- Write From My Gut ~The Newsletter
- Posts
- Starting with a blank page
Hello! 👋🏾
Happy June!
In previous newsletters, I hinted at the power of JOURNALING. It is a daily activity I can no longer live without.
I would love to hear what YOU think!
âť” Do you journal?
âť” If so, what propelled you to start?
âť” If not, have you tried? What holds you back from starting?
Comment below (online) or REPLY (to this email).
Today (Thursday, June 1, 2023) marks 486 days of continuous writing and journaling.
I enjoy handwriting in a physical journal and I prefer to use sketchbooks rather than lined or templated journals. The end of my current journal was only a couple of pages away. I decided to crack open a new sketchbook today to mark the new month. Excited to fill new pages in my fifth journal book since starting this writing journey.
The cover of my recently retired journal (February 1-May 31, 2023). You will be missed, but never forgotten!
I love looking back at earlier journal entries. It used to make me cry as I wrote a lot about the emotional pain of my past and the physical pain carried in my (then) present. So much has changed from a year ago. I can recognize myself from the past and also recognize my growth. It is fascinating to know I have four journal books filled with moments, ideas, rants, and the list of things I was (and, in some cases, still am) grateful for.
“The best part about journaling is that it brings you into the present moment. We spend too much time dwelling on the past and worrying about the future. Focus on the NOW to be grateful for what has passed and manifest a desired future.”
Photo by Alysha Rosly on Unsplash
Mornings start with a journaling session before other writing. It’s a great way to get my mind warmed up or to calm my mind down after a poor sleep.
I start each day with a blank page. The goal is NOT to fill the page. The goal is to WRITE some words. There are days I write 5 pages, and other days I write one or two. Sometimes I can only muster half a page before moving on with other writing. I used to force myself to fill a journal page, have a specific word count, or write with the clock ticking. It nearly made me quit. Early on in my writing journey, I learned to adapt and create a routine that made sense for ME.
When starting any new creative endeavour ask yourself:
* Why do I want to do this?
* Do I have the tools/services I need to start?
* How do I create a pattern or routine after Day 1 that sticks?
* What routine makes sense for my current lifestyle?
Journaling can have a similar journey. Journal because you WANT to, not because some guru told you it is a must-have in your life.
The blank page used to scare me. Now I welcome it with open arms. Journaling helped me work with this fear. If I am having a challenging time getting started, I’ve become more comfortable walking away and figuring it out later.
“There are many mornings when I wake up and have no clue what I am going to write about. I stare at a blank page and get more frustrated as time goes on. Lately, I will simply write “I don't know what to write,” or “I’ve got bupkis.” The other day I wrote “So, do you like STUFF?”. One day it was just one word after my gratitude statements: “ORANGE.” Why ORANGE???
Sometimes my brain is still waking up. I used to get frustrated with myself but I don’t anymore. There have been a few mornings where I can’t write at that moment. I step away for a few minutes and try again…”
This newsletter is similar to daily journaling - for each post, I start with a blank page. There are some weeks when I have lots of words (too many in some weeks!). This week I had many ideas and barely formed them into words. I could have skipped this week. Who would be hurt by it?
I would.
It has nothing to do with pride but with commitment. I committed to myself to write a weekly newsletter. I have LOTS of ideas to pull from. Similar to journal writing and freewriting, I write about what speaks to me at the moment and run with it. This week crept up and nothing for the newsletter stuck. Is this what happens when you write about the same TREE for two weeks (and there’s more to come… I decided to take a break after Pt. 2)?
I try to treat my newsletter writing like a cleaned-up journal entry - mostly freewriting about my writing experiences and sharing a few journal entries along the way.
I told myself over a year ago not to pressure myself when it comes to writing. I’m glad to see some things haven’t changed… too much.
“I like that I do not stress myself out anymore with the number of words or pages I must do per day or what I write about on the page. I just want to write, period… If you stress about doing something, eventually you just stop doing it.”
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
I plan to share more in future newsletters about my love for journaling (and how it can benefit your creative endeavours).
Until then, enjoy filling in the blanks!
~Naddy / Nadine
THANK YOU for supporting my writing journey and my 16th newsletter!
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