I am probably not the only one who, at one point, associated the word “journaling” with “Dear Diary…”. I don’t know why but perhaps it was because of the way it was presented in media when I was growing up. That idea of journaling never appealed to me because I didn’t like the format and felt that it wouldn’t benefit me in the long run.
My desire to start writing in a journal came from two things that aren’t related to each other at all – a need to use my fountain pen inks and help manage my anxiety. Journaling was never the first thing that came to mind especially since I’ve always been turned off by the idea. Fortunately, I stumbled upon a video about stream of consciousness journaling by Lavendaire.
This discovery immediately changed my notion about journaling. I was able to find something that fit my personality and my then-current needs.
What exactly is “stream of consciousness”?
Writing in stream of consciousness form is a method that attempts to describe thoughts and feelings which pass through the mind of a narrator.
So in the journaling world, writing in stream of consciousness is like an internal monologue – you have a conversation with yourself but on paper.
How is this different from traditional journal writing?
Someone once asked me what I was writing in my journal (they actually called it a diary). Do I write about my feelings? Do I talk about my day? Do I write about my secrets? Actually, none of the above – not really.
I was slightly taken aback when I heard the word “diary” but I calmly answered, “No, it’s a brain dump”.
My journal has never been a place where I recount what I’ve done for the day or write what I feel. I’ve used the stream of consciousness style of writing so that I can have a transcript of my thoughts.
Stream of consciousness has no structure. It doesn’t have to sound intellectual as if you were writing an essay – with the introductory paragraph, the body paragraph, and the concluding paragraph. You do not need a topic sentence or a thesis or a general thought. You don’t have to write complete sentences. All you need to do is to write down all of your passing thoughts.
When I start journaling, I don’t start by asking “what should I write about”, but I start by writing whatever is on my mind at that point in time. I often open with a sentence gushing about the fountain pen ink that I’m using (I frequently change inks). Then I write a walkthrough of how I think my day will go. Sometimes I would write how I feel on the surface but nothing too deep and intense. Most days my thoughts are everywhere and I write one thing in one sentence and then I write about another thing in the next.
Think of it as a monologue – as if you were talking to yourself when you’re alone. I sometimes compare stream of consciousness writing to a fast-speaking character who also happens to be the narrator of the film.
What if you have nothing to write?
Believe me, this happens. Sometimes you feel that your mind is just blank. When this happens to you, just start by writing “I have nothing to write” over and over; you’ll eventually find yourself talking about something else.
I once had writer’s block while writing in my journal so I tried writing “I have nothing to write, blah blah blah”. After writing that five times in a row, I started talking [writing] to myself again and found something that I can ramble on about.
The Benefits of Stream of Consciousness Journaling
- It’s NOT a diary! Well, it can be, of course – who’s going to stop you. For those who don’t like the idea of a diary but are interested in journaling, then stream of consciousness writing might be the best course of action for you.
- Clear your mind. The beauty of this practice is that you can offload your thoughts on paper. You can decide whether to leave it there on paper, throw it in the trash afterwards, or use it as a guide.
- Generate new ideas. Most of my best ideas come from dumping all of my thoughts on paper stream of consciousness style. This writing style is also adapted in the Morning Pages exercise from Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way (Kindle | Audiobook).
- There are no rules. Some of us write to our peers and colleagues every day. We always make sure that the messages that we convey are always clear. We spellcheck most of the time especially if it’s an important email. Stream of consciousness writing isn’t about writing the “right thing” or “proper punctuation” or “correct grammar”. Without thinking about those elements, we are free to write whatever we want and however it flows in our brain.
- Make decisions. Surprisingly, you can actually work through small (or huge 🤷🏻♀️) decisions when you write in stream of consciousness style. You will be able to find a solution to your problems because you have already laid out all of your thoughts.
- Bonus: if you have way too many pens – gel pens or fountain pens – or notebooks, this is a great way for you to put them to good use.
A few tips to get you started
- Write in long-form/longhand.
- Don’t put too much thought in what you are writing.
- Start small
- Your penmanship – good or bad – doesn’t matter
- Write like nobody is watching.
- When you can’t think of anything, you can write “I can’t think of anything to write” or “blah blah blah”. You’ll come up with something as you go along.
- Try to write daily
- The limit does not exist
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