Journal Writing – Resources
This is the last blog in the series. It’s been fun to write and share information on something I have been doing since Grade 8, which was some time ago. Following is a list of books I have read, worked through and kept in my library.
“One To One Self Understanding Through Journaling” by Christina Baldwin. This is the book which started the genre. It is a solid introduction to the world of journal writing. There are good examples and prompts to get you thinking.
“Life’s Companion: Journal Writing As A Spiritual Quest” also by Christina Baldwin. I was fortunate to attend a workshop at Hollyhock given by Christina. The workshop was based on the book and even today I find myself going back to it to center myself and gain clarity.
“The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron has become a classic in the writing field. Her exercises also work for journal writing. In fact, I find the push of the 3 morning pages can unearth stuff that has been hidden for a long time.
“The Creative Journal and The Power Of Your Other Hand” are two books by Lucia Capacchione. She encourages many different ways of writing. I found writing with my non dominant hand opened up a whole new world for me.
“Wild Mind” by Natalie Goldberg is also intended as a writing book, however the exercises caused me to look at everyday objects with a different mind set.
“Put Your Heart On Paper” by Henriette Klauser is exactly what the title says. Using exercises and prompts she encourages the writer to get in touch with their heart and their heart knowing.
“The Art Journal Workshop” by Traci Bunkers is a great start to the world of art journaling. Who can resist an opportunity to play with crayons and scissors?
So there you have it, some of my favourites, ones I come back to when my writing gets stale or stuck. Now let’s move on to some other things to consider.
You have the tools, you may have read one of the books, the next questions are where do you write and when do you write? If you are doing the morning pages, Julia Cameron encourages you to write first thing in the morning. For me, that was a struggle, I am barely coherent before 10:00 AM – just not a morning 
person. You can carry your journal with you and write in coffee shops and restaurants, my personal favourite. The sounds around me allow me to get into my own head in a way I don’t do at home. To duplicate that coffee shop atmosphere I log into coffivity.com
You can set up a space at home or at your desk on a break, you can have a favourite pen or piece of music. You can write first thing in the day or last thing at night. Try both – they will give you different results. I encourage you to try a number of venues and writing instruments. Personally I love a fountain pen and a very smooth textured paper. The feel of my hand gliding across the paper is an added pleasure to the process.
Over the years I have attended journal writing classes and even facilitated some. They are a great way to meet other journal writers and learn some new techniques. Quite often they evolve into a support group which encourages you to keep writing.
What are you waiting for? Get writing!