Enthusiastically, Dawn

Well here we are for another Random Journal Day and it is a very special CELEBRATORY event this month since the first Friday of July 2014 happens to be the 4th of July! So, dig into your old journal bins or choose one of the journal prompts from 21 Days of Journaling and share your post with us anytime this week and through next weekend depending on your party schedule. How about sharing and old fourth of July post from 10 years ago? Or maybe last year, the wonderful thing when we look back at those pages is seeing all the the little things we often forget. Be sure and check out our little Summer Giveaway via Rafflecopter as well.

Our Featured Journal Keeper this month is someone who has become near and dear to my heart and the first fellow blogger I have had the opportunity to meet in real life! . Dawn Maurice blogs her journey of love, art and faith over at Heart Du Jour. Her beautiful and creative journal doodles are a delectable feast for word lovers and art journal keepers alike. I have received some of her creations via snail mail and they have come at just the right time. Please welcome our fellow journal girl, New Englander, pet lover and more – the very creative Dawn Maurice…

Wow! Hi! I’ve graciously been invited by my sweet friend, Dawn, to guest post today for Random Journal Day and to share some thoughts about journaling.

I’ve always loved writing, from the time I was old enough to put words down on paper. It’s helped me cope through many things in life. First, being an extreme introvert, I’m honestly terrified of people and new things, new places. I’m a happy little hermit, content to be quietly tucked away at home, safe from all things scary and overwhelming in the world. And being so shy, I’m not good at talking to people face to face, but I could whip out a book length letter to an unseen pen pal on the other side of the world in no time flat. Writing, for me, is a safe way to connect with the world around me.

Naturally, journaling helps me sort out everything going on inside of me. I tend to bottle things up, pondering and obsessing over myriad details, ideas, inspirations, conversations, along with life’s stresses and day to day worries. The only way for me to make sense of it all and to keep things from running over, in, and through each other, I have to get it out and put it all down on paper. This has taken the form of diaries, art and prayer journals, Morning Pages when I worked my way through Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, and countless planners and organizers. Little bits scribbled here and there, jotted notes in an effort to make sense of everything in my head. It doesn’t always work, but it does keep me from boiling over and losing my mind!

I find myself going through phases of writing more at times and less, depending on time constraints, stress levels in my life. Inherently, I’m much happier when I’m writing and journaling. When I’m not writing, I begin to feel tense and angry with so much conflicted confusion trapped inside. Journaling, especially prayer journaling, is free therapy when you feel like there’s no one available to talk to, but we can always talk with God.

I’ve lost I don’t even know how many journals over the years from moving so often. Sad to think all those memories, moments, gone. Since settling here, I’m accumulating more and more art journals, sketchbooks filled cover to cover—which is new for me. I never finished a full sketchbook in my life until we moved here. I’d like to fill more written journals. I’m working on it….

Thanks, Dawn, for having me this month and

thanks everyone for joining us in this journaling journey!

Hugs!

Dawn

Now it’s time to link up and share our journals! If you have not joined in before, just check out  the Random Journal Day  tab (or click link) for details! I know it’s busy, beautiful Summer- but there’s plenty of time for you to join in now through Monday! 

*Don’t forget to enter for a chance to win a great Summer Devotional (which can be read anytime of the year)! I’ll be linking up shortly after I dig into a stack of oldies but goodies! Happy Journaling!

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Create with Joy