Journaling
I began keeping a little white leatherette journal as a fourth-grader. It had "DIARY" stamped in gold foil on the cover and my deepest secrets, such as what I wanted for Christmas, flowed onto its pages. I also kept a big three-subject notebook as a journal all through high school, and then burned it before a family move after my freshman year of college–a lifelong regret.
About 30 years ago I began keeping a journal again in earnest, and now it takes a large cardboard box to hold them all! The practice of journaling has been invaluable to me as I have traversed the terrain of spiritual and psychological growth, marriage, stepmotherhood, embracing the creative life, and more. I cannot imagine how I would have navigated life without the comfort of pouring out my thoughts onto the page. I want to share this powerful tool with others, which has led me to add journaling workshops to my repertoire of offerings.
Journal to the Self®
The Journal to the Self® workshop is a 12-hour course on how to keep a journal for personal growth, creative expression, and life enrichment. This course was designed and developed by Kathleen Adams, and is based on her book of the same name.
You will learn 18 different journal techniques in this course: Alphapoems, Artmaking, Captured Moments, Character Sketch, Clustering, Dialogue, Dream Log, 5-Minute Sprint, Guided Imagery, Inner Wisdom, Inventory, Lists of 100, Perspectives, Springboards, Stream of Consciousness, Time Capsule, Topics du Jour, and Unsent Letters.
Through the techniques taught in this course, you can learn how to:
-
Safely release tension, frustration, anger, and other strong emotions.
-
Access your subconscious and unconscious minds and tap into the vast knowledge stored there.
-
Keep a record for the future of how your life unfolds.
-
Track cycles, patterns, and trends in your life.
-
Unlock the mysteries of your dreams.
-
Experiment with creative writing.
-
Outwit dreaded writer’s block and improve overall writing skills.
-
Find support for your journaling from your peers.
-
Write your own autobiography.
-
Clarify goals.
-
Increase time management and organizational skills.
-
Write spontaneously and with joy.
-
Regard your journal as a trusted, valued friend.
I plan to offer the next Journal to the Self® class in fall 2023. See the Workshops & Retreats page for details, and please join my mailing list to be kept up to date on all offerings!
Other Journaling Workshops
I am happy to design classes for specific populations or interests. For example, in October 2018 I designed and taught a two-hour journaling class for the Brookings Institution's Women's Leadership Network called "Journaling for Personal & Professional Success."
I have also taught "Writing as Spiritual Practice" for both the Washington National Cathedral and Unity of Fairfax.
I have also developed a class for stepmoms called "By Our Own Stars: Navigating the Stepmother's Journey," which I hope to offer again in the future. You will find details on the Workshops & Retreats page.
​
If you'd like to discuss creating a class for your group or organization, please contact me at lisa@marketstreetwriters.com.