Journal writing can be one of the most fulfilling and uplifting experiences for the woman striving to reach her creative goals. The rewards are many, allowing us to express and nurture our creative spirit in ways that connect our mind to our creative center. Journaling for many fills a need to acknowledge the depths of emotions that we may not be ready or able to express to anyone else. It can help clear the mind so that the creative journey may begin. Journaling also creates memories that can be passed on and shared with our family and loved ones for future generations to come. Understanding that the many demands of any given day can make it difficult to maintain a journal, the sister i program suggests ways to make journaling a part of your routine. Getting acquainted with journaling is the first step. Personalize your journal and have it near you at all times — never consider it clutter. Keeping your journal close at hand will give you many opportunities to write during the course of your day. Try leaving it on the kitchen counter or next to your favorite chair. Buy some fun pens and keep them in places that are easy to get to. Approach journaling as though you are visiting a timeless friend, one who understands your conflicts and is always eager to hear from you. To help you get started use your sister i daily stones or try writing about the everyday happenings of your life. The important thing is that you attempt to write or even draw anything in your journal on a daily basis, remembering that if you miss a day, a week, or a month there is always now.

Journaling may seem impossible for the mom with very young children. Writing first thing in the morning is bound to be interrupted regardless of how early you wake, and besides, you need your sleep. Look for small windows of time during your daily routine when you either know you will be alone or when you know your children will be preoccupied. When interruptions do occur relax and put your journal down, and return to it if or when you have time. It may seem futile in the beginning, but for the new mom these sporadic intervals of writing are vital to keeping your creative mind nurtured and alive. Some day you will be thankful that you made these efforts, for they are the ground work for your creative journey.

For moms with older children journaling can easily be incorporated into the daily routine of the family. By emphasizing that “this is mom’s time with my creative self” you are communicating that your creative needs are important and should be respected. You might want to consider a family silent time in which the whole family gets out their journals and or sketchbooks for ten minutes or more. Even a preschooler can learn to appreciate the silence of journaling. If you make a habit out of writing at a certain point and place during your day or week, the commitment to journaling will become routine. Scheduling is suggested to help you maintain a journal, but any given moment of your day that you feel like writing is an opportune time to journal. In fact, journaling at varied times may provoke diverse words for thought that may not be stimulated if your journaling is put on a strict schedule. Feelings of guilt for not meeting your journaling “date” will only distance you from your writing. Journaling is one aspect of a woman's creative journey that is very possible, but it does take persistence and patience. The important thing to remember is that the creative journey itself is much more important than any creative achievement. Your insights on journaling and being a mother are always welcomed and we encourage you to share them so that other mothers can benefit from this basic, but enlightening, way of nurturing the creative spirit.

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