When longtime TDJ community darling Deb sent this photo to me, I couldn’t wait to share it with you. She snapped this while doing her Mid-Year Reflection from this recent Tea with Kimberly video.
Deb shared that the journal her kitty, Luna, is lounging on contains over six years worth of periodic reflections guided by my work. I was stunned!
I love that she has kept the various journal prompts and answers in one spot to refer back to. What a wonderful way to observe our ongoing progress! How often do we write something into a notebook never to be seen again?
How many types of journals do you have?
Personally, I have six: a ballet journal, my regular journal, an ideas journal, my Daybook planner, art journal, and journal for my memoir work (it’s coming, it’s coming!).
1. Ballet journal: In a pretty pink perfect bound book I jot down choreography, feedback on area’s to grow, notes from ballet workshops.
2. Journal: This gold perfect bound 8×10 notebook is always with me to capture observations, concerns, dreams, musings, and my never ending processing. I also capture my birthday reflection practice (here’s a peek into my 2021 process) and virtual retreat reflections inside this journal.
3. Ideas journal: I use this spiral bound 4×6 black book to take notes during creative meetings, conferences, and online workshops not ballet or memoir related.
4. Daybook planner: Inside this 8.5×8.5 pretty pink planner (grab yours here) I capture my day’s appointments and to-dos, my month’s dreams and reviews, plus a variety of list making such as books to read and places to visit this year, and my year’s dreams.
5. Art journal: I compile images, writing, and ephemera into my perfect bound pink 8.5×11 hardcover to capture dreams, journal prompts, travel memorabilia, and pretty pictures. It’s my hard copy version of a Pinterest board.
6. Memoir journal: I’m on memoir journal #13 of the pink or Kraft paper colored Moleskines where I take notes from writing workshops, calls with my writing teacher Jamie Cat Callan, ideas or insights related to my book.
Want more ideas on different types of journals? I found this article on the Intelligent Change website that features 20 (yes 20!) types including a dreams journal, plant journal, fitness journal, reading journal, travel journal, finance journal and more!
The Practice of Journaling
Author Christina Baldwin writes that “journal writing is a voyage to the interior.”
I describe it as the process of exploring thoughts and feelings on paper or the computer. It’s a tool to help explore and better understand patterns, motivations, fears, and struggles. It’s also a safe space to capture dreams, to celebrate, and to grow.
Journaling has been touted to help strengthen immune cells, solve problems, clarify thoughts and feelings, better understand self and others, and reduce stress. It also serves as a repository to brainstorm and muse.
Read more about the work of James Pennebaker and studies surrounding the emotional benefits of journaling including healing from trauma.
Now let’s write
I’ve written in a journal since grade school and return to the practice over and over again to capture my innermost thoughts within a safe, nonjudgmental, welcoming space.
I hope you, too, are inspired to spend time with one of your journals today! You never know what may arise.
Pour a cuppa tea, light a candle, and settle into a cozy nook. Reach for a notebook and pen and begin with this prompt: Right now I am feeling/noticing/experiencing . . .
Happy writing! Bisous. x
