
Creativity and productivity are two of the most important parts of a writer’s life. There is one system that consistently has a positive effect on both, and that is journaling.
If offered to give you a pill that when taken improves well-being, increases creativity, gives clarity of mind, reduces stress, and irradicates writer’s block, would you take it?
I’d be buying that in bulk.
Understanding the Creative Mind
The creative process is a mystical thing.
You can’t say, to be creative you have to do this and BOOM, creativity.
It’s largely an individual process but there are some key underworkings we can be aware of.
Creative ideas are basically when your brain makes connections between two or more different concepts, and creativity is the act of channeling these connections into a meaningful concept. Now that’s a very rudimentary explanation but it works.
So by rights, if we can have something that helps us make connections between ideas, we are going to be more creative.
Journaling is that something.
The act of writing down your thoughts and ideas speaks to your mind on a subconscious level in the way that specific advertisements target your inner soul.
Journaling is a medium by which your brain can make more connections.
The Therapeutic Benefits of Journaling
Writing down your thoughts and working through your mental processes has incredible emotional and psychological benefits.
Stress Reduction
Journaling acts as a way to vent about your problems and get out everything you want to say in a safe and comfortable space.
This simulates the experience of confiding in someone (which journaling should not be a replacement for) and ultimately you feel less stressed and happier about your daily activities.
Emotional Expression
Writing your emotions ultimately allows you to more easily recognize and work with the emotions you feel daily.
Thus, you will become more in touch with your opinions, ideas, and emotions. This connection will prime your brain to recognize what’s going through your head more than you usually would, positively affecting creativity.
Clearer Mind = Enhanced Creativity
Reaching a state of clarity of mind feels so satisfying. It’s like all of your problems are meaningless in the face of your creative endeavors.
This primes the brain into higher-level thinking as your mental process is not limited by the extent of your worries and pain clouding your creativity.
This is my favorite part of journaling as a writer. I have found myself so much more creative on the days when I journal.
Journaling For Creative Sparks
The most efficient way I use my journal to let creative sparks fly is by using prompts.
Prompts are things that restrict your creativity to an extent that allows for your own creative license to take over. This results in creativity because it allows you to connect things you love writing and reading about with the prompt, ultimately making links and connections to creative ideas.
The great thing is you don’t have to create your own prompts, Google has millions.
An example of a writing prompt for a fiction writer I’ve just Googled could be;
“A girl wakes up to find a little boy sitting on her bed, claiming to be her younger brother – but she never had one” (Source)
Already I feel all sorts of ideas around this prompt.
Just pick a prompt and fill in 3 pages of writing with it.
You mustn’t force your writing on a prompt that doesn’t interest you. What you are trying to achieve with your prompt is a state of spontaneous and free-flowing writing, otherwise known as the flow state.
I’ve actually written about how to get into the flow state as a creative;
If you choose your prompts well and be consistent with them, creative sparks WILL fly.
Reflective Journaling: Tracking Progress and Setting Goals
Another way to use your journal is as a tracker.
Often, as a writer, it becomes very confusing about how you are currently comparing to you yesterday or even a month ago.
You can use your journal as both a reflective tool and a habit tracker.
I’ve found it most useful when I write about how I’m feeling about writing, what I’m currently working on, and what I hope will happen in the future. Similarly, I like to add my word count and how long I’ve spent writing each day.
This helps me track over time how much writing I’m doing and what I’m interested in pursuing at different stages in my life.
This method also allows you to set realistic goals based on your past self. You can use your weekly word count for the last month as an indicator of how many words you want to pump out next week.
This can also be a way to challenge yourself by setting goals that are slightly outside of your skill level. The discomfort from these challenging goals will give you the most amount of growth as a writer.
Use Visual Elements as Well in Your Journal
You are not limited by any specific way of journaling. There are as many ways of journaling as there are writers.
That’s what makes it awesome.
You make your own system, that is completely your own.
You can scrapbook, you can sketch, doodle, or mind map.
Whatever works for you will be the best thing to pursue.
Personally, I love sketching I’ve gotten back into drawing recently, as my fiction writing is mainly based on creating interesting and terrifying creatures. I’ve found that sketching and brainstorming these creatures gives me so much motivation and ideas about characters and plot that I want to pursue sketching as well as writing now, as they both benefit each other.
Make Journaling a Daily Habit
I have spoken previously about writing habits and routines for writers, and I highly recommend that you build your own form of reflection such as journaling into your routine.
Your creative output will thank me.
The best way I have discovered to build a consistent habit like this is to set up a specific space for journaling and make a promise to yourself that you will journal for a certain amount of time in this space every single day.
I’ve written about building habits as a writer previously as well;
In Conclusion. . .
Whether you are battling writer’s block or aiming to unleash your creativity, journaling emerges as your trusty companion. It’s the key to unlocking your imagination, breaking through mental barriers, and fostering a more profound connection with your craft.
Consider journaling a canvas for your unique writer’s journey. It’s a personal practice, open to experimentation.
Each of you will find unique gems within the art of journaling, and that’s awesome!
Here’s the exciting part – journaling isn’t just about the short-term gains.
It’s a game-changer for your long-term productivity and overall well-being.
Imagine a future where your writing flows effortlessly, and you approach your craft with a renewed sense of joy and purpose.
That’s a world I want to be a part of.
Don’t you?
Thank you so much for your time if you enjoyed this piece here’s another I’m sure you’ll love about how to make writing as addictive as social media;
Happy Journaling!
- I Wrote Every Day on Medium for 100 days. Here’s What I Learned
- The Subtle Power of Unseen Horror
- Believable Worldbuilding: Tips for Crafting Fictional Worlds
- Exploration Through Writing: How to Express Yourself Writing
- The Art of Subtext: Creating Meaning Through the Hidden
Leave a Reply