Putting Pen to Paper: The Power of Journaling

One of my biggest resolutions this year was to journal and write more.

Founder of All Swell Creative, Laura Rubin.

One of the best ways to process emotional issues and relieve stress is through journaling.

I’ve always wanted to dive into journaling, but every time I went to put pen-to-paper, I go blank. I don’t know what to really write, or say. In grad school, I was in a habit of doing morning pages, which was 3 pages in a journal of freehand writing. I typically found myself writing in a “Dear Diary” form and also complaining a lot (blame it on the stress). I’ve also learned how to write gratitude lists to shift my tone and reframe my mindset after reading The Gratitude Diaries. By shifting our perspective and focusing on our blessings, I was able to journal with a sense of ease. It was a wonderful change in my journaling routing, but after a while, I wanted something more from my journaling routine. I wanted a challenge; A mental stimulation of sorts to get my brain thinking about things it had not yet pondered.

A friend of mine mentioned the All Swell Workshop, a workshop hosted by All Swell founder Laura Rubin. Laura created her All Swell notebooks as a passion project to inspire creativity in any form. Her notebooks are half lined-paper, half blank sheets to allow for drawing if that interests you. Her creative workshop was exactly the kind of kick start I needed to break me out of my “writers block.”

The workshop was fantastic.

We shared our fears about writing:

I am embarrassed for people to read what I wrote
I feel like I am a bad writer
I don’t know what to write about freehand
I am a writer for a magazine/blog, but this writing is personal so it’s difficult
I am a mom and typically write about my kids and not myself

These were just some of the tricky obstacles. For me personally, I feel as though I want to go deeper and share a lot of person things on there I can’t say outloud. Laura helped us extinguish those fears and remind us if we wanted we could also burn or destroy the journal. It could be cathartic but also releasing. I decided once I was done with my journal I’d decide what to do. Her workshops allowed for us to be exactly where we were.

One of the prompts were writing our 5 senses down. This allowed each of us to check in, come back and be very present. I was there, but wasn’t “there” until I did the journal prompt. Last but not least, she introduced to us her new product she created with Psychologist Monisha Vasa. The cards come in deck form, 52 cards with both a write and draw version of the journaling prompt.

Within a week of journaling, I found myself less anxious, more relaxed, and had a clearer mind throughout the day. I tend to ruminate on thoughts or ideas, so it feels great to get these out early in the day and be able to move forward without carrying those thoughts. After about a month of journaling, I found a new love for the new self-care act that has become a part of my regular routine. I like to think of it as a mental workout. We constantly work out our bodies but we tend to not work out our minds as much.

The prompts have made my journaling journey a lot more fun and seamless. Sometimes, I find myself wanting to write or vent about certain events or feelings, emotions. Otherwise, I take to the deck and usually answer a tough question that opens up a layer of me I didn’t know I was trying to cover.

I love the deck as a gift for a friend, or something you love. I also love the deck and journal with a significant other as a way to open up and share emotions and vulnerabilities with one another. I personally love getting to know someone on an intimate level and love what this deck and journal represents.

If you want more information or would like to purchase the journal and/or deck, please visit: All Swell