless area. This is good, but sometimes you want to feel grounded in utter reality.

Comments

amandaford said

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on 10/25/2008 I am really enjoying your perspective on life that shines through in your articles. I have been writing regularly in a journal since about the 6th grade. I like how you have incorporated many different areas we can write about in our journals. And what a treat to look back at our lives in 5, 10, 15, 50 years!