By Rebecca Spohn
My story begins at age four when I fell head over heels in love with creating. My preschool teacher had shown us how to make a turtle with moveable legs using a paper plate and brass fasteners. It was like the heavens had parted, and I was filled with amazement.
From getting knee-deep in finger paints and glue up to the present, “art” has been my safe place, where I find peace and, yes, joy. That was until I lost my best friend and my champion. For the first time in my life, I had no desire to create anything artistically since my dad passed away.
Suddenly a deep depression had an all-encompassing hold on me. The one thing that had always brought me comfort in good and bad times …. now did not. Soon after my father’s passing, my mother came to live with my husband, John, and me. Overnight, I was a full-time caregiver to a loved one with onset dementia.
My world seemed dark and devoid of beauty. Days were filled with trying to get her to eat, bathing and dressing her, and holding her hand at night when she was afraid or confused.
In the day, I would use a small planner to jot down doctor appointments and medicine schedules to remind myself of my responsibilities, but there were no longer signs of creativity in my life. No color, no whimsy, no joy.
Then one day, John came home from running errands and handed me a spiral-bound book filled with blank pages.
“What’s this for?” I asked. “I already have a planner that has everything organized and arranged inside. It’s pretty much just fill in the blanks.”
John replied with a smile, “I know, thought you might need one that has none of those things.”
And he was so right!
I looked at the plain, black book he had purchased at a discount store, and something inside me said I have to make this beautiful, colorful, unique, and unexpected …. like my life.
The planner was great for keeping track of details, but this book, this journal, could be a place to save memories, messages, affirmations, tender thoughts, special occasions, and more. I could mess up, color outside the lines, spill, splash, draw, stamp, cut, tear, and start a new journey exploring myself, my feelings, and my story.
Since then, this has been my way of creating a journey back to joy!
If you, yourself, have been struggling with sadness, depression, and a sense of hopelessness or feel overwhelmed and can’t seem to cope with life, know that you are not alone.
Many people turn to therapy, medication, or both. All good choices, but, happily, there is an additional option. This new trend can help you heal page-by-page. It certainly did for me.
It’s been coined, by many, as positive journaling. Filling a book with uplifting and positive affirmations, words of hope, writings, and artwork.
Even the medical and psychological world has embraced journaling and self-expression as a journey worth taking.
According to Dr. Megan C. Hayes and her groundbreaking research, what she calls positive journaling can profoundly improve mood and coping skills. https://www.bookdepository.com/Write-Yourself-Happy-Megan-C-Hayes-PhD/9781856753821
You can create your very own happy-based journal by following these five easy steps:
- Start with the right tools:
Gather markers, colored pencils, and/or watercolor paints. Purchase a hard-covered notepad or book with lined paper. And complete your tool kit by including glue, scissors, and scraps of fabric or colored paper.
- Decorate the cover:
Go ahead! Judge this book by its’ cover. There are so many unique ways to bring the front cover of your journal to life. This is where you can set your imagination free with anything you want. Maybe create a collage of uplifting words or poems cut from magazines or newspapers. Or draw a picture of a place that makes you happy. Or, simply create an abstract cover with colors and patterns that make you feel good. On the inside front and back cover, add a pocket. Glue all three sides of a rectangle-shaped piece of fabric or cardstock. Inside pocket, tuck special cards, handwritten notes, poems, or anything and everything that makes you happy!
- Put pen to paper:
Fill some of your journal pages with writings of hopes, dreams, reflections, memories or even fears, and sad moments. Often, if we put our inner feelings in black and white on paper, we may find it easier to face our emotional issues and overcome them in time.
- Bring your journal to life with art:
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so writing just won’t cut it and express how you feel visually. Maybe include cherished photos or meaningful clippings from magazines or books, or even sketch a picture of your own. The ideas on decorating some of your journal pages are endless.
- Enjoy!:
Think of your journal as your new best friend. Always there for you when you need them. You may find that you may want to start another as soon as you complete one journal. Just like your life story is filled with different chapters, so too is your journal.
I wish you only the best as you journal yourself happy!
Great content! Keep up the good work!