Journaling - The Write Stuff For You?

@oxbeaux Thinking of you and your journaling. How is it going? Blessings and prayers.

@marjou Never too late to start ;))
My father had an old Remington typewriter. I had hopes of getting it when he passed away, but it was not to be. He wrote many a letter to family and friends on that. He claimed he had to save his hands and writing by pen, for his work. Many the night I fell asleep in the room next to his office, to the sounds of type keys slapping against paper. Remember correction tape?
Ginger

What a nice memory of your father. Yes, I remember carbon copy paper, correction tape, the IBM Selectric and liquid paper. Ha, ha, ha!

@gingerw I have so many unwritten pages so will title each new entry so I'll only maybe have 3 books then . One of my journals is like this all ready . One has recipes in it .

@maryj Are we aging ourselves? haha pantyhose and girdles someone else said .

Journaling and writing have always seemed to be part of my life. As I have mentioned before [somewhere!] I have endless fascination watching 26 letters form into words, those words lining up with the help of punctuation, into sentences and then into paragraphs, all helping me express myself. On my bookshelf are several books related to writing and journaling, used at different times.

Do you have a favorite time of day to write? Do you have a dedicated place where you set pen to paper or tap out on a keyboard/keypad?
Ginger

I usually journal towards the end of the day and write in a composition book which reminds me of school :). Since I suffer from depression it helps me realize what I have accomplished.

That is great that you use it to show what you have accomplished! That is a great goal for journaling, @marjou.

I have had mental health issues surrounding depression and anxiety, and poisonous/codependent relationships in my life. In an attempt to try to figure it out, I turned to self-help books [often!] and professional therapy [when deemed needed], all the meanwhile continuing to journal. While there are people who might shudder to think of someone raising their hand to say "Yep, I've been there", for me it is a matter of honesty with myself. I can review some writings and really see how the journey has been, and grateful to be here today.

So, what are some of those books on my shelf? "Grapho-Therapeutics, Pen and Paper Therapy" by Paul de Sainte Colombe. "The Power of Your other Hand" and "The Well-Being Journal" both by Lucia Capacchione. Books by Julia Cameron including "The Artist's Way", "The Right to Write", and "The Writing Diet". "The Invitation", "The Dance", and "What We Ache For" all by Oriah Mountain Dreamer. Oh, there are more! Ones that give me a reading for each day of the year, and a chance to write. Everything has underlines, notes in the margins, comments inside the covers.

Do you have a book or prompt or quote that you have referred to often, to help you get through a rough spot?
Ginger

@gingerw Thanks for sharing the book list. Am curious what you thought of The Artist's Way? Reviewed it a bit and concerned about doing it alone as it might open some old wounds. What was your experience?