Enthusiastically, Dawn

I spent a sleepless night on a hardwood floor last night in my home office. The reason? Our cat, Phoenix, the youngest of the three felines we are owned by, had required emergency surgery. This is my “the dog ate my homework” explanation as to why I am late posting my concluding thoughts and final post to the Fall Into Journaling challenge/series. But it wasn’t my dog, or homework. Instead it was our ten pound kitty who had ingested 36 inches of black string. This was only discovered after days of vomiting (by the cat but once we see the final bill we may follow suit) followed by a whirlwind weekend of vet visits, a discovery of the culprit (black string wrapped around the base of his tongue), culminating with surgery (removal of string from small intestine), the cone of shame, and finally ending up with my camp out on the office floor by the fake fire in the electric fireplace.

If you are still with me, rest assured Phoenix is recovering well from all this, and me…that is an ongoing story. Let’s get to the reason for this delayed post- YOUR completion of the Fall into Journaling writing adventure, YOUR questions answered and my concluding thoughts. Ready? Let’s do this!

First and foremost if you did complete the Fall Into Journaling journey:

CONGRATULATIONS!

Thank you to those who sent questions. They will be sprinkled throughout this post, like bits of confetti, and hopefully the answers provided will be helpful to all who read.

Q: How do you typically use journaling?

Typically, my journaling looks like prayer, and often is. There is something about the blank page that invites my pouring out to God through the pen. It also looks like a lot of ideas, poetry, plans scribbled out – a process drawn out in theory before the actuality. I have often said, my Planner is the Doing side of my life, but my journal is the “inside peek” at what I am thinking about “as I go”. As I respond to what I am doing, living and seeing, I write about what is significant to me. Sometimes a working out on paper what I can’t see clearly in my mind. I think I use journaling in many ways, not one way. I allow “journaling” to be what I need it to be in the moment. This keeps me from making it something I don’t enjoy, or don’t do. For me journaling is a practical way to fine tune my thoughts, clarify my emotions. Journaling offers me the opportunity to hear myself and gain distance from emotions in a healthy way at times. I think journaling makes me a better listener, as I have learned to see through my own BS, and dig out of my own messes. Journaling is the way I reflect, filter and process, the happenings of my life. You will rarely if ever find me without a notebook on my person!

Q: Do you prefer the more random prompts that are discussing a quote or the more introspective prompts that take you into your own thoughts and feelings?

This is an interesting question, and I hope I can answer in and honest but also helpful way. I think we bring ourselves to the journal, so for me it’s not that I prefer one or the other, but which one might get me writing that day. Some days I will see a quote that makes me think, another day I might skim over the same quote. Why? Because every day is a different set of circumstances that make us sensitive to some things, and not others. So one day a quote is great, the next I stare at the paper and can’t think of anything in response to it. Now, if it is a powerful quote that touches a core memory, or value- I probably will have something to say about it- but might not want to write about it that same day. I think it depends on many different factors with prompts that have more to do about your emotional, intellectual and physical state at the time as to whether one of the other is preferred. That is why I offer up different ways to think about the same prompt when I offer them. I know for me, it’s just a matter of finding the right angle, hitting the right spot, pushing the right -write button- in the moment. I see writing opportunities everywhere – hence the random , but also multiple angled prompts. I also tend to be an introspective person. I was the child always asking, why? how? when? to infinity! I have a seeking sort of mentality. A learner’s mind, one that wants to understand. But also, in varying degrees, we all do- so I try to look at things from a lot of sides to squeeze the most out of each prompt.

Q: What kind of journaling do you find most meaningful?

This might be easier answered by saying what I don’t find meaningful. I don’t find the guided journals to be meaningful to me. ANything with structures or predetermined boxes is usually a big STOP sign for me. There are many new guided journals on the market, and I have no use for them. This isn’t to say they may not be helpful to others and that they don’t have their place, but I am not helped by them. They hinder my style of journaling which is more intuitive, spontaneous and specific to me. My journaling morphs with me, so it can be varied, and flexible. Guided journals inhibit that for me as they are fixed in their format. The journaling I find most meaningful, is the journaling that is meaningful to me today. Do I need to scribble a poem in the moment, or a jot a prayer or prayer reminder (sometimes in the planner and journal), draft a note to a friend, write my thoughts to news heard, or pour out my heart to Jesus in the moment my heart cries as I go? DO I want to write a list, or capture a memory on paper, or remember a loved one, record gratitudes, or ideas for anything I might have? What is most meaningful to me today? That will be reflected in my journal. My journal is a very magical item, I guess as it magically morphs itself in service to me. Like a genie in a bottle, maybe.

Q: Are there any non-journaling books on the horizon?

I am assuming we are talking about writing to publish with this question. So I will answer it from that point – please correct me if I am wrong. The answer is yes. I have a book of poems I am in the process of fine tuning for publication. These poems deal specifically with living through the shock of sudden loss specific to suicide such as what we have lived through in the loss of our only child. Anyone who has dealt with suicide, sudden loss, or the grief journey will find themselves in the pages. I also have long wanted to publish a collection or poems for Advent/Lent, and a collection of devotional essays. I’d also like to work on and edit an anthology book of other writers’ work.

Q: Are you considering hosting this (Fall Into Journaling) again?

I am always coming up with new ways to share journaling, so I absolutely hope so. I love coming up with prompts to inspire others.

Q: Would you think of compiling these (wonderful) prompts and the others from the 200-Day-Journal Prompt Journey into a book?

My dear daughter Katherine copied every single 200-Day -Journal post from Instagram into a document so I could work on that project. I am so grateful she did, I probably never would have done that. I would love to honor here memory in completing this long pondered project. In addition to updating Journaling for Discovery and Delight (published 2017), I would like to develop the 200 prompts into a book. Absolutely.

Q: Do you have a favorite pen or notebook for journaling?

I do not have one specific pen or notebook I faithfully use. In my journal archives I have 3-5 subject spiral bound notebooks, and fancier journals -all have served their purpose in their course of time. I use a variety of notebooks and pens, without any brand loyalty. I feel stronger about the ones I do not like or prefer, but I will not name them. It is personal preference. There are many budget friendly options available. I do have an affinity to the Pilot G-2 pretty consistantly as one of my favorite pens. I have more than a few Moleskines as well. So those are two items I tend to always have around which are easily accessible in most American stores. There are many popular brands (and I have tried MANY) but have found the less expensive items which offer white paper (my preference) are just as good, sometimes better than what is popular or trendy. I recently found a wonderful, reasonably priced journal on Amazon by a company which is not well known ( I may review this product soon as I was very impressed with it). Despite what the influencers and advertisers would have us believe it’s not really about the product, but what you are putting down in it. Right now I am favoring using less popular and more affordable options. However I do have a shelf of waiting to be used notebooks and journals of all varieties from inexpensive to higher end. Which begs the question, can one ever have too many notebooks or journals?

In conclusion I confess, I love writing and creating prompts as much as I love journaling them. Coming up with prompts gets me thinking outside the box about things. I try to see from many different perspectives and it becomes a great challenge. So I challenge you , as I have in the past- find your prompts wherever you go and write from wherever you are! Also the Doctor’s office with a magazine stack is just an oasis of prompts waiting for you! Get going on your journey of discovery and delight!

Thanks again for joining in on the journey. I apologize for being late with this post but at the conclusion of it, we have visited the vet four times in the last six days and since I wrote that first paragraph – more if I count twice in one day. That has been a journey of its own.

Wishing you continued journaling joy-

Enthusiastically, Dawn