When I think about the Joan Didion quote, “I don’t know what I think until I write it down,” I think about keeping a journal. To me, this quote embodies everything that journaling should do: reveal what’s going on below the surface.
It’s scratching at the inner life, not just writing a log of daily activities (though that can be a part of it). Keeping a journal is asking hard questions, probing for answers, letting your messy thoughts run free on the page. In your journal, you can be your truest self. For a writer, that’s critical.
It’s even more critical for a person, a flesh-and-blood human being with an inner world and a heartbeat.
We are so much more than what’s on the surface.
It’s the stuff underneath that’s worth exploring—what we really think and feel and, more importantly, why.
I started keeping my first journals as a teenager. They were less about my comings and goings than badly written poetry. Those poems tapped into something deeper in my heart. Nowhere else was I safe enough to share what I really thought, and even then, all I could do was convert that emotion into stanzas. I couldn’t muster the prose.
Now, my journals are mostly prose—rambling sentences meandering about the page. I write most mornings first thing, following Julia Cameron’s prescription for morning pages, though I don’t always make it to three pages. It sets the tone for the day, allowing me to set down whatever is foremost on my mind and giving me a chance to process what’s really on my heart.
Sometimes it’s good to clear out all that gunk before the day begins.
At the end of the month, I reread what I wrote. What I find there is a trail of breadcrumbs—thoughts and ideas that require further exploration. I can see progress as I worked through problems. I know what I’ve let go of and where I’ve changed. To me, that’s worth all the ink and paper. It’s worth piles of notebooks, words upon words.
If we’re after a writing life, what better way to have one than to keep a journal.
My favorite ways to keep a journal
Over the years, my journaling has taken many forms. Sometimes it’s been poetry; others, lists of things I’ve accomplished. Here are my favorite ways to keep a journal:
Morning pages
The point is to override your inner censor and, as I like to call it, clear the pipes. You free write for three pages. That’s it. Keep the pen moving and write whatever comes to mind. The theory is that you make space for creativity by getting all of the other stuff that’s clogging up your mind out.
Commonplace journal
Here, you keep track of things like what you did, what you created, maybe a thought or two. It’s more of a home keeping notebook than a deep dive into your psyche. But it’s worth keeping track of even the minutiae of our days. This is a good one for people who don’t have a lot of time (like new moms).
Idea notebook
This is where you write down all the quotes you want to remember and the ideas that are always piling up. You can sketch out plans, write paragraphs about your dreams, whatever you want. The point is to pin your inspiration down so you can refer to it later.
there’s no wrong way
The best thing about keeping a journal is that it’s for you. It’s only for you. You make the rules. Write whatever you want. Draw pictures. Do what works for you.
Over the years, my journaling has taken different shapes, and I just roll with it. The important thing is to keep writing. Keep collecting ideas and experiences, and putting them into a notebook.
You never know what you’ll find there later. And maybe your future self with thank you.
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Read excerpts from my writer’s journal here.
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