When you think about journaling, what pops into your mind? Do you picture sitting down with a notebook and writing paragraphs in your own handwriting? That’s definitely one way to do it. But there are lots of days when that’s way more than I have in me, and plenty of pages where perfect proper English prose just doesn’t fit the vibe.
We’ve talked before about my chronic headaches. When my head hurts, it’s incredibly difficult to write well, if at all. My executive functioning ability plummets, and putting words together to form cohesive and coherent sentences is nearly impossible. But the thing is, that can last a while, and I still want ways to tell my stories on those days. Sometimes that means a few scattered thoughts, a list, or choosing words someone else has already put together.
Words can do a lot of different things on the page. They can preserve a tiny detail, express a big feeling, add a little humor, or give you a specific lens to look at a photograph. Instead of asking, “Did I journal enough?” I’d rather ask, “Are these words doing what I need them to do?”
The writing before the “real” writing
I’ve made mind maps since high school, and in college I learned how to refine them and really make them work for me. But I used to see them only as “pre-writing”—the stuff you did to get your ideas out onto the page before you did any actual “real” writing.
This page is a mind map of figuring out how to manage my headaches. It was a prime example of a time when I only had a small amount of bandwidth to write stuff down.
After going back and looking at this page multiple times over the years, I came to realize that this stuff is absolutely journaling. It tells a complex story with interconnected parts. There are thoughts about doctors, asking for help, expectations, routine, and understanding myself. The connections between those things are right there on the page, they don’t need to be in paragraph form to count.
One of the most interesting things to me now is looking back at stuff I was struggling with back then that I now feel like I know without a second thought. Especially knowing that there are still going to be good days and bad days. There’s nothing linear about chronic illness. The importance of routine is another one that sticks out for me.
I’m glad I have those thoughts written down in the form I could manage at the time. I can see what I was learning without ever having turned it into some long-form essay.
Three words can say enough
I’ve told stories about my headaches and other tough times with far fewer words, too. For this page, I had an older shoe photo and the phrase “Keep Moving Forward.” Those two things alone told a full story.
I can use my feet to keep moving forward, even when I feel stuck mentally or emotionally. Time keeps going even when we feel stuck in place.
None of that explanation is written on the page. I knew what those things meant together, and that was enough for what I wanted to make. Whether I want to preserve more details, leave something private, or let some context disappear totally depends on the page.
You don’t have to explain everything to an imaginary stranger who might someday open your notebook. You get to decide how much needs to be there. Sometimes a few words say everything you wanted to say, and you can spend the rest of your time playing with how you put them on the page.
For this next page, I wanted to play around with some tissue paper I got, as well as hand-cutting my own letters. I needed a short phrase, but I still wanted it to be meaningful. So I came up with “I Am Art.”
It’s now one of my favorite pages of all time. Those three words were what I wanted the page to say.
Give yourself somewhere to stop
Lists are another way I get words onto my pages. With this list of favorite things about my community, I was bound by the number of colors and lines on the journaling card. I find this is a great way to give yourself a specific stopping point. There’s always more you can write down, and it’s a lot easier when there’s an outside constraint.
I wanted a lighthearted list about why I love the community. If I put too much thought into it, I’d get bogged down in all the big emotions of having an amazing community and all the folks who matter so much to me. That wasn’t what I wanted to do with that page. I didn’t need perfect prose. I just needed to list some cool stuff I love.
Thursday3 gives me a similar place to start and stop: a selfie and three things about my right-now life. It’s never overwhelming to come up with just three things. It’s easy in and easy out.
Someone else might already have the words
If you’re wondering whether a phrase sticker or a borrowed quote “counts” as journaling, I would question what “counts” actually means. Using your own words has never been a requirement for telling your story. Pictures do an amazing job of telling a story. Other people have incredible words that sometimes sum up how we’re feeling better than we can ourselves.
Choosing someone else’s words—a poem, lyrics, a quote—is still a decision you’re making to further your story. If that feels like it’s “less than” or “cheating,” it’s worth asking yourself why. You can credit the person whose words you’re using. Do you feel like you should be able to come up with the perfect words every time? Where does that expectation come from?
For this page, I cut a long quote out of a Brandi Kincaid art card. One of my favorite reasons for doing this with long quotes is that it forces you to read and internalize them line by line. It breaks up the words so you take them in slower and with more deliberation than if you were gluing down the entire quote at once.
Choosing the words, cutting them apart, and spending time with them are all part of making that page and telling whatever story matters to you.
Your turn
Add words to a page without writing a paragraph. Try a list, a label, a quote, one Currently answer, a phrase sticker, or a declaration. Choose whichever kind of language feels easiest, and ask yourself: Do these words do what I need them to do?
We’ll be exploring Using Other People’s Words in Your Pages at our next paid-subscriber small-page make-along on Saturday, November 7, at 3 p.m. ET. You’ll get an email with the details and the link the day of the event. Bring some words you’d like to play with and I’ll also include a few printables in the email invitation along with the Zoom link.
Currently
Watching
I started Homeland. After watching The Leftovers, I decided to start watching some long-time critically acclaimed shows that I didn’t catch the first time around. I’m also watching The Diplomat, we finished up Slow Horses, we’re watching Great British Bake Off each week, and keeping up with football—even when the people involved are acting like terrible humans.
Reading
I’ve been re-reading Threshing Day and the rest of the Fourth Wing series. I grabbed the Ember in the Ashes audiobook so that I can read the new duology from her as well. I also think it’s probably time for me to re-read ACOTAR before the new books come out.
Listening
The baby and I listen to a ton of music during the day. We generally have on a mix of Vulfpeck, Lawrence, and some older stuff like the Beatles or Billy Joel. We also got SiriusXM back in the car for the holidays and I’ve been giving the baby a dose of 90’s on 9 so that she knows the essentials. We rocked out to Crazy by Britney Spears the other day and it was epic.
Making
Food. Lots of Food. Chicken parm, penne ala vodka, potato soup, grilled meats & veggies, baked goods. It’s been nice to have the bandwidth to start cooking again.
Feeling
Tired and headache-y. The change of seasons is always pretty rough for me, especially when it’s starting to get darker and cooler out. I’m still off most of my meds, and I will be for a few more months; so it’s just something I’m having to deal with right now.
Planning
Awesome Ladies Live 2027 in Seattle. Save the Date! July 17th & 18th. More details soon!
Loving
All the changes with the baby. Pictures of the baby. Hanging out with Jeff and the baby. She’s so spectacular.
Talk to you next week!
xoxo,
Kristin