I dug myself out of a rut, with art in my journal

Has your journal writing gotten stuck in a rut? Do you whine and complain every time you pick up a pen and then by the end of your daily entry feel just as frustrated and stuck as when you did when you started? If you look back at an entry a month ago, three months or six months ago and notice that nothing has changed, then you are in a rut. And I have been there. So how do you get out of it?

Without boring you with all the details, my work situation has been challenging on many levels. And it has very little to do with my daily tasks, but with the environment and some decisions that were made that caused some difficulties. As the result of that, I too had been writing about my frustrations and problems and most of which I can nothing about. I am sure some of you can relate to that feeling of absolute helplessness.

“Art isn’t only a painting. Art is anything that’s creative, passionate, and personal. An artists is someone who uses bravery, insight, creativity, and boldness to challenge the status quo. Art is a personal gift that changes the recipient. The medium doesn’t matter. The intent does. Art is a personal act of courage, something one human does that creates change in another.”― Seth Godin

Then I read a few of my entries and realised with a shock that it has been going that way for more than a year. It made me reassess the true nature of my journal entries. Did I really want to moan about stuff I cannot change? While my work situation was not under my control, I had to decide if I was going to let my life go in the same negative way. I mean, my job is not my life. Yes, it is a large part of my day, but I could do more than moan about my job in my journal. For one, I can think about changes I can make in my life, and in my journal writing for a start.

A drawing in my journal

So I set about finding more ways to experiment with my journal entries not only to get out of my funk but also to see if there was more than just the usual whining. Of course, I have read the usual suspects, but I wanted more. I felt that there could be more. And I found them by looking beyond the usual journal prompts and books. In my new book, Take your Journal to the Next Level, I explore expressing myself with art, with craft items and generally just forgetting about the words for a while.

The words do come, but I found that the negativity was a lot less. In these more creative ways, I found more to reflect about, and even the idea for this book was born in such an artistic entry.

If you are a journal writer that find yourself in a rut, why not dig into your photographs or memorabilia of a recent trip or celebratory event, and write about that.

Many people believe that they don't have any artistic skills, so I experimented with methods to explore journal entries without so much as the ability to draw a straight line. And I found it in art, of all places.

So why not think beyond the words, and see where that can lead you?

PS: I have drawn up a project plan for the book, and if all goes according to that plan the book will be ready for release in early 2019. At the time of this post, my progress stands at 22% complete.