Last month, I presented on the benefits of journaling to a group of Black women creatives. I thought it would be helpful to share here, too.

In preparation for my presentation, I learned the difference between a diary and a journal is that a journal is meant to be reflective, as opposed to simply listing the day’s events. So, this one is specifically a reflective journal. The inside of the journal shown here is separated into sections. I’ve dedicated each one to a different subject that I can reflect on. For example, the forgiveness section is filled with short letters written to people I’ve needed to forgive. Contemplating on past entries shows me if there’s been growth. In the tarot section, I ask a question and then pull my cards and write down the answer. I compare last year’s answers with this year’s to determine if there’s been a change.

The second kind of journal I keep is a gratitude journal. I’ve maintained one of these every year, for the past ten years or so. My process includes the following: lighting incense, sitting in a quiet place, and writing those I AM statements I told you about. Usually, I affirm the same three things: I am love. I am adequate. I am important, unless I have something I’m working on, then I might add a new one, like I am abundant.
After I’ve finished affirming myself, I write five people, experiences, or things for which I’m grateful. I recently modeled this behavior for thirty days on social media as a way to disrupt negative news cycles and also as a way to remind myself there’s always something or someone to appreciate.
When I’m not writing in either of these bounded beauties, I’m journaling on my laptop or digitally. I first realized the power of simply sitting quietly and pouring out thoughts when my father died. That was 2015. We were in what I thought was the middle of repairing our strained relationship when he passed. I still had unresolved, unprocessed feelings that had to be released. So, I sat in my stepmother’s spare bedroom and wrote about the beginning of our dysfunction to the end, his death. I blogged these entries each day leading up to his funeral, creating a seven-day series. The global blogging community grieved with me and it was comforting.

I’ve also used a digital journal to capture and sort through unexpected emotions, like when I was traveling to a conference and TSA frisked my afro. I was compelled to write about the event immediately to capture the events and my feelings. I had no intention of publishing anything, until I posted about the situation on FB. One of my flight attendant friends told me searching hair was illegal. When I arrived at my hotel, I researched the topic and found out one woman had sued TSA for a similar experience. That’s when I turned my journal entry into a For Harriet publication.
Finally, most of you know I keep a cell phone journal. I use my iPhone Notes section because it’s more convenient and less ceremonial than the other ways I’ve mentioned. Thoughts occur if I’m in the middle of a conversation with someone, while I’m scrolling social media, or when I awake and fall asleep. During these times, I write a quick note. Other times, I’ll journal several paragraphs. The length depends on how deep my thinking is at the time. At any given moment, there are about 200 notes on my phone. If I can’t get the thought out of my mind, then the public gets to read it…as Monday Notes.
Here’s how I journal and why. Let me know if you keep any type of journal. What’s the point? Does it help?
I recently started a digital 5 year journal. I’m loving the idea that I can keep up with this and revisit this year after year. I made my own which was great!
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I agree! Nowadays, digital is a great way to go, especially if you don’t carry your paper journal around with you.
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I like to erase too much to do it on paper.
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Glad you mentioned the difference between a journal and a diary.
I often think about simply chronicling current events for posterity because it’s getting beyond ridiculous-but historic for sure. 💃🏿
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Right. Kind of like the Diary of Anne Frank. She wasn’t trying to look back and change her life, she was just trying to document what was happening at the time.
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I have loads of journals but not so great in keeping up with them. I seem to start and then days go by without a thought. I really want to become a serious journaler (not a word!) but not sure how to start. I would love to take a course but right now schools are closed but I guess I should look online for something. Any thoughts or advice?
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I’m not sure if you need to take course, unless you’re just the course-taking kind. I’d suggest one of those scripted journals that have prompts for each day. They also have apps. Look up Five Minute Journal. I think it has daily prompts that are meant to be short and keep up momentum.
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Didn’t know there was a difference either new blogger would love a follow back
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Hi Megan Marie! I follow all bloggers, unless your topic is like microbiology on Mars or something like that.
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I tried to reply to say that I am sharing this post, my comment got lost. Just reBlogged…
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Thank you Shira!
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I’m sporadic in journaling but it does help when I reflect back on what I wrote about a particular situation.
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Thanks for sharing T ❤
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Hello ms @katiegirl06460 I started new journeys
there is my interesting and informative blogs link please read and give feedback me in comment
https://galaxyzonedotblog.wordpress.com/2020/09/30/nebulae/
Thanku
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I have many…6 for daily stuff. I usually write it and paste them to all six. I have a couple for entertainment. 1 for health only. 1 for pen paling. i just started a digital one but do not know how long I will keep it. I think I have enough.
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lol It sounds like you may. What’s an entertainment journal?
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Well I write about my favorite tv show and the fandom around it. I also write about movies or shows I have seen. I actually haven’t written in that one lately.
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I actually never knew the difference between diary writing and journals . Also love the leather journal 💕
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That leather journal smells soooo good.
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Its been a while since I journaled and I have to say you open my mind. I had no idea you could keep so many journals. Anyway, I journal to keep track of my emotions and thoughts. It can get a little rough and well too much to handle the beautiful moments. Thank you for the lovely insight💞
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I’m glad to hear it! You’re so welcome, and thank YOU for sharing how you journal ❤
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https://galaxyzonedotblog.wordpress.com/2020/09/30/nebulae/
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I keep a journal of my year so I can reflect back on it in the future and someday let my children learn from my mistakes.
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This is a good idea. They can kind of read your life.
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Journaling is life. I keep about 100 at one time. LOL.
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😂😂😂
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I love this post. Reminds me of the days I used to keep diaries and journals. Unfortunately it is something I stopped many years ago due to certain circumstances. Instead, I prefer to work some of my “thoughts” into stories and posts. I will however, get back into writing affirmations. I already have a brand new notebook for that!
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I think we may have had similar circumstances. Maybe I’ll blog about it 😉
Hooray for brand new notebooks! I get just as excited about nice, new pens as well ❤
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Yeah, I’m thinking so too!
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Kathy, I love that you shared that you have multiple types of journals!
I’ve been keeping journals since 1978. I haven’t been as intentionally organized with my journals as you have – I may try it yet! Most of my journals are a hodgepodge of: diaries; workbooks for creative ideas; storage for notes and quotes from readings and research; outpourings of emotions and questions; jotting down memorable details from mundane days as well as special events; capturing hilarious, poignant, and wise sayings from the mouths of children, family, friends, and mentors; lists of mumblings & grumblings; lists of blessings; lists of hopes and desires; recording sleeping dreams when I can remember them; drafts of poems and stories; as well as doodles, scribbles and collage. I guess if I’d lived in prehistoric times, I would have been one of those people scratching and marking on clay and wood and stone! LOL!
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Gooood Grief! That’s a lot of journaling lol I love it, though. I think you were definitely a scribe of some sort in your past life lol
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Gooood grief is right! Strangely, I’ve had two people who are older than me to DISCOURAGE me from destroying my journals. Honestly, at some point I could stand to release and engage one of these burning ceremonies y’all talking about!
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This is cool. I hadn’t actively thought about keeping separate journals (aside from my personal journal and my online blog). I like that you also have some of them divided into sections. That organization, tho.
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I m ow you recognize all that type A behavior 😩even my journals are organized lol
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Love it! I have multiple kinds as well, and did one of those 5 year journals as well. Turns out it documented 5 years of fertility struggles and to compare entries each year broke my heart. With exception of my blog, I actually burn my journals at the end, as a way of leaving things in the past.
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PS I also keep 3 or 4 types of to-do lists, how about you? 😁
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😂you know I do lol lists on my phone. Lists on an agenda 📝
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Like burn with fire? Wow. I was saying to someone there’s a Buddhist practice about creating and destroying things. They do it on purpose.
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Yep, with fire. Originally it started when I found out my mom was raiding my room to read journals and had done that with my older sister, so I turned my later paranoia into a bit of a healing thing.
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🤦🏽♀️there are so many of us with that same story. I think I stopped writing after my mom was reading my diary. It’s good you were able to shift it, though.
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I don’t actually journal, and I’m not even good at keeping up with the diary I keep to record the main activities and events of each year. But now that I’ve read about your journals and how helpful they are, I think I might have to start. What a great way to encourage self-discovery and growth!
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I think it’s part of my Type A personality that’s able to keep up with these in such a systematic way. I do hope you find one useful, though. They can really help to sort out thoughts, although I suspect your blog kind of does that as well.
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Hi. I’ve never journaled, but I can see the values of doing that. It’s nothing but good when people find approaches that work for them.
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Very true. Maybe your blog is like a journal, especially when you do the photos from your day?
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Yeah, my blog is a personal narrative for the most part, though an incomplete one.
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Wow, Katherin – this is so inspiring. I have felt blocked. I haven’t written in awhile and can’t seem to access my feelings. I wonder if I might pick up one of your habits when I’m ready. It certainly sounds magical and I’m very appreciative of what you shared.
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Thanks Judy. The group I was in was an artist’s group, with traditionally defined artists. I was going to add that keeping an artist’s journal (of only images) is also a thing. That may help because you know, you’re an artist ❤
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That’s a logical thought, Katherin – but you might find it interesting to know that I never liked sketching or drawing much. I was good at drawing mazes – so in that way, perhaps. But mostly I render/paint. I wish I were better at sketching – but I’m such a perfectionist and like to work from reference. 🙂
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Really? That is interesting to me. I guess I shouldn’t assume all artists are the same lol
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Awesome stuff. I myself have a one-journal system, consisting mostly of my freewritten thoughts, but they also have monthly spreads and workout/habit trackers. What I enjoy most is reading entries from years past and discovering the things going on in my head that I wasn’t aware of. Thanks for this post!
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Thanks for reading and commenting Stuart! It is amazing to reflect on who you were and what you were thinking long ago. I think it’s a great way to personally document oneself.
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my wife has two, one to reflect on her day (as an extension to therapy for her bipolar) the other is creative, drawings. Back in the 90’s prior to blogging I did creative journaling, then for a number of years I was on livejournal. My arts blog can be journalistic, with my poetry and memoir sections sprinkled amongst the art.
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I remember livejournal!!! I never used it, but I remember it being a thing. I was just mentioning about an artist’s journal, which I do think your blog is (if we’re defining it). Thanks for adding these.
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yeah essentially, my blog is an online arts journal
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I kept a gratitude journal for a while and you’re right, it did shift my mindset. It may be important to get back to that as we head up to election day.
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FOR SURE Laura! I have a feeling we’re going to need all the coping strategies we can gather.
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Frisking your hair?! 😦
Wrt journaling, yes, I’ve always kept private journals.
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Yeah girl. That happened a few years ago…in this century 🙄
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😦 what state?
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Florida
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Ah, that explains alot. Sorry, I remember you mentioning that you live in FL, but I had imagined that you were traveling, for some reason.
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Yep. This was at the Jacksonville airport…I was flying out.
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Oh: and with you a local! And who allowed ‘hair frisking’ anyway? That is ridiculous! (and scary, since having my hair touched is almost more intimate, for me, than having my arms touched -used to drive me crazy when students would demand I let them play with my hair to stop acting up in class!). Did you lodge a complaint?
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I did. And I found out it’s actually legal but it happens in disproportionate rates to Black women because, apparently, our hair is thick and curly and can’t be seen on the monitor. Buuut some lady in California successfully sued…somehow 💁🏽♀️
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Excellent: even thin blonde hair can be used to hide something, if that’s their logic (actually, maybe especially thin hair! It stays where they put it, mine curls away and does what it wants to do!)! It’s just insulting. I’m glad you reported it.
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Yes Kathy, I keep reflective journals based on Julia Cameron’s Morning pages of three A4 pages of freehand. If life gets abit hectic and stressed I tend to neglect to write in them but I always seem to know when to get going again. I find it useful to reread entries when I feel the time is right.
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You know, Margaret, I’m thinking about writing something about remembering to do things when we’re “supposed to.” Lately, I’ve been neglecting to do so
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I break all the rules, not dlways written in the morning x d sometimes less or more than three 😂
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lol
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I like how you share the different purposes of your journals, Kathy. And oh, benefits of journalling are huge. Like yourself, I keep a gratitude journal to write things that might seem insignificant but I’m grateful for, and mean a lot to me. My cell phone journal overflows, not necessarily in a good way. 🙂 Some of the stuff I turn into poems.
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Thanks Khaya! I’m glad to see I’m not the only one with a cell phone journal! Thanks for sharing your experience ❤
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I have a planner, which is a de facto journal of sorts because I write my gratitude in it every night. I have a page a day journal where I list either my high point or low point of the day. I then have a notebook journal where I just free style every morning and evening. I hand write all these things because written just makes me feel better. Writing things down frees my mind to think of other things. Of course, my blog is also a type of journal because I just write about how my experiences impact me
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Thanks for sharing these. I think I may add writing down the “low” points, too because those are the ones I most internalize and review over and over and over again. Writing it down may be a great way to release.
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I find writing out the low points really helps me out (can you imagine what I would be like without it?!)
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lol like these emojis 👉🏽🥺😬😤👈🏽LoL I know cause I know 🤗
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😉💗
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I have piles of ordinary A4 folio books, the kind you get at any ordinary stationary shop. There are no sections – I’d never adhere to it – besides many things overlap. Once, in an extreme mood, I burned all my journals. Meticulously, book by book. I regret it to this day. Journalling helps to ‘download’ issues that goes round and round in one’s head. It makes space for new thoughts, new perspectives.
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Oh, I created the titles of the sections…the journal came separated like that.
I wonder what made you burn them. Buddhists have a name for that, actually…just can’t think of the name.
I think you’re right about downloading issues that go round in one’s head…
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beautiful
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Thank you ❤
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For a while I was keeping a gratitude journal. Then I decided I’d write about things I read. Unfortunately, neither of those lasted too long. But, reading this, maybe I need to get back into some sort of positive light again…
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I think, if for no other reason, journaling helps to at least get it out, but I think your blog does a good job of that, too.
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https://galaxyzonedotblog.wordpress.com/2020/09/30/nebulae/
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