Do you ever find that when you are writing with a reader in mind that your writing is a little bit more descriptive? I find that when I write a letter to someone I add more details, more explanation, more anecdotes because I think that I need to fill my recipient in. If I am just writing for myself, I tend to leave details out because I figure that I already know what I am talking about. But by doing so I leave out so much richness!

Or do you find that when you are writing to a person that the tone of your writing changes? For example you may write with a more humorous tone because you want your letter to be entertaining. Or perhaps your tone is more direct and to the point.

Try writing a journal entry as if you were writing a letter to someone. You can even pick a specific person you are writing to. Write to your spouse or significant other one day. Write a letter to someone you have lost. This is not necessarily a sad exercise, but rather a way to reconnect.

Write to a sibling or best friend or even a historical figure. Get creative! Write to your child- tell a story about them, tell them who they are at that point in their life, give them advice for the future.

visual journal entry by Julie Prichard

Mixed media artist Julie Prichard often creates visual journal entries around advice she would like to pass on to her young daughter. She says of these journal entries that, “I often find myself giving advice to myself or my daughter on the pages,hoping that one day she reads through the journals and is inspired. As I look through my journal collection, I find many pages written to her.”

Julie Prichard, visual journal entry open mind

You can see more of Julie Prichard’s mixed media work at The Lost Luggage blog.

Stay tuned for part two of letter writing prompts with visual journal tips next Tuesday….

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There are now 6 coil journals to choose from at amanobooks.com in the Clearance section. Illuminate and Quiet Place are the last two journals to be added. These journals were originally $22 and are now listed at $16. They will be offered at this sale price until they are gone.

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Yet it is in our idleness, in our dreams, that the submerged truth sometimes comes to the top. ~Virginia Woolf

Dreams are mysterious and fascinating. But what do they mean? Do they even have a meaning? Some dreams are just fun illogical romps through our psyches. But other times, our dreams can be a wealth of information about ourselves. You may wake up one morning remembering the most vivid dream, but then a few hours later cannot even remember what happened anymore. Writing your dream down in your journal as soon as you can can help keep those details vivid.

You may find that you have recurrent dreams. Once you start writing your dreams down, you may notice patterns. Find out what these patterns could mean. Is it something relating to your awake life? Or are your dreams tapping into something even deeper?

Dream Journal, amanobooks 2004

Tips:
:: Keep your journal by your bedside. Don’t forget to keep a pen there too! When you wake up, write as much as you can. If you are pressed for time, as most of us are when we get up in the morning, write at least one word or phrase. Pick something relevant that will jolt your memory.

:: Detail- write down as much as you can. The characters in your dream, what you were wearing, what you were doing, were you even yourself? Dreams are so fascinating, especially when you delve into the details.

:: If you are a creative type, pay attention to your dreams. Our dreams can be rich sources for our artwork, our writing, our music. Symbols from our dreams can inform our artwork. Pay attention! After you write your dream down, do sketches about it. You don’t have to sketch out the whole dream. Sketch one part of your dream- a symbol that appeared, a character, an object.

:: Research the symbols that appear in your dreams. Here are some online resources:
dreammoods.com
sleeps.com
But also research folklore, myths, and cultural stories. These stories that are a part of the collective human psyche and may have surprising relevance to your dreams.

Prompts:
:: I often dream about………
:: As a child I often dreamt about…..
:: My most bizarre dream was……….
:: I have nightmares that revolve around…….
:: My funniest dream ever involved….
:: A dream that left a very stong impression on me……
:: Try to remember if a dream you had ever helped solve a personal problem or issue.
:: Have you ever had a dream that inspired you?

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New Coil Journals have been added to the Clearance Section. These journals were created so that you can have a journal with art on the cover, but at a lower price than the original. The art on the covers are reprints of original mixed media art panels. Each journal is coiled up with 40 white blank pages (80 pages front and back).

Travel Coil Journal

These journals will be on clearance until they are gone. Some only have one left! Please check back for two more designs that will be available soon. Originally priced at $22, now available for $16.

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The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say. ~Anaïs Nin

There are several ways to incorporate quotes into your journaling. One way is to have a journal dedicated solely to housing your quote collection. Don’t forget to write where you got it from, as you may want to go back to the source in the future. This journal can be a handy little reference for you as well.

Quotes can also be used as a prompt for a journal entry. Write the quote down at the top of the page and write about why those words speak to you. What moved you to write those words down? How does it apply to your life? Maybe you just like the quote and wanted to keep it somewhere, but maybe it speaks to something deeper. Use your journal to delve into the deeper currents.

a simple doodle inspired by a quote in my journal

::To add visual interest to your journals::

- use alphabet stamps to record the quote in your journal
- cut out the words from a printed page and glue them down
- experiment with fonts and lettering
- write your quote down and illustrate it with collage or a drawing.
- paint your page with fluid acrylics or ink. Use a white gel pen or a white-out pen to write your quote on top of the paint.
- if you have painted your pages already and collaged it up, but have trouble with writing on top of the art and are tired of ruining your pens, try this: Brush some Fine Pumice Gel made by Golden on top of your paint or collage. Let dry. Your surface is now ready to take pen, pencil, even pastel!

visual journal page by Jeannine Peregrine

::online resources for quotes::

There are many web sites to find quotes, but here are a few of my favorites.
artquotes.net
quotegarden.net
higherawareness.com – you can subscribe to a daily quote email delivered to your inbox

visual journal page by artist Jeannine Peregrine

To see more of Jeannine’s inspiring journal pages and artwork visit her at her web site.

I would hurl words into this darkness and wait for an echo, and if an echo sounded, no matter how faintly, I would send other words to tell, to march, to fight, to create a sense of hunger for life that gnaws in us all.
~Richard Wright, American Hunger, 1977

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Some of us journal daily. But most likely, we journal every few days. Maybe we journal weekly, monthly or even once every few years. I just learned about a monthly type of journal entry from a blog called Emma’s Tree who learned it from another blog. I have been doing this for a few months and really like it. I wish I had started it in January 2008 so that I could have a full year of these entries.

At the end of each month, do a journal entry called: the month that was

The Month that Was: January

a photo of me:

what I am currently reading:

newest music I added to my playlist:

movies I saw:

a painting I made:

something yummy and new I made this month:

the last place I ate out:

something that made me cry:

something that made me laugh:

something I looked forward to this month:

something I am thankful for:

something I want to remember about this month:

a photo I took this month:

You can personalize the format too. The original one I saw had an entry that asked “what newest fragrance I bought”. I am not a perfume person, so I exchanged that for “a painting I created this month”.

I use this format to record some of the developments and changes that occur in my two year old’s life. These entries have become a snapshot of my family’s life, a distillation of a month in our life. It’s a great way to sit and reflect back on a month because it so easy to forget and wonder where life went sometimes.

There will never be another now -
I’ll make the most of today.
There will never be another me -
I’ll make the most of myself.
Helen Keller

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