Journaling: An Experience in Time Travel

"Journaling is a voyage into the interior" - Christina Baldwin

“I write constantly, but only in my journals. I have three of them: one for travel, one for home, and one I write in before bed. But the last thing I want is other people reading it….. What’s really fun is reading your journal, like a year later, or even a month, and realizing how much you’ve changed."  - Cameron Diaz

photo http://testforelliot.blogspot.com/

I wrote journals before I even knew how to form the alphabet.  I remember filling tiny notebooks with line after line of scribbles.  Maybe they were just doodles, but it's fun to wonder if I was trying to sort out and communicate my thoughts even back then. Who knows?

Today I discovered a fabulous blog post about re-reading your journals and I was inspired to look back at some of my own.  (thank you for this piece!  i loved it!)

 http://elfhousechronicles.blogspot.com/2011/11/statements-of-young-me.html?showComment=1321104780146#c4684984117161210657)

I recently re-discovered a diary that I wrote when I was 9 years old.  It is an incredible experinence to witness the musings of your childhood self.  I was taken aback by how much I am still....well... me.

then:  "Lee said that I could play with Hui if I wanted but just don't come back and try to play with her after.  Well I'm a little confused but I figure that if Lee likes me she will still want to be my friend . But if she doesn't that HER loss! Not mine!" 

now:  Wahaha! I'm still trying to  figure out friendships at times. (and I can still be a little stubborn and defiant...)

then:  "Well who knows? I'll just go with the flow and maybe it will end up in order."

now:  "Go with the flow" is the mantra I still use today. I had no idea this has been a near life long effort.

I think my 9 year old self would be happy with who we have become. 

How do you think your childhood self would see you? 



Resources:

http://www.creativegrowth.com/teresa.htm

       explores concept of the inner chiild

http://inspiredtojournal.net/

        helps get you started and keeps you going



Self Confidence for Artists, Creators and Seekers

I discovered this at http://happylittlehippy.blogspot.com/ and felt compelled to share it.
(Thanks Rosie, you rock)


 While I am growing more and more comfortable in my artist skin, there is part of me that still gets stage fright, that swats away compliments, that struggles with the concept of self-promotion. 

So I've come up with THREE SIMPLE RULES:

1. be your best self.
           have a positive attitude. 
               pass up opportunities to complain or criticize yourself and others.   

2. fake it till you make it. 
        this includes your image and your wardrobe.  
            they say that you shouldn't dress for the job you have,
            you need to dress for the job you want.   
            what message are you sending to the world?

3. learn and practice the language of self-promotion. 
        many of us were socialized against self-promotion.
            we were taught to avoid "bragging" and "showing off"
            as adults, we often still struggle against old messages
            that we should minimize our successes
            so that other people don't find us arrogant or feel bad about themselves
            how much time you spent talking about your faults & frustrations,
            rather than sharing successes?  
           
           
great resources: 

http://www.topdrawerconsignmentshop.com/ 
Tamara can help you put together some fabulous looks and revamp your image.
http://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/2011/09/top-10-ways-to-promote-yourself-on.html
self promotion 101