Every time I feel that I really want to write something, I always, always run into the same problem. How to start, or what to write? Today I woke up with that question, and the same feeling in my stomach. Is that what we call "creative stress," or something else? I don't really know, but it bothers me. Then I noticed I am not the only one. People ask the same question in journaling forums all the time: "I am new to this, how can I start?"
Since I am not a writer, I don't really care what others think about the way I write. This is the good thing about journaling. It is freedom. You can write about anything, without worrying about criticism of how you wrote it. There are no rules. Some people even like to draw while they write, and that is beautiful if you can turn your words into a picture. I have tried, and I am honestly awful at it. But that is the point. There is no right way to do this.
And here is the thing. When I started writing this article, I had no idea what I wanted to write about. I just started, and it led here. Probably because it was already sitting somewhere in the back of my mind. What does that mean for you? It can be anything that stays quietly in the back of your mind and slowly builds into stress. Just starting to write about it is a relief. It may not solve the problem, but it creates the right conditions to find a solution. Why? Because when you write, you break the problem into pieces. It makes you more analytical and gives you another view, and that view becomes something you can use to handle the moment, your feelings, and reach an honest answer.
So if you really don't know where to start, here are a few doors:
An article you read this week that stayed with you.
A conversation with a friend you keep going back to.
Something sitting in the back of your mind that you have not said out loud.
And if none of these fit, just write. Anything. It will lead you somewhere.
Finally, what I am trying to say is this. There is no right way to journal. But there is one safe path that leads you there, and it is simply to start writing. And then, almost like magic, you will discover what you were hiding under the surface.