Journals - Why?

I think journaling is necessary for my mental health. I have learned to know myself by writing, drawing and reading one regularly. When I am feeling lost or off balance, I can find my way back by returning to my journal. When I'm struggling to make a decision, I can write until I hear my true voice through the din of pros and cons. I capture the rush if ideas I don't have time or energy to pursue, so that I can focus on the task at hand.

That sounds all lofty, I guess, but for me it is true. I don't just keep a journal for this purpose, though. I also have a terrible memory, and it helps me to know that all of my important stuff is bascially in one place. I jot down ideas and goals, things I want to research and books I want to read. I also keep an art journal where I practice techniques, make notes about what worked and didn't, and write about projects I've finished or am working on. Ideas that seem hugely important when I'm mid-project are often lost by the time I'm done if I don't write them down.

I always return to my journal when I'm stuck, too. It is my place to play, where I don't care if the result is ugly, unfinished, or just strange. When I feel overwhelmed with ideas and options, I open up my book, pick one color, one image, one word, and go from there. It is a way in, just enough to get me going again.