<h2>Accolades of Journaling</h2>

I woke up early this morning to see my husband off for first day of trout and was treated to this lovely sunrise. Perhaps it will serve as writing inspiration for you!

Today I want to talk about journaling. I already touched on this with my meme post, and it seems that many of my blogging friends already participate in this great activity, but there are so many positive things to say about it that I felt it warranted a post of its own.

Journaling is by far one of the most useful exercises a writer can take part in for many reasons. To begin with, it serves as a great warm up. An aerobic enthusiast would not begin a kickboxing routine without first loosening up her body. In much the same way, a writer must also warm up her mind before embarking on a writing project. There are always exceptions, like when you get that burst of inspiration and you know exactly what turn your story must take—then you WRITE!

If you are a writing procrastinator, journaling is a free writing experience in which you have the benefit of committing your thoughts to paper without worrying about spelling, punctuation, grammar, or anything else. These very concerns have the potential to take your focus off of the actual act of writing itself—thus possibly snuffing out your very creativity. The ability to write without inhibitions clears your mind for other writing projects and gives you more ideas for more. It may even help you with something you are currently working on.

Of course, you may even find that the personal gains outweigh the practical benefits. As I said the other day, I find it to be therapeutic. I get an opportunity to write down what I have accomplished in my day and that helps to alleviate my stress. I can say, “Wow, I did more than I thought I did!” That’s a great thing to be able to say! I also get to look back on my memories—many of my children that I would not have recalled otherwise.

Don’t let me fool you though. I do have a journaling regret. I mourn the fact that I did not journal when my older daughter was little. I wrote down a couple snippets of things here and there, those I never wanted to forget, but I did not write down the little things. She had the cutest way of saying ketchup, and I can’t remember what it was. Lesson learned. Now I write down everything—even things that seemed trivial at the time are now priceless.

Journaling keeps you involved in writing. It is healthy practice. We all know what they say about that! Practice makes perfect, so go buy yourself a lovely journal and get to it!

Until next time, take care!