During a dark time in my life I stumbled upon Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, where I learned about Morning Pages.
From The Artist’s Way, “Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. *There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages*– They are not high art. They are not even ‘writing.’ They are about the first anything and everything that crosses your mind– and they are for your eyes only. Morning Pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and synchronize the day at hand. Do not over-think Morning Pages: just put three pages of anything on the page...and then do three more pages tomorrow.”
Journaling led me toward creativity, healing and ways to pull up out of painful situations.
As my friend Robin puts it, journaling teaches you to write to yourself.