Journal Anywhere
Inspiring words from our Umbria Retreat leader, Laura Rubin of AllSwell Creative.
Hi, friend.
It’s been almost a decade since I started AllSwell with the intention of upending preconceptions about keeping a journal. To this day, part of what I find so repellent about the usual journaling gestalt is how painfully precious it all is. As if, in order to effectively journal, you’ve got to be wrapped in a chenille blanket, sipping lavender tea, writing about how your high school crush broke your heart and you will absolutely never, ever recover. Le no. That ain’t it, folks.
A journal is a personal revolution. It’s a tool for being present, for building a life that is uniquely yours. It’s an authentic way forward in this world that tells you who to be, how to be, what not to be, where to be and when to be there. Picking up a pen helps peel back all that programming. And there you are: naked, beautiful, alive, wise and utterly yourself as you write your own script.
Yes, be different. Be daring. Be real. Don’t keep all that goodness confined to the pages. Know your truth so you can speak it. As Gene Autry sang, “Don’t fence me in.”
Free-range journaling takes many forms:
Journal anywhere, everywhere. In a crowd, on a bus, at a football game, in the mountains, at a concert.
The act of writing may be sacred but a journal is meant to be used and abused. A full notebook that bears the marks of the world is one sexy sight. Coffee drips, beer bottle labels, pages warped by saltwater stains all mean she’s been some places and seen some things.
Going on a trip (literal or otherwise)? Take a notebook and pen along and it becomes a journey.
Once you identify an idea, a platform that is meaningful or a way forward then go live it. Don’t let it languish on the page, bring it out into the world.
This is not the bible. Feel free to rip, tear, burn, flush, cut and lacerate those pages. Your journal doesn’t mind. Once you allow yourself that permission, your notebook yields so many more ways to be a potent tool, including what I call “Repeat after Me” - an exercise modified from the MOJO Series.
If you want a free-range life, a solid way to start is with your journal. Don’t be a good little chicken in the coop. Get out there. And bring a pen. Not sure what to write about? Below you’ll find some of the things that have provided me with nutritious brain food lately. Pick one, give it a read / listen and see what emerges for you.
Be sure to check out the details of my upcoming writing retreat to Italy with Euphoria Retreats. October 6th to 11th a divine destination in Umbria, where we will explore your creative journey with exquisite food, wine, cooking classes, a dive into meditation and morning stretches all surrounded by the beauty of Italy. Book today there is limited spots!
In Swellness,
Laura
Laura Rubin, AllSwell Creative inspirations