A Message from Lynda Monk, Director, IAJW I recently had the privilege of meeting, for the first time in person, Ruth Folit, Founder of the IAJW, as well as Sheila Bender, one of our Journal Council members. I was thinking about how our shared passion for journal writing is the catalyst for us meeting one ... Read More >>
I love reading poetry. I am a quote collector. I have the words of others in my journals, on post-it notes hanging on my walls. Powerful words inspire my own writing in my journal and beyond. The following poem Plea by Frances Balter is a wonderful invitation, as Pat Schneider (author of How the Light ... Read More >>
One of the reasons I love the IAJW is that it is a place to make connections and be inspired through our shared love and interest in the transformational power of journal writing. I am meeting incredible people from different parts of the world through our IAJW membership community and I have decided to start ... Read More >>
Do you ever feel like you are going in circles in your journal, writing about the same old thing all the time? Do you feel recharged and replenished after you write in your journal or do you sometimes feel bored and uninspired? Journal writing can stir lots of ideas and emotions, self-expression is cathartic! Journal ... Read More >>
Your Dreams, Hanging on Stars I walked past you while you slept. I saw the essence of you, in a dream. I heard your heart, your longings and your desires, as quiet whispers floating up and out into the night sky. As you slept, you dreamed about… freedom, happiness, joy, radiant health, inner peace, ... Read More >>
Do you want to access more of your inner courage? Inspiration from a Lion for Writing & Life. I have been thinking a lot about courage lately. There are so many times and circumstances in life that ask us to be courageous. Journal writing can help us deepen our courage. Courage is defined in many ... Read More >>
Every month, IAJW members are invited to participate in our monthly Writing Alone Together circle where individuals gather via Zoom to join a facilitated writing circle where we write freely, read aloud, listen deeply and bear witness. These are the four practices commonly referred to as WAT based on a book I co-authored entitled Writing ... Read More >>
A Writing Exercise by Meryl Cook, IAJW Journal Council Expert & Member At a recent Writing Circle through the International Association for Journal Writing, the topic was listening to our bodies. This topic was inspired by the book Writing from the Body for Writers, Artists and Dreamers Who Long to Free Their Voice by John ... Read More >>
I journal every single day, as do most of my clients and many of the people close to me. As a business owner, journaling gives me an outlet to release my frustrations, brainstorm solutions and set myself up for success. A friend of mine has been journaling since she was 12 years old. Recently, her ... Read More >>
Writing is not just an activity of the mind (thinking), but rather it involves the heart (emotions), spirit (essence) and the body (physical) parts of the self as well. Allow your whole self to inspire your writing. The urge to create comes from within. John Lee, author of Writing from the Body: For Writers, Artists, and ... Read More >>