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Five Ways Journaling Can Inspire & Guide Your Personal Essay Writing is a lonely craft. You live in your head if you're an essayist like me, constantly tapping into the well of your life for inspiration. However, that can get dangerous, especially if you've been through trauma. That's why journaling first about your topic is critical to writing essays that don't sound like a session with your beloved therapist. When I first started writing personal essays, I thought the purpose was to share my life stories; the good, the bad, and the ugly. Whether it's about parenting, working, or adulting, my essays read as a rant of angry rhetoric spewed at the people who are no longer present to read them. Until I discovered the real art of journaling, which is much different than writing in a diary—something I had done on and off my entire life. This article from the Daily OM (one of my favorite mental health and awareness websites) inspired me to start my first real journal. Unlike a diary that details daily happenings, journaling is a way to share your emotions and frustrations; it's a therapist on paper, something you can refer back to and read aloud to yourself so you can evaluate whether things bothering you are bothersome. By journaling before writing, you can avoid using your writing as a sounding board. Check out these five ways journaling can help improve and inspire your writing: 1- Journal Every Day: I am an early riser. I am up by 5:00 a.m. at the latest, and the first thing I reach out for is a cup of coffee and my journal. Then I let my feelings lead my pen. Sometimes I write about my goals for the day; other times, my fear and frustrations from the day before; occasionally, they are musings about something I heard or experienced; but most often, they are about a topic I want to write about. 2- Let it all out & let it go: There is no holding back when you're journaling. You have to let it all out. Even if that means taking a break between words to cry, scream, roll your eyes, or curse. It's best to let it out in your private journal than in an essay you want to publish. You can write as much or as little as you want. There are mornings when I write three or four pages at a time; others, one or two paragraphs. Sometimes I pick up where I left off the next day or the day after. Other times I write about the same thing for days and pages until I feel I've gotten everything off my chest. 3- Start writing: Now that you've spilled your guts to your therapist on paper and let go of what's troubling you, you can begin to write your essay, focusing on the topic rather than the baggage in your mind, which should remain between you and your trusted journal. 4- Proofread your essay for the words that belong in your journal: Proofreading your work is nothing new—it's par for the course for every writer. However, you're not proofreading for grammar, punctuation, or conciseness in this case. You're proofreading to ensure that negative, self-punishing words didn't make it into your essay. Remember, those words should remain between you and the pages of your journal. 5- Rise and repeat: Even when you're not working on a personal essay, making journaling part of your life as a writer is essential. There are a ton of articles out there on how to turn journal entries into publishable articles. And that's great for those who can do it. I prefer to use my journal as a filter for essays I want to publish. My journal is my best friend, therapist, and sounding board. I let the pages bear my deepest thoughts and cleanse my mind, so I can be the best writer I can be. Journaling is a personal choice; like writing, it's also a lonely practice. You don't need an audience when writing in your journal or the perfect space. It's a practice that helps you unload the things that bother you, disturb your mental health and hinder your personal growth. As a writer, I journal because I seek clarity. Because when I sit down at my desk to write, I want my focus to be on my topic, not on my emotional baggage.

Throughout my career, I defined myself by the success of others. I earned my living helping people and organizations tell their stories, define their brands, and promote themselves. Yet, when it came time to “brand” myself, I struggled to think of a word or a phrase that defines the real “ME.” The “ME” I’ve become. It has taken me a long time to feel comfortable enough in my skin to know what I want to do with the rest of my life. While I can finally answer the “What,” I’ve struggled to define the “Who.” Twenty years ago, I defined myself by my career. I was a journalist—simple as that. As soon as I had kids, I became a mother and a journalist. With each new job and experience, I added a new skill to my identity. Before I knew it, I was a mother, a communications professional, a writer, and in the past five years, an educator as well. While the hats I’ve worn added skills to my resume, they also masked my real self. Over the past two decades, I’ve had two blogs: The Ridiculous & Riveting and Work, Parent, Teach. They’ve both served their purpose, but I always felt bound to write for the brand—a habit I developed while working in PR. After many cups of coffee (and dark chocolate), discarded drafts, mind maps, and outlines, I chose “The Curious Creative.” The “Curious Creative” sheds the brand and gives me a platform to stretch my creativity and write about the things that intrigue me. For instance: I am intrigued by languages, customs, and the stories of those working to preserve their ancestors’ legacies. I am intrigued by people’s resilience and determination to survive and thrive against all odds. I am intrigued by the world closer to home—by what my kids are learning at school, their interactions with their peers, their interests, and the challenges they face daily. I am intrigued by the lessons that spark my students’ interests and their desire to learn about various cultures. I am intrigued by all the idiosyncrasies of social media and how it influences our behavior and interactions. The real me is an immigrant, a lifelong learner, and a person driven by an insatiable curiosity and a passion for all things culture. Beyond my doorstep is a world ready to be discovered., but since I can't hop on a plane anytime I feel like it, I write about the people, places, and things I find exciting and intriguing. Because, in my opinion, curiosity drives awareness; awareness amplifies knowledge; and knowledge reduces misinformation and biases. I hope you take some time to explore this blog and join the conversation by subscribing to my newsletter for the latests posts and updates.

You don’t get a “retake” in real life. You can’t just press rewind and start over. In my case, I can’t simply wish that I had gone to school in America my entire life and start over. But I can at least experience what it’s like to be a student from the perspective of a parent and an educator and encourage my children to ENJOY EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF IT. Shock and awe is the best way to describe my first encounter with the American education system. It all began on a September morning in 1988. I was 16 years old and only two weeks into my new life in the US when I was dropped off at my high school counselor’s office (I didn’t know who she was), handed my course schedule, and ushered into the hallway to fend for myself. When the morning bell rang and high school students stampeded past me, all I could do was stand by a wall, tears streaming down my face, wondering where to go and what to do. After what seemed to be an eternity, a nice girl must’ve felt sorry for me, glanced at my course schedule, and offered to take me to my first class (I wonder if she was marked ‘tardy’). By lunchtime, I was so overwhelmed that I ran to the counselor’s office and tried to explain to her that I wanted to go home. When she didn’t understand what I was saying, I ran outside and stood by the front door sobbing, ready to hop on the first plane back home. Fast forward 34 years. Last night, as my husband and I attended my daughter’s 8th grade parent orientation night at her future high school, I listened in awe as the principal, counselors, and high school staff explained the myriad of opportunities and support available to the class of 2027. Although I make a living teaching high school, it’s a different feeling when you’re sitting on the other side of the auditorium listening as a parent, not as an educator. All I wanted to do was to enroll in every class, join every club, go on every field trip, and take every exam. Yes, I am that nerd who wishes she could be a high school student again. Not because I love to learn (I do) but because I appreciate a system that gives students a well-rounded education to become informed global citizens. Even though it’s only January and my daughter won’t be starting high school for another seven months, she has already met with her high school counselor, received class recommendations from her middle school teachers, and signed up for all her classes. In late spring, she will attend a high school orientation where she will be paired with a student mentor to support her during her freshmen year. In August, incoming students will get the opportunity to go on a canoeing field trip to meet their classmates and build a relationship with their teachers and school administrators. Even more impressive than the process leading up to freshmen year, is the long list of course offerings that provide students with the experience and knowledge to begin thinking about their career goals. High school is no longer just about earning good grades; it’s also about preparing students to enter the real world with specific goals and real-world opportunities to succeed in college or trade school. The list of career training classes is endless — not to mention all the clubs and mentoring opportunities available for students to choose from. A lot has changed since I went to high school. True, my experience was unusual, given that I was an immigrant and a non-native English speaker. But, the education landscape has evolved (luckily) quite a bit in the last decade. Long gone is the top-down teaching method where students listen to a teacher drone on for an entire class period while they take notes. Now students are offered interactive classes that encourage them to become critical thinkers and global leaders. While I sat there like a kid in a candy store wishing that I was the one going to high school, I realize that I am looking at all of this as a mature adult — not a wide-eyed 14-year-old teenager, who is more concerned about what the classrooms look like and whether I met her math teachers. After last night, I want my daughter (and eventually my son) to understand that it’s up to them to take advantage of every single minute of their high school experience because there are no retakes in real life. Today’s high school is where the future is built; where ideas are nurtured; where careers are formed; where tomorrow’s leaders are born. Whereas in the past we were told that “College is what we make of it,” it’s time we realize that the opposite is true. College builds on the high school experience — it does not define it. If we miss out on our high school experience, the college years will be a struggle — not an opportunity for higher learning.