Wednesday Journaling Writes: Word Candy!

Journaling is an activity involving writing, but writing is very often not the focus of what you’re doing. Journaling is much more about perceptions and emotions than it is about writing.

But sometimes when you sit down to journal you’re not sure what you want to write about. When perceptions and emotions don’t just tumble from your pen to the page, you might need a tool either for sorting out your feelings or identifying them to begin with.

And there’s just the tool you need buried within the very medium of your journal: words.

Usually, words serve to help us communicate. But sometimes we can use them to help us perceive, think, and understand.

Next time you’re in a fog, feeling unclear and at a loss, try one of these games.

1. Make a list of 12 arbitrary words. Select them as randomly as you can. Use one from a nearby conversation, one from a book, one from the television, one an object in your view, and so on. Now look over the list and very quickly circle the three words that seem to draw your attention. Write about why you think you selected those particular words.
2. Create a collection of phrases that you like: go for the gold, make love, kick it up a notch, small is beautiful, rock the town, eat-pray-love, it takes a village, my old hometown, a crooked tree. Pick one and analyze it in your journal. For example: go for the gold might become a bunch of thoughts about what the word go means to you and then the connotations of gold, writing out everything you can imagine in connection with the two concepts. Finally, write your ideas about why this phrase has meaning for you.
3. Identify a song that you love and write out its lyrics. Circle the phrases or lines that are most precious to you. Write about that meaning, examining both the words and the music to discover how the composition moves you.
4. Pick a word that epitomizes something you aspire to, like fame or riches, fun or love. Write the word many times in many ways and sizes. Make sketches of it. Then explore its meaning and definitions as you write. Set a timer for 15 minutes and don’t stop.
5. And one more: have fun making up some new definitions for multi-syllabic words! For instance, loquacious is the way your voice sounds under a bridge; pusillanimous is the way a kitten purrs; fiduciary is where bad dogs go …

I know there are dozens more ways to turn words themselves into inspirations. Please share your favorite word candy games!

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Another good way to spark your imagination is to use Mari’s Most Museful Journaling Tips or any of the books of prompts CreateWriteNow has created.