Spit the Words Out!

We should write because humans are spiritual beings and writing is a powerful form of prayer and meditation, connecting us both to our own insights and to a higher and deeper level of inner guidance as well.

Julia Cameron

THE RIGHT TO WRITE

As a child, I kept many diaries.  I loved to write about as much as I loved to read.  Then I learned how to type on a typewriter similar to the antique one above.  I could type faster than I could write so it was a favorite thing for me to do.  Of course I did not learn correct hand positions until high school, but 'hunt and peck' with two fingers really worked well!

When writing by hand, thoughts  can evolve a little deeper.  There is something magical about pen in hand and pen to paper.  I have numerous notebooks to journal in ... dreams, quotes, spiritual subjects ... and I love to randomly sketch on the pages.  When it comes to serious writing for me, I much prefer to use the computer.  Once an idea begins to unfold in my head, my fingers have to be faster than my thoughts.  As information begins to flow through me, typing on the computer is the only way to keep up.

Writing is good for the soul.  When I ask people if they journal or write, so many reply with excuses that don't really matter.  For instance, grammar.  No one is going to comb through a journal with a red pen!  Who cares if words are accidentally misspelled?  No one would be reading private entries anyway.  If using a computer, there is spell check.  A journal might be filled with cryptic phrases or recorded poems or sketches.  My father kept a journal for many years, each night logging in the weather.  It probably meant nothing to anyone else, but to him it was a ritual in his later years.

The importance of writing is the act of expression.  We all need to express our selves.  It is amazing to turn back a few pages in a journal to re-read what was written in our own words.  We really do have wisdom just waiting to be placed on a page.  We may surprise our selves with what we come up with or the thread of meaning running through numerous entries.  Writing is like anything else, it takes practice.

As an adult, my morning pages would be filled with (and I quote) comments such as:  I don't know what to write, I have nothing to say; but eventually I broke through the barrier and relaxed into the task which became a love.  In difficult times, my gratitude journal had evening entries such as:  I am grateful the day is over or I am grateful I can end this day.  Not very inspiring, but later was proof of my strength and endurance.

There is no formal agenda to be followed in a Journal.  Just spit the words out ... lonely, angry  grateful, memories, sad, scared, in love, in the flow, seeking connection, etc ... The topics are endless and uniquely our own. 

(Elizabeth Berg wrote a book several years ago entitled, "The Pull of the Moon."  It remains one of my favorites.  A woman impulsively buys a blank journal which leads her on an adventure to her authenic self.)