I don’t know about you, but I’m one of those people who aren’t really organised. This week the family is attending our church’s annual conference. While I’d like to be at everything it isn’t always possible. Everyone else wants to be there, though, so this means I have to be super organised, which I’ve already admitted goes against my grain somewhat. So, it means doing things differently this week. Things I normally put off are getting the priority. Time to wool gather and doodle and play are put aside for next week. It’s all work and serious business around here this week. Personally, I can’t wait for it to be over.

What about you? Are you one of those people who thrive on activity and organised to the eyeballs? Or do you have a more laid back approach to life in general? Spend time writing in your journal about the benefits of being organised and the benefits of being laid back. Then spend some time writing about the drawbacks of each approach to life, too.

I hope you enjoy this journal writing prompt. Please leave any comments in the section below.

Heather
Photo used with permission from stock.xchang.

Since having my daughter home with her severely sprained ankle she’s back to being dependent on me, again. It’s been quite some time since she needed my support in this way. Today I had to help her wash her hair. Now that’s something I haven’t had to do in a really long time. The hardest part for her is allowing herself to ask for help. I think a lot of us are like that.

There’s nothing wrong with admitting you need some help now and then. For me a journal acts as a supporting friend. This friend will hear anything I have to say and not pass any kind of judgment. Even really well meaning friends will offer advice, even if they don’t expect you to take that advice. A journal won’t say anything, just listen. I need someone to listen to me, often. I can rant and rave in there. Weep all over the pages if necessary. I can be boring and tell all my secrets, because the journal won’t say anything back.

That is, not until I reread those pages. This is when the journal speaks back to me, in volume. If I’m boring, consistently and not sharing what’s going on in my mind, I take note and am sure to write more personal content. I review the personal content, too. Am I sticking with the same issues or am I finding solutions?

Sometimes even journal writers need support. That’s what this blog is for. There are fantastic books available on the topic, groups to join & courses you can take. So, when you feel you need some support with your journal writing ask your questions here, if you like, or seek other like-minded people in a journal writing group online. And remember; don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Heather
Photo used with permission from Morguefile

Here are some more artsy links to keep you creating this week:

10 Reasons to Photograph Your Quilts from Quilting & Patchwork.

Doll Festival for Girl’s Day from Tottie Talks Crafts.

Help for left handed crafters from Tangled Thread.

How to Rescue Family Heritage Photos from The Artful Crafter.

Book Arts from Layers Upon Layers.

Providing Bird Nesting Materials from Junk Creation.

I was a bit too busy this week to submit a link.

Heather
Photo used with permission from Pixelperfectdigital

Today is Friday and that means it’s Freaky Friday. If you need to know more about this journal writing challenge please read the First Freaky Friday entry.

Yesterday I unexpectedly had to spend the afternoon in the emergency department of Charles Gardenar hospital. My daughter rang from work with the terrible news that she’d fallen down the stairs. Although, she was hurt, it turned out to be nothing worse than a severe sprained ankle. It could’ve been a lot worse, but the poor girl came out with crutches and orders to rest. Pretty difficult when you’re 20, I think.

While I sat there in emergency I saw a woman I was sure I knew, but just couldn’t jolt my mind to recall exactly where. I know this happens to everyone at some point. I was baffled, but since I had to entertain my four year old for several hours I couldn’t give it too much though. Today while going into the local store I saw the same woman. She was the cleaner for the shopping centre. I hadn’t recognised her out of her uniform. I had a laugh and a quick chat with her and the problem was solved.

Has this happened to you? Sometimes the problem is not solved and you have to just scratch your head and never recall who the person was or where you knew them from. Write about that person in your journal, but be the unidentified person. Write from their perspective watching you frown and wonder. Use this as a prompt for your writer’s journal or just to see yourself from a different perspective.

I hope you enjoy this journal writing challenge. Please leave any comments in the section below.

Heather
Photo used with permission from stock.xchng

Do you ever get tired of no one taking you seriously? I know I do. I can’t be certain it’s something only women deal with, but it can often feel that way. I did an online search on how to be taken seriously and came up with an article from a female perspective and one from a male point of view. They both deal with work issues, but I feel the articles can be read to mean every day life anywhere if you like.

Spend some time writing in your journal about your need to be taken seriously. Do you feel a need to be taken seriously? In what way do you appear serious? Is there too much emphasis on serious in today’s society? Are you serious enough, too serious? What would it benefit you to loosen up a bit or to behave a little more seriously? Investigate what it means to be serious in your journal.

I hope you enjoy this journal writing prompt. Please leave any comments in the section below.

Heather
Photo used with permission from stock.xchng

This afternoon while watching the little guy on his skateboard I realised we often lose our sense of fearlessness the older we get. My little boy had no trouble hopping on and off his skateboard. He didn’t care when he fell off. In fact, he expressed his achievement every time he took a tumble. Ok, he’s not really going anywhere yet on his skateboard, so there’s little danger. I do need to buy him some safety gear. But he was not scared to try.

When was the last time you felt scared to do something? Did you still do this new thing, or even something you’ve done before? Have you been able to embrace a sense of fearlessness in your own life? Spend some time writing in your journal about how it feels to be fearless. Do you think it’s healthy to be fearless? What will you never be afraid to do? Make a list of things you are too scared to face. Write about doing these things without fear. Examine what fearlessness means to you.

I hope you enjoy this journal writing prompt. Please leave any comments in the section below.

Heather
Photo is my own

Lisa Vollrath, Ten Two Studios and Go Make Something have teamed up yet again for another holiday countdown giveaway for you. This one is for St Patrick’s Day, so you will find loads of cute green things to download and print out for your St Patrick’s Day inspired visual journal entries. These are free for you to use in your personal journals & visual art journals so long as you leave a link on your blog. So, go help yourself. There’s a new printable each day until St Patrick’s Day.

Heather
Image used with permission from stock.xchng

The older I get the more I tend to worry, just a little, about keeping my memory. Perhaps that is one reason I keep a journal. I read an article yesterday how doodling can help memory. All the time I thought the doodling I often engaged in was showing how distracted I really was. All this time it’s been an aid to remembering the details of all those boring phone calls. I tended to doodle instead of taking proper notes in school, too. I always wondered why I still managed to have such good recall later about those same notes. I tend to doodle on the corners of pages, even in my regular journal.

Do you doodle? Do you doodle in your journal? Do you keep a doodle journal? Will you make an effort to doodle while note taking or while on the phone? Please leave any comments in the section below.

Heather
Photo is my own

Here are some more artsy links to keep you creating this week:

Annual Woven Narrow Scarf Challenge from Tottie Talks Crafts.

Making Monoprint Background Papers from Layers Upon Layers.

Pin or Bias Tape Weaving Patterns from The Artful Blogger.

Round Robin Time Again for the Fiber Divas from Quilting & Patchwork.

Sew your own tutus from Tangled Thread.

And I’ve shared the Collage a Day prompts.

Heather
Photo used with permission from Pixelperfectdigital

Today is Friday and that means it’s Freaky Friday. If you need to know more about this journal writing challenge please read the First Freaky Friday entry.

With all the prompts about collage I felt another for Freaky Friday might be good. Here are some suggestions. You could reread your journal looking for Freaky Friday prompts you have previously responded to and make a collage about them. Or respond to any of them using collage only. You could create a collage journal entry with no words at all. You could decide what FRIDAY means as an acrostic and find an image for each letter. Those are just some ideas I made up just now.

I hope you enjoy this journal writing challenge. The purpose of the Freaky Friday challenges is to see your life from a different perspective. Please leave any comments in the section below.

Heather
Photo is my own