Words. Incredible things that aid communication.

Writers use them to paint pictures in people’s minds; to draw out emotions they never knew they had; to help them to walk in shoes they’ve never worn; and to give them a birdseye view of cultures, places and situations that are beyond their imaginations.

That’s all fine and good if you’re an accomplished writer… What about the rest of the world? How can they use words to help regulate their emotions, imaginations, thoughts? How can we all tap into our own abyss when life fails us?

I once did a memoir-writing class with Kristina Olsson, and she said, quite wryly, that many personal memoirs should be classified as fiction, while a lot of fiction is often based on fact – Mem Fox regularly shares how her picture book characters are based on true events from her life, some of them quite sad.

On the flip side, autobiographers are often hamstrung by living relatives who could take umbrage at the truth, thus their need to hide the worst of their experiences under blankets of alternative facts. And let’s not forget, time plays tricks with our memories, as do trauma and fear, so while it’s not a perfect recollection we might be reading, a memoir could very well be a justifiable alternate reality.

So where do we find the truth as everyday people?

In journals and in letters, that’s where, in our own place and time, with nobody watching.

I started ‘honest’ writing as a child (and then, later, as a parent) to connect with my core beliefs, my foetal intuition, my true self and my emotional barometer. Journal entries and letters allowed me to get to know what was truly going on inside my head and my heart, when I wasn’t able to share openly with the people around me.

My preference is to journal-write by hand, because the pace of my favourite pen (a fast-flowing one) matches the speed of my thoughts. The kinaesthetic value of pressing down harder when I’m angry and making BIG, FAT, CHUNKY CAPITALS when I’m FURIOUS, is enormously satisfying!

People use journaling to debrief, to reflect, to understand and to move on. I rarely use a journal when life is happily busy, or at a status quo. I write in them when I’m at an emotional extreme, because I feel feelings so intensely at those times, there needs to be an overflow outlet to stop me imploding and exploding – my trusty pen.

For the most part, those extreme words don’t get to see the light of anyone else’s day. They’re private words, because they’re raw. They’re honest. They’re potentially hurtful to people I care about. But they’re true at the time and they’re real.

They’re so real, that when I read them back, days, months, years later, I am instantly transported to the time I last wrote them. The time I was so angry, I may have been bordering on insanity. The time I was so sad, I was living on a razor’s edge. The time I was so happy, I was maniacally unpredictable. Extremes that frighten others if they’re verbalised, but fall safely on the wonderfully deaf ears of paper.

Paper doesn’t judge you, berate you or cry when you’re angry with it. It doesn’t talk back, inflame or extinguish the words pouring out of your true self. It won’t mock or belittle, undermine or patronise.

Paper becomes a safe and empathic conduit, intent on helping you to rid yourself of unhealthy thoughts and feelings, in order to make way for rational thought, positive emotions and ingenuity.

And most importantly… paper burns.

When all has been said and done, there’s no need to go back, so after you’ve cathartically released those words into a fiery furnace, it’s time to move on.

The path to creativity has been cleared, and a fresh sheet of paper awaits your gentler touch and your excited scrawl as your ideas start to flow. Your memoir, your novel, your family history, your shopping list, or that letter you’ve been meaning to write.

It’s not easy to start, so we are here to help you… If you’re interested in doing one of our Journaling Workshops, get in touch! They’ll be running monthly from July 1st in Paddington.

TESTIMONIALS

Caylie is very engaging. She is a warm and personable presenter who speaks and teaches with empathy and encouragement. I came away with a much clearer picture if how to tackle historical fiction writing - Caylie has provided me with so many ideas!

This workshop was excellent! It’s given me new and unexpected ideas, and Caylie was excellent!

Caylie has provided loads of information in a very personal and enjoyable way. I took away lots of great ideas and left inspired.

Caylie’s workshop delivered, for me, an inspiring method of organising my memorabilia, and inspiration to start my complex project of activist women.

Journaling for Wellbeing was a great workshop that has helped me not just as a writer but as a person. It really inspired me to do more journaling. Very professional and fun – Caylie made a great environment for interactive participating.

Journaling for Writers with Caylie Jeffery was very inspiring, and I came away with lots of ideas. I hadn’t done much journaling, but Caylie made me want to do more. The workshop left me with a lot of ideas on turning a simple thought into something more. I did the workshop because I’ve been having a bit of writers block and needed some prompts. I now feel ready to write a lot more and will aim to start regular journaling practices.