Tag: journaling

Healing from Torment

Published on by Noreen LaceLeave a comment

Recently, at a writer’s conference, I came across a number of authors writing about healing. One wrote about healing from long term illness. Another wrote about healing from life’s torments.

Previously, when attending writers’ conferences, I had not come across one person or one workshop about healing through writing.

I find it, not ironic, but apropos that so many writers focus on healing. I have written a number of entries about healing through writing.

I appreciate that more people are talking about it, creating safe spaces, and sharing prompts.

Growing up, the tortured artist effect became popular. In order to be a successful creative, one had to suffer. I wrote once that life offers – insists – upon torment. Many of us face so many challenges throughout our lifetimes, it seems insane to go looking for more. But some believed they had to suffer in order to inspire creation and earn success.

But maybe, today, we can focus on healing from life’s challenges and use that to inspire creation and earn success.

Healing through writing doesn’t necessarily mean to write to share, but journaling might help. I love this new journal: Joy: A Journal of Positive Thinking to Inspire Joy

Of course, any notebook will work. This one has prompts for inspiration.

We’ve had a challenging a few years. The news is full of negative stories. Anxiety, fear, unhappiness is at all time highs.

I’m inspired that so many authors are writing and publishing stories and prompts to help our world.

So many of us have something to offer. Start writing. Start healing. Start sharing!

Drama, drama, drama

Published on by Noreen LaceLeave a comment

I feel bad for a neighbor who is going through some stuff. I’m not going to judge her or what she may or may not have done. I am going to judge the people who showed up at her door screaming and yelling at her when she has small children inside.

I won’t go into her drama. I’m just saying – we’ve all had some, right?

Drama seems to follow some people – or does it? For some time, I felt drama followed me around like a stray dog. But like a stray dog – if you feed it, it’ll come back.

Once I got away from EVERYONE, and I mean everyone, who was into drama, gossiped, was jealous, said half assed things to me, the drama went with them.

Many, many years ago someone said to me, you are who you hang around with. They were talking about one particular girlfriend who was in trouble quite often. So, at that time, being the smart ass kid that I was, I refused to believe it.

It took me some time, sadly, to realize that you are who your friends are. Even if most of my friends were saints, I always had that one… you know the one… and I thought that really didn’t matter. They need me. I need them. They would help me hide the body.

At some point, I realized that person, or those people, don’t bring anything to my life. In fact, they take away from the quality, happiness, calm, peacefulness, so I decided to find a new crowd.

Well, not exactly. I decided I’d rather be alone than have people around me who didn’t truly care or support me. But soon I started finding real friends. Good friends. They may or may not help me hide a body, but I know they will stop me from doing stupid things, support me when I want to step out of my comfort zone. They will help when I need help and lift me when I’m down.

I’ve had enough drama to keep my journals filled and my writing sparked for the rest of my life. I don’t need anymore of that sh!t.

I checked on one of my friends recently, and she responded, “you are so incredibly kind.” And it took me a minute to see myself as she described. I mean – I have always, always attempted to be kind and giving and loving. But I was around people who did not care, people who said I did not give enough. It feels wonderful to be surrounded by those who see me, who help me to be who I want to be.

Drama can be addicting – some people live off of it, thrive off of it. They draw it in and pull others in with it. They create it through gossip and misadventure! Lie. Invent things.

One must really decide to make a change. And one must decide they’d rather be alone. Being alone can mean working on ourselves without outside interference and we all need that. And then be selective about those you include in your circle. There is nothing wrong with deciding who to fill your circle with. It’s one of the most important decisions in your life. It dictates who you want to be and who you can become.

The Fine Art of Journaling

Published on by Noreen LaceLeave a comment

I’ve written about the healing power of writing, but haven’t mentioned it in the same sentence with journaling. Any type of writing will help, bullet points, brainstorming, I most often start with freewriting as that is what works best for me.

Freewriting is the act of writing without stopping. Many people begin with a set time, like 5 minutes, and they’ll write whatever comes to mind. If you’re unpracticed in journaling or freewriting, this might work if it seems starting might seem overwhelming.

Some people see journals as a way of recording the day’s events, certain thoughts or feelings, or even keeping track of accomplishments and to-do lists. It can be all or any of these things.

It used to be I’d read Sylvia Plath’s journals or Anais Nin’s diary excerpts and be intimidated – how did they create such lovely and thoughtful prose in their journals when what I scribble appears more like word vomit, thoughts and emotions all over the place in no particular order? and there certainly isn’t much poetry within it!

But then a friend pointed out a few things. First: some people keep a writer’s journal (as opposed to or in addition to a personal journal). This may be what I’ve been exposed to within the realm of famous author’s private thoughts. Second: These published journals have probably been edited, redacted, and only the best parts saw the light of day.

The Diary of Anne Frank, most people are unaware, was edited. Large parts of the original text were blacked out by her father who thought some entries to be inappropriate.

Hey – all the best journals have inappropriate thoughts! That’s why they are there in the secrecy of our journals.

But journals serve a number important purposes: Journal writing relieves us of our anxiety by releasing any thoughts and feelings that have been unexpressed or need to be re-expressed. Writing things down is a way to get them out of us, to say them aloud, and begins a process of working out the challenges we face.

Writing regularly helps with mental well-being, feeling more positive and hopeful. Journaling can help us heal.

Some writers do morning pages. Some people journal nightly. The best time is the time that suits you.

The fine art of journaling lies in putting the pen to the paper and doing what feels best for you without worrying what others will think. It is just for you. And we all need that – to do things for ourselves.

Your Journal is Important, Especially Now

Published on by Noreen Lace4 Comments
journaling

Journaling allows us to process our daily lives. It helps us see patterns that we are taking part in physically and mentally, and most importantly it allows release.

 

Don’t hold back in journaling. These are your private thoughts and they need voicing and validation. No one ever needs to read them – or you can turn them into a creative efforts.  Some of my students have begun painting, writing, or even baking to express their creative outlets.

 

During this time, my writer friends and I are journaling to keep track of an important time in history. Maybe these will be records of human thoughts and feelings during a very difficult time in our society – much like The Diary of Anne Frank.

 

Some are doing dream journals as well.

 

In a few years, this will be forgotten, swept under the rug, or rebranded. Our society, our children, and our grandchildren’s grandchildren will need real life, first person examples of what was happening internally and externally.

 

I teach topics that deal with slavery, suffrage, native American relocation stories. We read first person accounts. These allow my students to understand critical happenings in our society not from our history books who are written by the victors or the historians recording political acts, but by the people who went through and dealt with racism, oppression, and death our history has reaped on individuals.

 

Journaling seems more important now than it ever has before.

 

It can be anything you want it to be, look like anything you want it to look like. Let it be private and burn it later. Or share it.