Inspired to Write? Begin Playfully

In my possibly-very-controversial opinion, there’s a wrong way and a right way to journal. The right way naturally brings you good feelings—elation, joy, relief, triumph, peace. It may not feel good all the time, but over time you work through the challenging feelings. The wrong way makes you feel yucky. It puts you in an endless circle of yuckiness.

When I first became a writing coach, a client came to me who wrote in a journal, stream of consciousness, every morning. She’d read in a book that she shouldn’t worry about what she wrote, just get it all out.

Great if that works, but the more she wrote the more cranky and miserable she grew. Now, sometimes, to get to the root of an issue, you may need to travel to those deep, dark caverns in your psyche, but the idea is to shed light on the pain and feel good afterward–at least in my book.

This book will take you through a journaling process designed to bring joy over time: The Joy of Writing Journal: Spark Your Creativity in 8 Minutes a Day.