Katrine Stewart: 
A Book of Life. 
Spiritual Journaling in the Twenty-First Century

The Tools of the Trade

Let us briefly look at the available materials before discussing problems and frustrations. The modern writer has many more options than previous generations to break out of the generic journal mold. This text does not distinguish between a journal and a diary. Both words describe life’s daily journey, a written safari, so to speak. One is rooted in French, the other in Latin.

raditionally, a journal is a book with blank pages, lined or unlined. Browse for a journal you like. The number of available journals in the bookstores is ever increasing. I believe this indicates a growing need to give personal meaning and cohesion to our fragmented modern lives. Perhaps one of the lovely journals on the shelf simply jumps out at you because of its color or format or the picture on its cover. Buy it! Spiral-bound, medium-sized notebooks with a sturdy cardboard backing work well. Choose one that you can easily put in your briefcase or bag wherever you go. The spirals and cardboard help you to flip it open and over for a hard writing surface whenever you need it.

Catch your mood in the color of your writing pens. Look for writing utensils that glide easily over the page. It’s amazing how a scratchy pen can deter you from putting down some “flowing” thoughts, just like a dam can bottle up a river. On an angry day, you may find yourself scribbling furiously with the bold strokes of a red marker. Muddy, murky, depressing days tend to lead me to a dirty brown. Purple is my color of choice when something wonderful and out of the ordinary happens. Color adds another dimension to your power of personal expression, –even if you have a hard time finding the right words. Watch with fascination how the handwriting changes according to your color and mood.

“I’ll be hanged if I am not in a humor for shedding ink tonight – feel as if I could scribble, scribble, scribble to the extent of a quart bottle full.”

~George Templeton Strong~

Double stick tape and a pair of scissors will come in handy as you comb and edit the avalanche of paper materials that roll into and over your life. Glean what you can for your journal. This abundance of paper is a luxury of our time. Images speak louder than words. Use whatever comes your way, whether it is a magazine picture that speaks to your heart or a silly cartoon that makes you laugh. Stickers are yet another form of non-verbal expression that may be appealing.

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