Posted by Mari L. McCarthy on Wed, Sep 01, 2010 @ 10:39 AM
Do you ever feel as if your brain jumps from one topic to the next so rapidly you can hardly keep up? The bad news is that it can be difficult to focus for long enough to decide what to write about in your journal. The good news is that your mind has no shortage of thoughts, ideas and memories you can channel for inspiration.
Sometimes all you need to overcome writer’s block and fill up a blank page is some paper, a pen and a pair of scissors.
1. Take out a few sheets of blank paper and start writing down the first words that come to mind. Don’t overanalyze what you jot down— it doesn’t matter how scattered or random they seem (in fact, that makes it even more fun). Write words in columns, leaving white space all around each one. You will want a good mix of nouns, verbs and adjectives.
For example:
Nouns
• Ocean
• Autumn
• Coffee
• Friendship
• Money
• School
Verbs
• Love
• Dance
• Cry
• Work
• Run
• Cook
Adjectives
• Beautiful
• Hilarious
• Stressed
• Cranky
• Silly
• Crazy
2. Grab your scissors and cut out each word into individual slips of paper. Mix them all up on the desk in front of you and see which combinations jump out at you. Arrange at least three different sentence fragments and add other words to make a complete sentence out of each. Write down the sentences on a blank page in your journal.
For example:
Fragment: Work crazy autumn ocean dance silly
Sentence: Work is going to be crazy this autumn, so I want to escape to the ocean for the weekend and dance myself silly.
3. Use each of the three sentences you created as the first sentence in a paragraph several paragraphs. You can write anything you like, as long as you are writing (take that, writer’s block)! Scrawl a fictional short story, an account of a real-life memory or a prediction for the future. If you start to stray from your original sentence, that’s OK. See where your inspiration takes you.
4. If you are on a roll and want to keep writing, add a few more words and mix up the slips of paper again for another round.
What is your favorite trick to cut out writer’s block from your life?
Posted by Mari L. McCarthy on Sat, Aug 28, 2010 @ 09:30 AM
Are we at the fun part? Are we having fun yet? Quite often we get very serious in our journal. Solving problems, processing new or recurring or never-ending childhood issues, continuing to figure out who we really are. Doing a lot of ‘whying’ to our self. Searching, searching, and searching. Working, working, working.
What about taking a break and going out on a real date with your Journal? Go to the movies, a playground (and ride the swings and climb the jungle gym), take a boat ride. If you’re landlocked, hop a bus, take a subway trip. Last week I posed this question, on our Facebook page, ”What’s the most fun time you’ve ever had with your Journal?” I received an interesting response from Sue Branson Rawlings: “Sitting outside Costco watching people and writing about them...Now that's a real study in the humanities”.
Come on. I know you can share some wild and crazy times you’ve had with your Journal ‘out in the real world.’ Have a discussion with your Journal and see where he/she wants to go. Any and all ideas welcome here. There’s plenty of room for comments.
Posted by Mari L. McCarthy on Wed, Aug 25, 2010 @ 03:02 PM
The summer is finally coming to an end, which means crisp weather and brilliant fall colors are just around the corner and schools are back in session. Even though many of us are no longer students, we can still get swept up by back-to-school excitement and prepare ourselves for a fresh start this fall.
1. Buy new supplies.
Remember how fun it was to buy new notebooks, binders, pencils, pens, highlighters, day planners and other school supplies at the start of the academic year? Even if you weren’t looking forward to going back to homework and tests, there was something satisfying about starting the year with a clean slate and an organized locker. Treat yourself to a few new journaling supplies – a fresh journal, a bright desk lamp or even just a few really good pens.
2. Plan your schedule.
You no longer have to worry about getting up on time for Mrs. London’s 8 a.m. algebra class or staying awake through Mr. Garcia’s 2 p.m. world history class, but sticking to a regular journaling schedule is equally important. Look at your calendar (or your new day planner) and determine which days and times will work best for you to write in your journal. Mark a few days each week, in pen, where you will make time for journaling. Stick to your schedule.
3. Don’t forget P.E.
No one is going to force you to run a timed mile or wear unflattering gym clothes, but moving your body will keep your mind active as well. Before you sit down to journal, take a 20-minute walk around the neighborhood, hit up a yoga class or do jumping jacks in your living room to get your blood pumping. Even if you think you are too sluggish and tired to exercise, do something active for just 10 minutes and you’ll feel more alert and ready to write.
4. Set goals.
It’s a brand new year, and it’s the perfect opportunity to think about your goals for the next few months. What do you want to achieve during this fall semester? Use your journal to set short-term and long-term goals and work steadily on them over the next few months. Take a look at our three simple steps for getting started on the road to personal development.
5. Make your own progress reports.
The good news is that there are no grades or tests to worry about. Track your own progress by rereading your journal entries every few weeks and asking yourself questions about the goals you have set. Give yourself support and encouragement as much as possible, and enjoy the learning that comes with a new school year!
What subjects are you covering in Journaling class this semester?
Posted by Mari L. McCarthy on Mon, Aug 23, 2010 @ 02:38 PM
Our body is a wonderland but we treat it like a garbage can! When you have a pain, notice how automatically you reach for the pill bottle. Next time you have an ache or pain, reach for your 
journal first and diagnose what your thoughts and feelings have to do with the messages your body’s sending you.
In Deepak Chopra’s book, “Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul” he discusses how we can begin to relate to our body consciously, as a part of our selves. We are way too experienced in detaching our self from physical sensations (keeping our body at arm’s length) and seeing bodily pains, aches and whatevers as danger signals that we want to run away from or run to the drugstore about, or seek immediate medical attention for. A healthier and less costly way to live would be to start seeing our physical challenges as messages that need a reply. We can work with our journal to listen, ask our body open-ended questions and craft a creative, compassionate solution.
If you do have one, what would you call your relationship with your body? Please let us know, especially if it’s a healthy, loving, intimate living arrangement.
I’m on a first name basis with my body. And we're getting closer every day. This is a song I sing to it quite often:
Posted by Mari L. McCarthy on Tue, Aug 17, 2010 @ 01:31 PM
The grieving process is different for everyone. Losing a loved one is a very painful and personal experience, and you may feel a whole range of emotions, from denial and anger to loneliness and depression.
You might deal with your loss in a completely different way than your brother or mother or spouse, and it can often be hard to talk about how you feel. There is no immediate or magical cure for grief, but writing in a grief journal helps you process your feelings and express yourself in a safe, nonjudgmental place. Use journal therapy to write what might be too difficult to say to other people right now.
Starting today, just begin writing. It may be painful or frustrating at first, but give yourself an hour of uninterrupted time with your journal and see what you come up with. If you don’t finish the exercise in one sitting, come back tomorrow and give yourself another hour.
Grief Journal Exercise #1
1. Think back on the most vivid memories you have of the person you lost. To spark your memory, you can flip through old photo albums or journal. Choose one of these stories to focus on, close your eyes and try to remember it in detail. Relive the memory in your mind, and then use these questions to write about the experience:
• Where were you?
• What were you doing?
• What were you wearing?
• Who else was there?
• What smells, sounds and sights do you remember about the scene?
• What were your emotions at the time? What emotions do you feel now, looking back on this memory?
• Why is this particular story significant to the relationship you had with your loved one?
2. Find a visual representation of this story. If you have a photo taken that day, paste it into your journal. If not, look through old magazines to find an image that represents your feelings about your memory. You can also make a collage on a page in your journal of many images and words that express your emotions toward this story. Take your time and choose images that mean something to you.
You’ve just taken a big step forward by writing the first entry in your grief journal. Feel free to share observations or advice in the comments below.
Posted by Mari L. McCarthy on Sat, Aug 14, 2010 @ 06:33 AM
Bruce L. Bair Physician’s Assistant and Wellness Coach, interviewed me for his radio show, “Ask an Expert Anything.” This interview aired November 4th and I’ll publish excerpts of the transcript in several parts, edited for readability.
In this segment, I explain the different resources that Create Write Now offers to help you get over your resistance and put the pen to the page.
B: Bruce Bair M: Mari L. McCarthy
B: Now Mari, one of the things you talk about, as we’re discussing these things here at the end, you said the words “get out of your own way.” You also said the words “get to the page.” So, how does someone go about getting out of their way and getting to the page? What do they do at home to get out of their own way?
M: I would like to offer a couple of avenues. On Facebook I've set up a Create Write Now / Journaling for the Health of It! TM business page. It's a community of journalers where people discuss their challenges and things like that, so sometimes reading what's going on for some other people may help the process. I also publish Weekly Journal Writing Cures (JWC) Journaling Tips that they can find there (under the Journaling Tips tab) and there’s also Create Write Now’s inner healing journaling website.
On my web site I have a Journal Therapy Cures blog that talks about all different aspects of the journal writing inner healing process and dealing with issues such as “page fright” and inner critics and self-sabotage. I think one of the more recent articles I had was “Five Steps to Start Journaling for the Health of It”. Also on the web site, I have a department called Journaling Tips that has all kinds of articles, websites, books that are available. One of those resources might help journal writers get to the page more often.
To answer the question of getting out of our own way, it's a lifelong challenge, but it gets better as we go along. We must work on it.
So I think the best thing to do is to be kind to yourself. One of the things that helps is just sitting and doing some meditating. I mean, not heavy duty, you know, the whole process, but taking a few minutes and just really reconnecting with yourself and (asking), "Okay, what's going on? What's happening?" in an understanding, soothing tone of voice.
Another recommendation is sometimes just to get to the journal. I know a lot of people have the (intimidating) experience of a blank page, but just take the pen and just say, "Okay, I'll take this page and just write whatever." So that's another way. I think it's again just tuning into ourselves and just having to continually have discussions with ourselves in a lovingly compassionate way.
I think we're always so easy to beat ourselves up and to really trip ourselves up. So again, it's just a relearning, a behavior change. And it just starts with taking one step at a time and just say, "Okay, let's pick one thing," or “Let's do one page.” That way you are meeting your fears head on and showing them who’s boss. With a lot of practice, and practice with your inner healing journal, you manage and master your fears.
What do you need to help you get to the page?
Posted by Mari L. McCarthy on Fri, Aug 13, 2010 @ 06:52 AM
What happens when we sleep? We dream. Our body heals itself, if we let it. Oftentimes, we bring our stressed-out-from-the day persona to bed, still overthinking, worrying, ruminating, did I say overthinking? about all the things we can’t do anything about until at least tomorrow anyway.
One of my recently resurrected nocturnal journaling exercises is a Ten Minute Missive, where I take ten minutes and a fresh sheet of paper and write, write, write, write until I’ve completed the page.
Recently, thanks to some talks with Ellen at PracticalAstrologyandTarot, I’ve enhanced this journaling experience. After finishing my Ten Minute Missive, I meditate or do more journaling on what my biggest problem is to get clarity on what the issue really is. I take a new sheet of paper, write down a question, fold it up, put it under my pillow and I'm off to slumberland.
Already, in just three days, I’ve remembered more of my dreams, find I’m writing notes in my bedside journal in the a.m. and best of all, I’ve been sleeping through the night! As I go through my days, I’m picking up more problem solving clues: I read an article with some thought provoking phrases, someone will say something that catches my attention and then there’s always that inspirational showering experience.
Here’s what’s currently under my pillow:
8/10
How do I achieve my goal this month of graduating from using a walker to only using a cane for walking?
Please let me know how this tip goes for you.
Send us your favorite journaling tip: Mari@CreateWriteNow.com
WriteON!
Posted by Mari L. McCarthy on Tue, Aug 10, 2010 @ 01:21 PM
More often than not, it’s not our blessings but our worries, fears and other nagging problems that keep us tossing and turning at night. Some days we may feel as if nothing is going our way: work meetings were stressful, the commute home was brutal, the kids forgot about a science fair project that’s due tomorrow… the list goes on. Because we are tired and frustrated, we might be snappish with our loved ones or take the simple pleasures, such as a home-cooked meal or a hot bath, for granted.
It’s easy to lose sight of all of the reasons we have to be thankful. Keeping a gratitude journal is one of many great journaling ideas that can refocus our attention to the positive aspects of our lives.
Get Grateful
1. Open your regular journal to a new page, or start a new journal solely dedicated to this purpose. You can incorporate this exercise into your regular journaling activities, whether you prefer writing in the morning or scribbling “Night Notes” before you go to bed.
2. Reflect on everything and everyone that made you happy in the last 24 hours. Think about the people who supported you, activities that made you smile, small gestures that made your day. Nothing is too little to include in your list. Write down at least five to 10 items you are grateful for as they come to mind. Draw or paste pictures in your journal to accompany your writing if you feel artistically inspired.
For example:
- Meeting my friend Jason for coffee this afternoon—we hadn’t caught up in weeks and he made me laugh
- Noticing that my little windowsill herb garden is thriving
- Hearing my favorite song on the radio on the way to work and singing along loudly with it
- Passing by my favorite Thai restaurant and spontaneously deciding to indulge in take-out for dinner tonight
- Getting an email from my cousin who just found out her cancer is in remission
3. It might be hard to get started after a particularly tough day, but once you begin writing in your gratitude journal, you may find it’s hard to stop! After you finish your list for the day, reread each item while saying, “I am thankful for…”
Do you ever write gratitude entries in your journal? What journaling ideas do you use that keep you focused on the positive?
See more journaling ideas here!
Posted by Mari L. McCarthy on Fri, Aug 06, 2010 @ 06:16 AM
Guest Post by Joanna Paterson
When people talk about the midlife, they often describe it in terms of a journey (with the additional challenge that it's generally a destination unknown!).
Look at the word 'journey' and you'll see how close it is to 'journal'. That's because it has the same root, from the word for 'day'. The original meaning of the word 'journey' was the distance travelled, or progress made, in one day.
And although we use journals and journaling in lots more creative ways than 'just' to record the happenings of one particular day, you can see the core of what it means to journal in its root. To capture the heart of the experience of one day. To take stock and take note. To chart the distance travelled, or progress made.
I think this is one of the reasons that journal work is so useful when you're navigating the midlife. It's a journey that can be challenging at times, and it's good to take the time to remind yourself of how far you've come; to doodle and dream about the place you want to get to; to get more familiar with your own words, your writing voice, your self; or just to take some time out to be creative and play with patterns of words.
It's also often a time when you look for symbols and deeper meaning - probably as the unconscious mind makes sense of the deeper journey that you're on. Again, journal writing can help those symbols to emerge whether that's by some dream work or simply letting your words tumble and then looking back and seeing what kind of patterns or clues are emerging.
Photography is another way that we can learn to look at the world for patterns and symbols. Start looking for bridges, openings or signs when you're out and about, camera in hand, and you might be amazed at what you find!
I’m currently teaching classes at the Mid Life Journal that will guide women into exercises that entail writing, walking and photo-taking to help them get used to reflecting on what they’re seeing, noticing, and writing about.
If this sounds like the journey you’re on, or that you know you’re being invited to travel, please do pop over to the Mid Life Journal and see what’s on offer to help you find your way.
~~~
Joanna Paterson is a journal and writing coach who helps people tap into the power of their own words. She shares creative ways to get through the middle of life at The Mid Life Journal.
Posted by Mari L. McCarthy on Thu, Aug 05, 2010 @ 07:06 AM
Lyrics make great journaling jumpstarters. Begin a journal writing session with a line from Billy Joel’s ‘The Longest Time’: "I'm that voice you're hearing in the hall and…"
I’m working on a new album, “My Favorite Sings—Then and Now” a smooth jazz version of my favorite broadway melodies. Here are some of lyrics from this project that I've used in my journaling sessions:
1. “I’d be the first one to agree that I’m preoccupied with me” from ‘I Won’t Send Roses’.
2. “I never thought I’d come to this” from ‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him”.
3. “Even without you, my arms fold about you” from ‘So in Love’.
4. “Out into the world we go, planning futures, shaping years” from ‘Love Changes Everything’.
How do you use songs in your journal writing? What lyrics rock your muse's world?
Please share. We all can get by with a little help from our friends.