Your Personal Page-Turner For Mindful Journaling

The power of expression has always been an integral factor when it comes to nurturing self compassion and processing complex thoughts and emotions. When developing or reconnecting with mindfulness practices, there are many internal options we can choose from, such as breath work or meditation. However, developing a journaling habit can take your self expression to the next level.

Even long before Gutenberg invented the printing press, the written word has been one of the most powerful ways humans have been able to communicate thoughts, emotions, ideas, dreams, and experiences. For many, journaling is one of the most attractive avenues of self expression for this very reason — however, the idea of starting, and completing, a journal can feel daunting.

It’s hard not to fall in love with the look of old hand-written letters or books, penned in an age that might bring up feelings of romanticism and awe. But when it comes to sitting down to scribe our own entries — especially in the pages of beautifully-crafted notebooks — hesitation and avoidance to write can easily set in. On a subconscious level, we can grapple with fear of making a mistake on the page that cannot be easily deleted with the tap of a backspace button.

The importance of making small mistakes in life is what helps us overcome fear surrounding starting something new and the inevitability of failing in the process. Mistakes are part of being human. Everybody makes them! Embracing imperfection is a major step in healing.

By allowing yourself to simply write, or draw, or create no matter what the end result looks like, will help break down internal walls you may not even realize have been built around your ability to accomplish authentic expression.

A question you might have is, “Where do I start?” A simple suggestion is to try writing each morning, whether just a single page or three. Committing to writing a small amount of “morning pages”, completely stream of consciousness without judging or editing the words that appear on the page, will help clear your head, allowing you the capacity to approach a new day mentally refreshed. Julia Cameron’s timeless book The Artist’s Way goes deeper into the importance of morning pages, in the context of overcoming creative blocks.

Something crucial to make note of here is that journaling isn’t just about wordsmithing; creative expression is yours to hone, and yours to own. If you’re a visual person and writing doesn’t come naturally to you, then there are plenty of other ways to keep a journal.

For instance, investing in a miniprinter allows you to print bite-sized photos through an app right off your phone that are perfect for gluing into a personal notebook. This is a great option for scrapbooking, for example.

If structure is something you crave however, bullet journals may be a perfect fit for your needs. These types of books come with pages that are dotted instead of lined, providing the perfect canvas for creating reminders, to-do lists, and other forms of personal maintenance within a framework that is completely customizable to your needs.

If you already have a journal, but need some help staying accountable in using it, check out Darius Bashar’s Artist Morning initiative. Through mindfulness, journaling, and community, Darius provides an incredible space for people to connect over Zoom twice a week (Wednesdays and Fridays), absolutely free.

Journaling, by design, is a very personal experience. Any way you decide to journal is up to you, whether you fill it with thoughts and personal musings, pieces of art and poetry, or even use it to store favourite photos or pattern designs for future crafting projects. At the end of the day, it’s important to embrace that there is no single definitive way to keep a journal, just so long as you give yourself permission to start creating.

Whether you are a writer, an artist, or simply need a place to keep pictures and affirming quotes that help remind you of your own worth, journaling can provide a personal sanctuary we can always come back, especially to in times when things in our lives are feeling difficult to process, and talking to loved ones or a trusted therapist isn’t always possible.