Express yourself

Journaling gives you the time and space to discover connections and see your world from a different perspective, allowing you to spark your creativity. It is a place you can experiment with words, drawing, doodling, ideas and feelings. A journal is something just for you, somewhere to be as open and honest as you desire. It is a safe place without judgement or fear of what others may think.

Self-expression is the expression of your personality, feeling or opinions, through an artistic activity such as drawing, writing or dancing. The actions you take, the clothing you wear and your possessions are all forms of self-expression.

Why is self-expression important?

We are constantly bombarded with messages regarding what we ought to do, wear, look like, think and be like it can be difficult to let go of outside expectations and be our authentic self.

Research has shown that self-expression allows us to reach our full potential and be the best we can be. It also allows us to work more effectively with others, by opening up and expressing ourselves freely. Working this way, activates our prefrontal cortex, giving us greater access to abilities such as creative and innovative thinking, problem-solving and planning.

How can you embrace self-expression through journaling?

There are a number of tools I use throughout my journals to encourage self-expression. Sometimes I use different journals for different ideas but generally I try to keep everything in the one place. (Yes, I have a pile of half-finished journals and trying to remember where I wrote something it wanted to go back to, became a little too exhausting). So, in between my templated pages I have blank pages used for the following exercises.

Brain dumping

Brain dumping is simply what is sounds like, taking time to download everything feeling, thought, idea, to-do and writing it down in your journal. It is a great way to clear your mind and see patterns in your life. Look here to find more details on Brain Dumping – it isn’t always pretty but it really helps.

Free Writing

Free writing can often be referred to “stream of consciousness writing” and is the practice of writing down all your thoughts without stopping and without worrying about spelling grammar or any of the usual rules of writing.

It is similar to brainstorming, or though you do not necessarily need to stick to one particular topic. You write down your thoughts and follow your thought patterns – no matter where your thoughts take you. Do not judge or censor your thoughts, allowing your thoughts to flow reduces the chance of accidentally censoring a good or great idea.

Keep writing even if you don’t think you have anything to say. Set an amount of time, 15-20 minutes or a number of pages and start writing. Pick a topic and see where your mind takes you. If nothing is coming to you write the topic over and over again until it flows.

Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is a visual way to represent ideas and concepts. It is both analytical and artistic therefore engaging the brain in a much fuller capacity.

Mind mapping involves starting with a central idea, issue or topic and mapping your thought process by branching out to subtopics and then repeating that process with the subtopics. It avoids linear thinking and enhances creativity.

When mind mapping use different colours, pictures and symbols to access different areas of the brain. Keep your labels short and to the point. It doesn’t have to be artistic, it is more about the structure and process.

Mind mapping can be used for note taking, brainstorming, problem solving, planning, study enhancing creativity, presenting information.

Visual Journaling

For those that don’t like to write creating a visual journal may be an alternative. A visual journal allows you to express your thoughts and ideas using pictures and words. It can include drawings, writing, photos, pictures or doodles.

A visual journal can be used for reflection, exploring new ideas, goal setting, manifestation, experimenting with different artistic techniques.

The use of pictures and colours helps to stimulate a different part of the brain. Finding time to be creative on a regular basis makes it easier to stimulate those creative juices in other areas of your life, such as work or with the family.

There is freedom is having a visual journal as there are no rules. You can experiment and try things you wouldn’t usually do giving you complete freedom to express yourself.

Doodling or colouring in

Creativity and the arts have been found to help people reduce stress, provide a sense of hope and fulfilment and open your eyes to new solutions to problems. Drawing and painting can enhance the development of new neural pathways leading to real and lasting change.

Colouring in can reduce stress and anxiety. It acts as form of meditation, giving you something to focus on and block out the noise of your life. As colouring in is a simple activity it gives your brain a chance to relax.

It takes approximately 400 repetitions to create a new neural pathway in your brain. With creativity and play it can take only 10 – 20 repetitions. Drawing and doodling can help you discover what your emotions are trying to tell you. It can provide you with a clarity you never would have otherwise.

Other forms of self expression

Of course, there are other forms of self expression that do not include a journal, dancing, singing, the clothing you wear, your make-up, even how you decorate your home. It doesn’t really matter how you do it, it is just important that you do. Being true to yourself, using your brain creatively and having an outlet to express your emotions is paramount to being the best version of yourself – your true self.