Five Simple Ways to Spark Your Journal Writing

Journaling is a great way to gain insight on your dreams, your moods and your surroundings. However, it can feel like work sometimes when you sit down to journal and find no inspiration. Don't be discouraged. All you need are a few prompts that can help you get the writing flowing. Here are five easy ways to make sure you never have a journaling block.

1. Keep a small notebook with you at all times. During the day, jot down any thoughts, emotions, or occurrences you want to journal about later. Also, keep this notebook by you when you are reading a book, watching tv, or listening to the radio. You never know where inspiration will come into your life.

2. Clip inspiring and thought provoking articles or pictures from magazines or newspapers. Remember, you don't have to show these items to anyone else.

3. When you are at a hardware store pick up paint samples of colors you love or hate. Colors that attract you can be a great source of insight into your current mood.

4. While walking pick up interesting rocks, leaves, or flowers.

5. While surfing the web save articles, clip quotes, or save pictures that peak your interest.

What are you going to do with all of this stuff?

Put it into a box, envelope, or any other type of container. Keep this box near your journal. When you sit down to journal reach into this box and pull an item out. If you use an online service to hold some of your items then choose a file and open it up. If you are new to journaling you may want to sit down with your box of journal sparks and plan your journal entries for the week. Don't do this if it makes your journal writing seem like a chore.

The goal is to spark your journal writing. The items you put in your box should evoke strong emotions, both positive and negative. Explore these emotions and any associated memories while journaling. Here are some questions you can use to start journaling.

This item interested me because .....

The one thing I really love or hate about this item is .....

At the time I found this item it made me feel .....

The reason I felt ..... is because .....

Right now, I feel .....

My feelings have changed or not changed because .....

The day I found this item I was .....

This item reminds me of .....

This item makes me think about .....

This item makes me want .....

Looking at this item, I am struck by ....

Take the time to look around at the world and bring those experiences to your journal pages. Just a little bit of organization and preparation can ignite your journaling experience.