Journaling

A number of well known writers suggest journaling as a way of priming your creative pump and writing without self-editing.  I have kept a journal twice in my adult life.  The first time was when I suffered from what the expects called, “situational depression.”  The situation that brought about my depression waS the death of my mother and a dear poet friend within a month of each other – both from forms of cancer.  My mother, at 89, developed what her doctor called thoracic cancer and later I learned by that he meant cancer in the soft organs of your thoracic.  My friend Bob was diagnosed with throat cancer even though he never smoked a day in his life.  Both died with five months of their diagnosis.  Both made a conscious decision to not poison their bodies with chemotherapy.  Both decided in the most noble manner possible how they would die.

It was an honor to share death with Mom and Bob but their loss plunged me into depression and my psychologist suggested I write myself out of my depression with a journal and it would be better than drowning in cheap whiskey.  It worked.  After losing my depression and regaining my balance I put the journal away.  After several months I burned it.  I didn’t want to share what I wrote with the world.

The second time I kept a journal the circumstances were quite different.  In my first trip to Ireland mhy wife suggested I journal my experiences.  Not only did I record our experiences I wrote down phases I heard, specific language and how the Irish behaved.  I’ve kept that journal and still refer to it when I write.

Do you keep a journal?  Feel free to make a comment and share your experience with journaling.