Recently in an effort to add extra creativity to my journals, I decided to create a list of inspiration when I was writing, of additional things I could add to spice up the pages, add extra flair, and assist me when dealing with writer's block. Whether or not you currently keep a journal, these ideas may inspire you to want to start writing. Remember, journalling doesn't have to be daily, or more than a single page, or anything. There are no rules. I will be writing an article about the benefits of keeping a journal later, but for now, let's talk about some creative things to add to your journals.
MOVIE REVIEWS.
Last summer, every time I saw a movie, I would write a short excerpt/review in my journal about it, rating the movie out of 5, and then detailing the parts I liked, and disliked, about it. In our lifetime, most of us will watch a lot of movies--the average American will see 5000 movies in their lifetime! By writing about the movie, we preserve the memory of that movie in our minds, and have a detailed review to go back to when we wonder whether we enjoyed said movie or not. It also gives you insight into your mind at the time and your taste in films. Rather than letting your movie experience go and not thinking about the movie ever again, movie reviews allow you to think about your true feelings about the film as well, and illustrate what you value in a movie. It's extremely rewarding.
MUSIC PLAYLISTS.
The music you listen to throughout your life tells a lot about what you are experiencing and who you are as a person. Just look at some of the phases you've gone through with music taste, or how looking back on what you listened to can help provide insight to how you were feeling, or who you were, at the time. For instance, the first semester of Grade 10 when I was on the football team, I listened to Eminem's "Till I Collapse" on repeat. Keeping track of some of the music you enjoy listening to now will make your journals a treasure trove of information for your future self, looking back and attempting to discover what kind of music you enjoyed listening to. Providing insight as to why you enjoy listening to the songs on your playlist is a bonus when journalling, rather than just letting a playlist collect dust in your music library. Transcribe your playlists, and write what they mean to you; it's an excellent way to gain insight on both your identity and your emotions, both now and in the future, looking back.
Q&A's WITH YOURSELF
Asking yourself questions that help you understand your true nature, or simply reveal a part of yourself that maybe you haven't discovered or understood yet, is a crucial part of self-reflection. Periodically, I will find a collection of questions that either provoke me to think about a part of my life deeply, or simply are fun to answer. Whether they are questions such as "What do you want to do with your life?" or simply "How many hours of sleep do you get per night?", these are questions that guide your journalling and also help to ease writer's block when you don't know what to write about. There are a lot of excellent guided journals, as well as books on questions such as these, that are extremely helpful. Plus a treasure trove of online resources and websites.
POETRY
I stand by the notion that anyone is capable of writing poetry. Poetry is a form of art, and all art is subjective. Therefore, just as there are no clear-cut rules on what defines art, poetry is the same. Poetry is boundary-less, and as long as you are expressing yourself, I believe that anything you write and claim is poetry is both beneficial to your psyche and your creative mind. The thing about poetry that I enjoy is that you don't have to be upfront about what you're writing about. You can hide your meaning under metaphor. You can truly express your feelings in a way that truly captures how it feels, rather than having to state the cut-and-dry facts of the situation. Poetry is also a form of escapism, at least to me. Stringing together words in a way that appeals to me helps me to get lost inside of the lyrical nature of writing. It's astoundingly easy to do, but a lot of people don't write poetry because they're scared of judgment or if they're "not doing it right". Although some people will argue that there are right ways to write poetry, ignore that for now and focus on just writing what you feel, free-form, or with a rhyming scheme--anything you want.
YOUR NIGHTLY DREAMS (PLUS INTERPRETATION).
Your dreams are a treasure trove of information on your feelings. Studies have shown that dreams tend to focus on themes or motifs from your day-to-day life. Gaining access to your dreams, and providing insight on to what they may imply in the context of your personal life, is extremely helpful, and eye-opening. Whenever I wake up in the morning, I take the time to jot down my dream (if I happen to remember it). I've also learned that the more often I write down my dreams, the more likely I am to remember them. Although it hasn't been proven that dreams offer insight into your subconscious--as Freud once suggested--it hasn't not been proven, either, and I think the theory does have some substance. Just think--the things that people say to you in your dream, the people that appear in your dream, and the things that happen to you in your dreams--they are all orchestrated by your mind. You are the one--albeit unconsciously--who is creating these dream scenarios, based off a mixture of old memories, new ones, and emotions you currently experience. Not only, writing down your dreams more often can also assist you in lucid dreaming (in which you have the ability to control your dreams). I will be writing an article on lucid dreaming and how to gain the ability to do it in a later article.
LETTERS TO PEOPLE (WHICH THEY WILL NEVER READ).
Whether it is someone fictional, somebody you adore, or words you wish you could say but never could. Sometimes the easiest way to rid yourself of certain pain is to pretend you are writing to them, penning down every single thing you want to say, acting as though they will read it, but knowing they never will. I then put it inside of an envelope and glue it into my journal, a reminder of the words I store inside of my mind, wishing they would exit my mouth, but never gaining the courage to do so.
These are just a few ideas that can add extra spice, and interest, to your journals--or just writing in general. After all, you don't need to keep a "daily journal" in order to partake in these activities. However all of them are great ways to increase insight into your character and also make your journals more entertaining to read in the future.
Let me know if you liked these ideas in the comments, and if you have any ideas yourself of what you can do to make your journal entries more fun or creative.
Personally I think I’ll see 10000 movies in my life