brain lint :: journaling
The first sentence of this page of my journal says, "this is the page where i am going to just dump the stuff that i don't need to hold onto like worry and not enoughness and how the **** will i get it all done..." Since writing those words, I have turned to this page and filled it with uncensored fears when I get distracted while working.
The idea to do this came to me while I was working in my red Smash journal that houses ideas for my ecourses and other online projects I am working on. While putting these ideas to the page, I can find myself pulled by the "what ifs" and the "shoulds" and how the list goes on. On this day, I was writing down ideas for a possible ecourse connected to the project Jen Lee is producing that will be out later this spring (will share more about this project soon! we are having so much fun putting the finishing touches together before it all goes to print), and I had a flurry of a brainstorm that got me very excited. But then I got stuck as some gremlins came up. So I flipped through the journal to another section to give myself a break from thinking about this idea and came to this page that said, "Brain Lint."
Yes.
Because this is exactly what the not enoughness is sometimes: lint that is just taking up space where something else could reside.
I love how my Smash journals often provide just the prompt I need when I am working. They really seem like magic sometimes. (Not kidding.) You can read the other posts in this journaling series inspired by my excitement over my first Smash book here.
An Invitation
Reserve a few pages in your journal for some uncensored brain lint. Let it be a safe space for you to let that not enoughness or the fears or the worry land so you can lean into the real work.
And consider joining us over in the Notes for the Journey Flickr group where we are sharing pages from our journals and where we are journaling. Also, if you are on Instagram, a group of us are using the hashtag #journeynotes when we share our journals. Oh and if you use an app like Instagram, you can easily use the blur feature to blur out your personal journaling but still share your photo.
journaling, smash journal in an invitation, write, write, write
Reader Comments (4)
Brain lint. I like that. :)
What I don't like is how I can't write on paper for more than five minutes before my hand cramps up. *shakes fist*
Having a space to put the 'what ifs' and 'shoulds' sounds like a really great idea that I need to do. I'm so loving the pink smash I just bought myself a red smash book as well! Haven't had a chance to really go through it since it just came in but I'm really looking forward to diving into it!
LOVE the brain lint concept! Thanks so much for sharing your journey! I have had the red Smash journal since last June, but you definitely inspired me to get going on it! Now will have a dumping ground for all of those gremlin thoughts!
i love this idea of Smash Journals. I seem to keep so many (like there are rules about keeping all my creativity separated). i must get me one. and i will check out your Flickr group. it seems like it will help me break the rules!! :)