The art of soul journaling

Writing a soul journal can be a very helpful way of connecting with, nurturing and growing your soul. The first step is to purchase a notebook to use exclusively as your soul journal. Choose it mindfully and with care. See it as a gift to yourself and as a way of acknowledging the value and importance of what you are doing. It is possible to journal on your computer if you find that writing using a word processor works better for you. However, before you decide to do so, it may be worth experimenting with hand-writing as it can make your journal writing feel more personal. If you do choose to word process it, you may want to think about printing off your entries and keeping them in a dedicated folder.

The second step is to find a special place and set aside a time in which to write your journal. As a minimum, you will need peace and quiet, privacy and freedom from interruptions. Ideally, this might be a room or a particular part of your home that you set aside, if only temporarily, for this purpose.

The third step is simply to start writing! It is important to recognise that there is no right way to do this. Some of us choose to set ourselves the goal of writing in our journal every day. Others of us prefer to write when we feel led to. As a minimum, however, it may help to make a commitment to yourself to write in your journal at least once a week.  

Before you start to write, you may also find it helpful to engage in some form of activity that helps you to let go of any distractions, to bring all of yourself into the space you have created for your writing and to honour the work you are about to do. You could choose, for example, to declutter your space beforehand; light a candle; play some music that speaks to your soul; lay out your journal, pens and other material mindfully; or sit in silence for a while.         

What should I write about?

The simple answer is that you can write about any aspect of your soul or your soul journey. Inevitably, there will be times when this will involve writing about other important aspects of your life or of your spiritual journey as your soul journey cannot be separated out from the rest of our life and experience. There are no rules, no set topics to cover, no templates to follow, no criteria to meet. Allow yourself to focus on whatever is uppermost for you at the moment when you set out to write.

Some people find it helpful at times to engage in particular self-reflective exercises as part of the process. For example, you might feel drawn to entering into an ongoing dialogue with your soul or to exploring your soul’s deepest longings. The possibilities are endless. Books like Stephanie Dowrick’s ‘Creative Journal Writing’ or Oriah Mountain Dreamer’s ‘What We Ache For’ can be rich resources for soul journal writers.

How should I write?

It is important to remember that you are writing for yourself, not for anyone else. There are no ‘shoulds or ‘oughts’. Your journal does not have to be beautifully crafted or elegantly written. You are not writing for publication! Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, neat hand-writing or even whether it’s legible! Just write whatever comes in whatever way you want to. Go with the flow of the thoughts, feelings and images that come to you as you sit down to write. Don’t censor, revise or edit it. Don’t analyse or critique it. Try to let whatever surfaces flow freely onto the paper, however irrational, nonsensical or outrageous it might seem at times. Be spontaneous and uninhibited. And then let it be.  

You may find it helpful to write it in the form of a letter to your soul and if you have given your soul a special name, to use that name instead. The journalist Anne Frank, for example, addressed her journal entries ‘Dear Kitty’. Be as creative and as colourful as you want to be. You may want to include images, symbols, drawings, photographs, poems, quotes from other writers – anything that helps you to connect with and explore your soul.

Finally, be faithful to your soul journal. Honour your commitment to your deepest self through paying it regular attention. Recognise that journal writing is all about the process, not the product or the outcome. Trust the writing process even through dull, stuck or dark periods. Continue to write when you’re bored, when you don’t know what to write about or when you can feel yourself resisting it. Be true to yourself and honest with yourself in your writing. Try to silence the internal critic or judge. And finally, celebrate the uniqueness and originality of your journal and whatever it is bringing to life in you.    

Some useful resources

Lucia Capacchione (2002) The Creative Journal: The art of finding yourself. New Page Books

David Elkins (19980 Beyond Religion: A personal program for building a spiritual life outside the walls of traditional religion. Quest Books

Stephanie Dowrick (2009) Creative Journal Writing: The art and heart of reflection. Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin

Oriah Mountain Dreamer (2005) What We Ache For: Creativity and the unfolding of your soul. HarperSanFrancisco

©Copyright Kaitlyn Steele 2024

Kaitlyn Steele

www.insearchofsoul.co.uk

kaitlynsteele16@gmail.com