Creative Writing Ideas

Here are a few more ideas for your journal writing:

One Liners: Sum up your day, or how you feel using only one sentence.

Brain Drain: This is also known as stream of consciousness writing. Set a timer for 30 minutes and write whatever comes into your head. Don’t censor yourself or worry about it making sense. Keep writing until the timer runs out. I really mean whatever pops into your head.  It’s okay if you start out with “I don’t know what to write,” or “this is goofy”
The idea is to just get it all out.  It is useful for clearing your head, or as a warm up before more purposeful writing.

Write Your Day Backwards: Recount your day starting with the last thing you did before you sat down to write, working backwards to the beginning of your day; and have dessert before dinner if you like!

Journals can be many things. They can be a way to document your life, serve as therapy/stress relief or be an outlet for creativity. Many people record daily events, pour out their feelings make art journals, or travel journals. There’s no right or wrong way to journal, and an endless supply of ways to use one. I’d like to begin this series with three ways to get you started on your journal, or get you to try something new.

Gaining Perspective: Each day (I’d recommend doing this for at least two or three weeks to get the true effect) write down the best and worst thing that happened. There’s always a best and worst part of every day. Even if it’s boring or seems all bad, the least bad thing would be your best item. After you do this for a little while you will see how it puts things in perspective for you.

Gratitude: Along the same lines write at least one thing you can be thankful for. On some days it might be really special and on others it can be something very simple such as “I’m thankful that today wasn’t worse.”, or “I’m thankful for the glass of fresh orange juice I had today.” There are NO RULES. Some days are really noteworthy and some aren’t but after several of these entries you will begin to look at things in a more positive light. I speak from experience I began doing this in really rough times when it seemed no hope was possible and while it can’t change everything, it helps enormously.

Art Journaling: While art journaling doesn’t always use writing, it is one of my favorites and it is too fun and creative not to include here. You don’t have to be an artist and no one has to see it but you.  Use any or all of the following methods. You can either work from how you’re feeling, base it on events of the day, or just be totally random.

1. You can draw, doodle or paint (combine all three)

2. Collage using magazines, photos, or small items you find during the course of your day (think of things like those little paper bands that Red Lobster uses on their napkins, cool matchbook covers, bits of colored tissue paper from gifts-stuff that represents what you did or where you’ve been)

You can add writing or not. It’s really fun, and I plan to do a post exclusively on art journals where I’ll share some pictures. It can be like a scrapbook, some doodles,  or maybe even turn into a serious work of art; but that’s not the point focus on the process, not the product. Enjoy!