Class 1: Things I discovered doing my own visual journaling

• It takes time to feel like you’re not journaling for someone else. I knew I was the only person who was going to read it, but it took about a year to write freely without censoring or judging.

• Sometimes I didn't know what I thought or felt about something till I’d written it. Having things clear in my mind (and on paper) meant I was more likely to take action in real life, and also be more motivated to stay on track.

• It’s helped me process issues from early life. Journaling has made it easier for me to understand and forgive myself and others for situations from long ago, but that were still blocking me from taking charge of my life.

• This surprised me: The real payoff came after a few years when I went back and reread my older journals. I started to see repeating patterns in my behaviour that still needed some attention.

• It’s useful to have perspective on the past. Some things I wrote about were deeply emotional, but going back and reading old entries has made me more able to see them clearly. I can now see things that may have clouded my actions. Having perspective means I am more thoughtful with my decisions now.

• Some people keep multiple journals, but my best success has been in having only one journal. It’s like a chronicle of my successes as I go, the things I was interested in and learning.

• There’s something very satisfying about collecting beautiful images and quotes that inspire you. If it  “speaks” to me, I put it in, even if I’m not sure why at the moment. I often thought of my journals as “My Books of General Encouragement”.

They are the greatest gift, and the greatest mental health tool I’ve ever given myself.

Art Saves Lives

Seven years ago I was sitting around a table with a group of people who were willing to give “fitness” one more try. The first thing we had to share is why we were there. I’m very shy and don’t really like these kind of sharing situations, but I said: 

"What it boils down to for me is you can’t make art if you’re dead."

Which sounds extreme, but making art had become very important to me. I’d kept a diary for many years because I had a lot of stuff in my life that needed processing and I was too much of an introvert to share them with other people. Over the years my diaries had morphed into visual journals. I discovered creativity is an excellent tool for self-discovery.

The thing is, to make art, you need to be alive. For some kinds of art you need to have actual physical strength ~ to hold a paintbrush, to stand and paint, to be able to travel to workshops and retreats to connect with other artists, too.

But I didn't value or take care of myself until I started to value what I created.

Why Journal?

• A safe way to process things that have happened in your life
• Self-discovery
• Finding Peace
• Making sense of past events
• Record ideas for future projects
• Record the beauty you see in the world
• Collect quotes that inspire you to be the best version of yourself
• Understand what blocks you AND what motivates you
• A place to vent, and to forgive
• Focus on what you want for the future
• Self-discovery
• Document your successes

And here's all this as single printable page. Again, the bottom strip below the dotted line can be used elsewhere in your journal.