Writing as a Tool for Self-Care
Writing is a way for us to express ourselves, for ourselves.
Kristen
One of my most treasured forms of expression is writing purely for me. It is a way that I can express myself without expectation of what forms on the page.
I started journaling when I was young. It is a practice that I have continued to turn to for much of my life.
When I was a child my oldest brother gave me a diary adorned with woodland creatures. He inscribed it with a loving message encouraging me to dream. With this gift, he provided me with a place to express myself as a young child getting to know the world around her and within her.
As I evolved, writing became a source of relief when I needed it. I wrote out the fears, the worries, the stressors…I wrote out the joys, the stories of love, and the experiences of overcoming. With every exhale onto paper, there was a sense of grounding, a feeling of calm, and a reconnection to myself.
I wrote letters of love and loss that stayed lined within the walls of a flowery journal as I was separating from my ex-husband and venturing out into the world on my own. The pages filled with memories and transformed into songs of a life lived together as I navigated a path that veered off from the expected. It was also within these flowery pages when I confessed that I longed to be in a relationship with a woman.
When I searched for a deeper connection to my roots, I carried a pastel pink hardcover that was emblazoned with gold lettering which read, My Story. These pages became a place for me to record reflections as my aunt shared stories and theories about our lineage, pieces of my history that I had felt entirely disconnected from. They served as a way for me to develop a deeper understanding of my past and to answer questions that had been left unanswered.
As I left my home to travel across the world, my journal, held together with strips of green patterned fabric, came with me - a gift from my sister-in-law. Each textured page provided an outlet for a more meaningful connection to myself as I reassessed my values, redefined my aspirations, and reflected on the ways I wanted to lead my life.
The most profound realization I have had with my writing is the purpose it has served in my life. My words have accompanied me through the challenging, the magnificent, and the ordinary. There are entries I have reread long after they were written that I have taken as sources of inspiration, as if I had written the exact words that I needed to hear well into the future. There are also entries that I have never reread, words that held whatever weighed on me at the time. Letting them go was a way to create space.
There is an undeniable sense of freedom when you write with no other need than to express. You can let go of expectations of what you think your words “should” sound like and just let them flow out from within you. It is a practice that allows you to clear space, process, reflect, and connect more deeply with…you.
Morning Writing to Begin the Day Anew…
Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages
Writer Julia Cameron encourages people to write three pages every morning to clear the mind. Whatever thoughts, ideas, challenges, joys that are floating around your mind, write them down as you clear space for the day ahead. It does not matter where your expression takes you on the page, the only objective is to write.
Through her highly acclaimed book, The Artist’s Way, you will find this as a stepping stone to lead you back to your sense of creativity and wonder.
Writing to Release, Reflect, & Cultivate Hope
Allow your words to flow onto paper and see what they become.
All you have to do is begin…one word, followed by another. More will follow.
As you move through your day or when you unwind in the evening, take time. Release what you are ready to lay down. Reflect on all you have accomplished. Express all that you are going through. Explore your goals, your hopes, and your dreams.
By allowing our words to take up space, we are showing ourselves that they matter, that we matter. We are bridging a connection to our most important relationship, the one with ourself.
Little by little…
Love, Kristen
PS You are so freaking worth it…all of it…keep staying the course.
