Mari asked me to write a blog post about my experience with the 27 Days of Journaling to Health and Happiness course. I am writing this because this has actually happened with me. For me, 27 Days has been a life-changing event.
Typical questions would be “what did it do for you,” “what was it like,” or “what did you experience; how did it affect/help you?” And, “Would you do it again?” You bet I would. In a heartbeat.
This experience opened my eyes and my mind to some things I need to throw away or at least put behind me and forget about, and also provided some much-needed structure and routine in my life.
Before, I wasn’t writing much. 27 Days got me going with excellent prompts and I found I didn’t even have to think most times about what to write. I would read the “Exercise Your Writes,” put the pen to paper, and it just flowed, seemingly almost by itself.
While it opened up some painful memories at times, that helped me in the respect that I now realize they’re only memories of past events. They can’t hurt me or pull me down and I know, too, that if they crop up again, or others surface, I can set it down in writing and work through it.
This program gave me a wonderful new tool – daily journaling – that lets me freely express myself without fear of judgment by others and with almost reckless abandon at times. I found that if I write it down, it takes away the power of the event and puts me back in control.
27 Days also taught me to be more honest with myself and not to hold back – let the feelings, the anger, the tears - come out on the pages of my journal and release me and my mind to do other things, like write the things I’ve been putting off for years. (Yes, there’s a book or two sitting in a box in the spare room, gathering dust and getting stale because my mind was trapped, restricted by junk I don’t need to be carrying around).
And it didn’t just affect my writing. I found the routine helpful – it has had a domino effect. The routine is now easier to apply to other areas of my life, and hopefully I can eliminate the chaos I’ve been living in for the last decade.
27 Days also opened up freedom with my art. I’m finding I want to draw, paint, do a collage, create something every day!
I guess that’s what it all boils down to. 27 Days released the creativity that’s been held captive in the cobwebs of old chaos in my mind. Now I’m free to move on and Create Write Now!
27 Days = SMW (Save My Writing).
Thank you Mari for a wonderful course and hopefully a new, fulfilling start in my life!
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Pam Dickhaus: I am a former journalist, having worked as a correspondent for a large metro paper in another part of my state and as a general assignment reporter for our local paper. I have been doing creative writing in the form of poetry and short stories for most of my life. My most recent job was at a residential mental health crisis center, working as a Mental Health Technician. Currently, I am pursuing work from home in the form of blogging jobs and making and selling some of my craft items. In my spare time, I write, play in my art journal, do Zentangle, and make handcrafts. I work part-time delivering newspapers.
I live in Wyoming with my kitties. My two children are grown and moved out on their own and have blessed me with three grandchildren with a fourth on the way in May.
I use spiral notebooks and old hardcover books that I alter for journals and art journals and write in longhand for the most part. I am also in the process of writing several novels, as well as my memoir, geared toward self-help. I am also writing a book about the real-life adventures I’ve had while delivering newspapers.
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