Friday, August 30, 2024
Sometimes I am at a loss for words, not an uncommon problem for writers. Journaling helps. I had always heard that journaling was a healthy spiritual practice, particularly if you’ve gone through a hard time, so I started in 2013, after a serious relationship went belly-up. I bought a sleek journal from the bookstore, and I had received a craftsman ballpoint pen as a gift from my friend Ken, so I was set.
When I sat down to journal for the first time, it felt awkward. All I could do was stare at the blank page. My first words may have been something like “This is weird. I just don’t know where to begin.” That little expression opened a floodgate, and the rest is recorded history.
Even expressing that you don’t know what to write is an expression. You’re expressing a difficulty. You’re admitting that you don’t know. You’re confessing to writer’s block. That’s a great way to start expressing yourself. Journaling has been helpful for me to get to know what’s in my head and to get it out. Sometimes I just put the pen on the page and it starts moving. I’ve learned what I want. I’ve learned what I am afraid of, and I’ve learned what sort of things make me confused and/or angry. I’ve learned to make the future intentional and to curb insults. I’ve learned to express gratitude and to seek guidance from myself.
Sometimes, I just don’t know what to write. Today felt like one of those days in this post, but I’m glad I had something to say after all. Had I not started writing, I would have never known that I indeed needed to express myself today. Just a start usually does the trick.