Your Journal Sandbox
Play with your life!
“Journaling is like whispering to one’s self
and listening at the same time.” – Mina Murray,
a character in Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Journals do not have to always be serious and filled with pain and angst. Sometimes there’s a new, lighter voice that just wants you to come out and play.
Playing with stickers is somewhat like choosing tarot cards without a fixed readings book. They speak directly to your imagination and sometimes the silliest stuff comes up … but, who cares? This is your journal … you talking to yourself … you skipping rope on a balcony you can’t fall off of. No one will grade this … or even see it unless you want them to. It’s your own private sandbox.
On one of my journal pages, when I was obviously trying to break a blockage with a multitude of stickers, I wrote “Stickers are a journaler’s best friend.”
“When your journal life gets too serious — breakout in stickers!”
Also, “Chew some dream flavored chewing gum.”
And, “Pet a rainbow cat.”
It looks like I was being sucked into a silliness vortex. But, I love that page.
Seriously, I think allowing our minds to turn cartwheels and imagine rainbow cats, creates a flexibility that allows unexpected insights to flow freely without fearing censorship and judgment.
Mindmaps - Sometimes you know you want to write about an event, a trip, or a decision but aren’t quite sure where to begin. Making a mindmap in your journal can give you an overview and help you know where to start.
Speaking of whining (see post 1/19/2023), here’s a mindmap from a day that obviously wasn’t going well. I took up a whole spread for a mindmap and then apparently laughed at Camp IWannaWhine and then took a nap. All better now.
Margins - Having been an obedient kid, the thought of drawing, doodling or writing in the margins was abhorrent .. until I discovered the joy and freedom it brings. Margins are prime territory for writing a phrase that captures a long discussion or adding a question to follow up on.
Icons - drawing skill seems to have been left out of my life kit, so I envy journals embellished with lovely drawings or cartoons that illustrate the journaler’s experience. If you can illustrate your journal, use that skill every chance you get. It will help you fall in love with your life and that is one of the reasons we journal.
However, even if you’re missing that skill, as I am, you can still develop a set of icons that will help bring your journal to life. Below are some of the icons I use a lot. If you Google “journal icons,” you will have a world to choose from so you can develop your own.
Images - You can also use images from magazines or your own photographs to say things in your journal that you don’t have words for.
Circle Journals - Many years ago, a friend and I created a journal of art and life. Our commitment was to feel deeply into our lives by making an image on the page (neither of us were skilled artists), write about where we were in our lives, and then send it back to the other person. We filled up almost two full journals sending them back and forth for almost three years. They are an absolute treasure now.
I hope you fall in love with your journal and that leads you to a deeper love of your own life.
Would love to hear your questions and comments about your own journaling journey.
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In good times and challenging ones, practicing gratitude helps us recognize the good things in our lives and build resilience for the challenges that come our way. Gratitude journaling is one of the best ways to better understand yourself and deepen your practice of gratitude.
Any journal will do … however, we have a bias toward Gratitude Mojo, which comes to you free with your annual paid subscription … including one copy for a friend because having a Gratitude Buddy makes the journey better.
We want to help everyone develop a deeper practice of gratitude, therefore, all posts are always free. … And, we always appreciate paid subscriptions as they help support this work.
I start each daily journal page with these letters: OMLOL. They represent the words of the Anglican Morning Prayer, "Open my lips, oh Lord..." The letters ground me as I reflect on life. I doodle with them because sometimes life is fanciful, and sometimes sober. I frame them with flowers or Arabic designs. I fill the line or crowd them into the corner. But I always start my entry with those letters and that thought, OMLOL.