Socrates said, “the unexamined life is not worth living.” I’ve always thought this indictment too harsh, but I do think we can increase our chances of living a richer, more fulfilled, and happier life by making the unconscious conscious and exploring the vast realm of inner space. Like outer space, I view our inner life as being infinite, in the sense that we can never fully explore and understand everything in our minds and our souls. I’m thinking about our dreams, fears, memories, passions, fantasies, judgments, prejudices, talents, deficits, and the shadows where our demons lurk. Self examination takes courage and boldness. To quote Star Trek, “boldly go where no man (or woman) has ever gone before.”
We need a safe place for such exploration. Certainly, a therapeutic relationship can and should be a safe environment for this endeavor. Journaling is another vehicle. Combining journaling and therapy super charges the whole process. I journaled for years though the most productive period of my own therapy. Recently, I took up a different form of journaling called “Morning Pages,” recommended in The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron. I call it “Daily Pages” since I don’t always do them in the morning. The idea is to quickly write three pages in longhand without stopping to compose or to pay any attention to spelling or even punctuation. I’m talking about a stream of consciousness that can include everything from “I don’t know what to write,” to “Mother, why am I suddenly thinking of you when I’m wondering about my anxiety?” I go from one sentence to the next without pause. There is no intention or need to ever read back over the journal and, certainly, nobody else should ever read these pages. It’s fine to shred your work after each entry. For me, the discipline of writing daily is stimulating, yet calming, overall. I’m sleeping and dreaming better and denial is less a factor in my life. I find that I am less likely to project my issues, my crap, onto my wife. In addition, I feel a daily sense of accomplishment. If you feel moved, learn more at this address: paperartstudio.tripod.com/artistsway/id3.html