Archive for the 'Notebooks' Category

Poets, National Poetry Month and Keeping Journals

Published on April 4, 2011 in Journaling, Journals, Leaves of Grass, Matt Miller, National Poetry Month, Notebooks and Poetry.

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Happy National Poetry Month! Each Monday during the month of April I will discuss some of my favorite poets, a mix of men, women, Americans and Canadians, and particularly those who have used journals.

“Agonies are one of the changes of garments,
I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I
myself become the wounded person,
My hurt turns upon me as I lean on a cane
and observe.”
~ Walt Whitman

It has been said that many poets use journals to craft the early drafts of their poems and literary icons, such as Walt Whitman, are no exception. Walt Whitman (1819-1892) was born on Long Island, New York to parents who supposedly had Quaker beliefs. He lived in Brooklyn where he worked as a newspaperman and printer. He was also a volunteer during the civil war. Whitman’s major work was Leaves of Grass (1855) and he’s been called the ‘father of free verse.’ He was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, using both in his own writing. At the time of its publication, Leaves of Grass was controversial, in part because of its overt sexuality. Whitman has been described as either homosexual or bisexual.

Some months back I wrote about the book, Collage of Myself: Walt Whitman and the Making of Leaves of Grass by Matt Miller where Miller brilliantly discusses the creative story behind Whitman.

There is no doubt that regardless of the type of poems poets write, it is a reflection of who they are and Whitman deftly says this, “Understand that you can have in your writing no qualities which you do not honestly entertain in yourself. Understand that you cannot keep out of your writing the indication of the evil or shallowness you entertain in yourself. if you love to have a servant stand behind your chair at dinner, it will appear in your writing—or if you possess a vile opinion of women, or if you grudge anything, or doubt immortality—these will appear by what you leave unsaid more than by what you say. There is no trick or cunning, no art or recipe, by which you can have in your writing what you do not possess in yourself. “(Journal entry, 1855-56).

Whitman’s notebooks informed his work but up until a year before Leaves of Grass was published he had no idea that he would be a poet. During that time he filled about 1854 notebooks which were written in both poetry and prose. The subjects he wrote were diverse and included astronomy, religion, linguistics, the natural world, the opera and New York. Walt Whitman has been described as a person who was intoxicated with life. His work habits reflected his interest in writing directly from living impulses or reactions to his immediate perceptions. Whitman pioneered the creative technique more commonly known as collage which has been traced back to Picasso and Braque. In this technique he pasted together fragments of text in his notebooks and manuscript drafts to form various sequences.

Here’s one of my favorites from Leaves of Grass:

To A Stranger

PASSING stranger! you do not know how longingly I look upon you, 

You must be he I was seeking, or she I was seeking, (it comes to me as of a
dream,) 

I have somewhere surely lived a life of joy with you, 

All is recall'd as we flit by each other, fluid, affectionate, chaste, matured, 

You grew up with me, were a boy with me or a girl with me,
I ate with you and slept with you, your body has become not yours only nor left my body mine only, 

You give me the pleasure of your eyes, face, flesh, as we pass, you take of my
beard, breast, hands, in return, 

I am not to speak to you, I am to think of you when I sit alone or wake at night alone, 

I am to wait, I do not doubt I am to meet you again, 

I am to see to it that I do not lose you.

Massaging Your Muse

Published on November 15, 2010 in Journaling, Journals, Musings, Notebooks and Old Journals.

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The term muse originates from Greek mythology and refers to nine goddesses responsible for creative endeavors. These muses, or sisters, had the power to both inspire and thwart creative thought. In Ray Bradbury’s book, The Zen of Writing, he says this about muses: “What is The Subconscious to every other man, in its creative aspect becomes, for writers, The Muse.”

I believe that people and situations nourish our subconscious. In fact, some people so favorably tap into our subconscious that they provide us with ongoing creative inspiration. I try to surround myself with those who nurture my writing—those who exude positive, creative and nourishing energy.
Over the years many writers and artists have given credit to those who give a spark to their work and make their creativity move beyond the ordinary. In addition to people serving as a source of inspiration, so are situations and our environment.

Bradbury says that there are many different ways to nourish your muse, and one ritual he advocates is reading poetry every day. “Poetry,” he says, “is good because it flexes muscles you don’t use often enough. Poetry expands the senses and keeps them in prime condition.”

Another way to nourish or tap into your muse is through reading, particularly writers who you admire or want to emulate. If you write in multiple genres, it’s best to read in the genre in which you writing at the time. Some of my writing colleagues, however, are unable to read other authors while working on their own writing projects out of fear they will emulate that writer’s style. If this happens to you, you might choose to alternate your reading and writing schedules.

If your muse has temporarily deserted you, there are tricks to get back in touch. Instead of wrestling with the muse or complaining about being afflicted by writer’s block, post a list of ideas near your work area and tap into them.
Another way to inspire the muse is to do some people-watching by sitting in public places. Very quickly you can become a professional eavesdropper. Some ideal places include restaurants, bars, coffeehouses, hotel lobbies, malls and doctor’s offices. Balzac was known for sitting in Parisian cafes for hours, writing and watching people. When in public places, jot down nuggets of conversations, nuances, mannerisms, and dress. So pack up your journal, turn up your hearing aid and head out!

Poetry, people, places, art and music—the everyday world is a garden of nourishment for your muse. If you are open, listening and eager to take it all in and make it your own, then your writing will reap the benefits!

Journaling and Mindfulness

Published on November 1, 2010 in Author Blog, Baby Boomers, Journaling, Journals, Notebooks, Wellness and Writing Connections, Writers and Their Notebooks, Writing for healing and Writing, journaling.

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“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally.”

Jon Kabat-Zinn

A few weeks ago presented at the Writing and Wellness Connections Conference in Georgia and attended a wonderful workshop there lead by Lucille Allegretti-Freeman. It was called, “The Three A’s of Mindful Journaling: Attention, Awareness and Acceptance.” She offered many useful tips that I’d like to share with you.

You might ask, “What is mindfulness?” Basically, mindfulness means being aware of your present experience and accepting it, being open to an entire experience, whether negative or positive. It is to understand that thoughts come and go and that feelings are to be felt. To be truly mindful, it is important to pause between and during activities.

To illustrate how mindfulness can be brought to an experience and transformative, the facilitator had us perform an interesting task. She passed around a box of raisins and asked us to pick out three and place them on our desks. She asked us to examine and tell her what we thought. Of course my first thought was “that’s what my skin will look like in twenty years!” She then told us to pick one up—touch it and roll it in our hands. Then she told us to smell it and bring it to our mouth. Once in our mouth she asked us to roll it from side to side and observe how our mouth waters and what happens to the raisin. She then told us to note how it tastes. She then advised us to gently chew it and note how the consistency changed in our mouths. We were then told to swallow it.

This was a fun exercise in the sense that it slowed us down in the moment which is what mindfulness is all about.

She then spoke about why mindfulness is so helpful in journaling. She said it brings with it curiosity, compassion, acceptance to self, and helps us recognize that thoughts are not facts and feelings are to be felt and that awareness is important to feel the fullness of the moment.

The effect of mindfulness on journaling is that you give up wanting to control your writing. You acknowledge that your life is worthy of your time and you increase your capacity to have strong emotions. As the struggle to change your thoughts and feelings decreases, you become more at peace with yourself and the world

In summary, she shared this wonderful poem by Derek Walcott:

Love After Love

The time will come

when, with elation

you will greet yourself arriving

at your own door, in your own mirror

and each will smile at the other’s welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self.

Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart

to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored

for another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,

peel your own image from the mirror.

Sit. Feast on your life.

Writing Happiness

Published on August 2, 2010 in General Information, Health and Wellness, Journaling, Musings, Notebooks, Spirituality, writer blog and Writing, journaling. Tags: , , , , , , , .

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August is “Admit You’re Happy Month” and August 8th is “Admit You’re Happy Day” and even though it sounds like a ridiculous reason for a celebration, think again.

People so often focus on the negative and it’s always good  to step back and look at the things in our lives which bringing us happiness. It seems as if writers are more often driven to the page when there is something causing turbulence in their lives, rather than when they are happy. In fact, most memoirs focus on traumatic events, which is fine, but it’s a good idea to find a balance and also identify the good times. In the classes I teach at UCLA Extension, I advocate both positive and gratitude journaling.

In my recent readings on Buddhism, I’ve learned that one of the chief sources of anger is the quest for happiness. Just think about why someone would get angry while waiting in a long line in the airport or why someone would honk if someone was driving too slowly in front of them. The angry person just wants to be happy, but ironically, this quest for happiness is the source of his unhappiness. As, Eric Hoffer, a philosopher known for his adages observed, “The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama believes that the pursuit of happiness is so important that he’s devoted his life to preaching about it. His book The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living is packed with useful information, mainly centered around the idea that “the purpose of our existence is to seek happiness.” So, the question becomes, if we want happiness, then how do we seek it? One way is to understand that negative emotions and behaviors are harmful, and positive emotions are helpful. The negative emotions hurt not only ourselves, but others as well.

So while journaling or writing about happiness, write about all the different ways you can bring happiness to others, whether it is doing a good deed for a friend, colleague or neighbor. A few weeks ago we had a party and  thought about what to do with the leftovers and decided to bring them to the homeless lining the streets of downtown parks. The act of kindness went a long way to make both us and the homeless happy.

Alexandra Stoddard has a great book called, Choosing Happiness, a quick and inspirational read which might be worth picking up, not only for journaling ideas but to make you smile and feel better.

Remember, happiness rarely comes from just thinking about yourself. Victor Frankl says, “Joy comes into our lives when we have: (a) something to do, (b) someone to love, and (c) something to hope for.”

I don’t think I could have said it better!

Creating Memories

Published on July 12, 2010 in Journaling, Journals, Musings, Notebooks, Spirituality, Uncategorized, Writing for healing and Writing, journaling. Tags: , , , .

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Whether writing about them, reviewing them or creating them, memoirists are obsessed with memories. I was recently reminded of this phenomenon during the events surrounding my middle daughter, Regine’s wedding to Daniel del Valle, her high school sweetheart.

Not only was it a magical wedding celebration resonating with happiness as the two families united during this spectacular family reunion, but what struck me at a deep level, was the importance of the family unit and how lucky I am to have the family I do. We have all had relatives who embarrass us or make us proud, but these types of family gatherings reiterate the similarities rather than the differences between family members. It was a reminder of the importance of celebrating the good times, because those are the memories we will carry with us into our old age. In addition, I was reminded of the importance of savoring memories by remaining in the moment.

I delighted in having a table of seniors which included my mother, in-laws and some aunts, all of them in their eighties. I realized how this year so many of my cousins have become orphaned and how no matter how old you are when your parents die—becoming orphaned is a traumatic event. Seeing all the seniors at one table also reminded me of the wealth of memories they hold in their heads and hearts.

The pain of loss has driven many poets and memoirists to the page and surely my father and grandmother have been an inspiration for my own work even though they have already been gone, respectively, 20 and 45 years. I feel bad not to have had the chance to get to know them as an adult and often wonder about the accuracy of my memories of them. I suppose it really does not matter because when we share our experience through memoir, we are sharing only our own emotional truth and no one else’s.

My new son-in-law, Daniel,  lost his father when he was barely nine years old. I often think about how this tragedy during childhood carved so many aspects of his life. I admire how he was able to forge forward and through the help of his mother, brother and close family has grown into a wonderful young man.  I also realize that many well-accomplished figures, such as Martin Luther King Jr., John Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy and Thomas Steinbeck are also lost a parent during their youth. I believe it has been healthy for them to continue to honor their deceased loved ones by talking about them and sharing their memories as a way to keep them alive.

Another way to preserve memories of  those who have passed away, is to write about them. It’s important when writing about deceased loved ones is to tell it like it is or like you remember who they were and  the events surrounding their lives. Writing is also an effective way to heal childhood wounds.

Here are some possible writing topics regarding memories and family:

-       What do you miss most about your deceased relative?

-       What are you most proud of or embarrassed by about a family member?

-       Describe your relationship with a grandmother.

-       Describe your relationship with a grandfather.

For more prompts relating to memories, check out this link:

http://www.creative-writing-now.com/journal-writing-prompts.html

Until next time, Happy writing!

Diana

New Book Release: Healing With Words

Published on June 7, 2010 in breast cancer, Healing With Words, Journaling, Memoir, New Book Release, Notebooks, Writing for healing and Writing, journaling. Tags: , , , , , , , , .

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Released June 1st, Loving Healing Press.
Available @ 1-888-761-6268
or from Amazon.com/BN.com or from Distributors (Ingram, New Leaf)

Diana Raab will be reading from
Healing With Words:

Skirball Center
June 9th, 7pm
UCLA Extension Writers’ Publication Party

About the Book:

This  is a memoir and self-help book written by a nurse, author, and mother of three, who at the age of forty-seven found her life shattered by a diagnosis with DCIS with invasion. Five years later she was diagnosed once again to yet another, seemingly unrelated and incurable blood cancer‹multiple myeloma. The book includes the author’s experiences, reflections, poetry,  journal entries, in addition to writing prompts for readers to express their own personal story. Since early childhood, Raab has drawn strength from the practice of journaling.

From the Foreword:

“I applaud the author for having the courage to share her very personal story in the form of narrative, journal entries and poems”~ Melvin Silverstein, Director of Breast Program, Hoag Memorial Hospital

EARLY REVIEW

“Diana is a woman who knows what it is to live fully in the face of mortality.  She will add value to the life of every person who reads this book.” – Sena Jeter Naslund, Author of AHAB’S WIFE and ABUNDANCE: A NOVEL OF MARIE ANTOINETTE

FOR REVIEWERS: Email publicity@dianaraab.com for review copies

Boosting Your Creativity

Published on May 10, 2010 in Author Blog, cathartic writing, Creativity, General Information, inspiration, Journaling, Journals, Musings, Notebooks, Passions, writer blog, writing and Writing, journaling. Tags: , , , .

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Whether you’re  a writer, artist or businessperson, chances are creativity is vital to some part of your profession. Some of you may already have tricks on how to tap into your creativity, but what I suggest is to start with keeping a notebook or journal or daybook, whatever you choose to call it. These days many people, especially those in my son’s Generation X, take notes on a computer or iPhone—but what I’m suggesting is to use the old-fashioned method of a notebook.

There are many books with directive learning modalities and tools to hold your hand through the process, such as Julia Cameron’s, The Artist’s Way and Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones, which provide a more in depth immersion into the process—both excellent resources.

However, here’s,  a free crash-course:

Buy a notebook or journal from a book store, pharmacy or grocery store. Choose your favorite pen. Put the date on top of the page. Do some longhand writing. Do some doodling or drawing. Whatever tickles your fancy. Stay in the moment. Write what is on your mind. You can start by writing, “Right now I am thinking about …” Let your words flow and if one thought leads to another or takes you in another direction, that’s fine too. There are no rules and spelling and grammar don’t matter.

It’s a good idea to make this a daily practice. You will see that your ritual will tap into your creativity. Writing is a great way to cultivate a constant flow of ideas. Feel free to include other people’s ideas in your writing. What you are doing is brainstorming on the page instead of in a conference room or sitting area.

Sometimes I journal in this way before beginning a new project thinking it might result in a new opening—but it often becomes what I call my ‘throat-clearing’ section which is typically discarded. It’s akin to piano scales, stretching before exercising or dashes before sports.

This free-writing gets rid of all the junk in your head—the neurosis, the deflating comments, the negativity. It’s difficult to be creative if this junk is kicking around your head creating all this unwanted noise. How can you create with noise, anyway?

Another bonus to writing is that it gives you some down time and quiets your mind—it can be meditative.

The page can also help you try out new ideas. It’s a place to write down the pros and cons. You can write, “What if …” to describe the various possible scenarios.  If you are not happy, write about what would bring a smile to your face and see if you can make that happen.

Most successful writers have ritual/s before they start their creative work, whether it’s getting rid of all the junk, getting a cup of coffee or answering emails. It’s your prep time. It’s a time for your muse to be invited into the wide open green pasture which has been cleared of its weeds.

The other great thing about having a notebook is convenience. How many times have you had ideas at the most unexpected times—walking the dog, working out, driving or at a dinner party. That’s the muse visiting you and even if you think you will remember the message, chances are you won’t. If you don’t have a notebook available, that thought will be a fleeting one.

Some other creative exercises:

1) Write about your most creative challenge. 2) Write about where you want to be in five years.

3) If you could be doing one thing now, what would it be? 4) Write a letter to someone who passed away.

The most important tip is to do is to write for at least 20 minutes. After you invite this routine into your life, you will see that it becomes sort of like an addiction – a healthy one. Imagine that!

Forgetfulness

Published on February 15, 2010 in Billy Collins, Forgetfulness, Memory, Musings, Notebooks, Poetry, Spalding University and writing. Tags: , , , , .

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I wrote this blog in honor of my cousin, Jed’s 55th birthday. (Happy Birthday, Jed!)

Most of my favorite poems are found on the pages of Billy Collins’s poetry collections. So many of his sentiments and images resonate with me. If I had to chose one poem to share, it would be, “Forgetfulness.” The main reason is that this poem inspired me to rediscover the poet in me who had been dormant since childhood.

This is how it happened. It was 2003 or 2004, and I was in the charter class of Spalding University’s low-residency program, working on my MFA. Our class was invited to a Billy Collins reading at a neighboring university. It was just after Billy completed his term as Poet Laureate of the United States. The university auditorium was packed and Billy read many poignant poems, including “Forgetfulness.”

I vividly remember chuckling to myself throughout his entire reading. It was just about the time of my fiftieth birthday and I was beginning to forget more than I remembered. Billy received a lot of laughs during his reading, but with an audience filled with baby boomers, I think he got the most chuckles while reading this poem. If you have ever heard Billy read, you understand his talent and dry voice. In his poem, “Forgetfulness,” he incorporates his classic teasing technique told in a conversational and accessible manner. His imaging is extremely clever and it continues to resonate with me this many years after that first discovery.

I rarely will choose to spend the time to stand in line for an author signings, but after Billy’s reading, I purchased all his books piled all the way up to my chin and decided to wait for his signature on each one.  I didn’t care how long it took me to reach the front of the line. I knew that his reading would launch the new poet in me and I wanted to avail myself of the opportunity to read the poems of a giant.

You can hear him read on u-tube or you can read it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrEPJh14mcU

Forgetfulness

The name of the author is the first to go

followed obediently by the title, the plot,

the heartbreaking conclusion, the entire novel

which suddenly becomes one you have never read,

never even heard of,

as if, one by one, the memories you used to harbor

decided to retire to the southern hemisphere of the brain,

to a little fishing village where there are no phones.

Long ago you kissed the names of the nine Muses goodbye

and watched the quadratic equation pack its bag,

and even now as you memorize the order of the planets,

something else is slipping away, a state flower perhaps,

the address of an uncle, the capital of Paraguay.

Whatever it is you are struggling to remember,

it is not poised on the tip of your tongue,

not even lurking in some obscure corner of your spleen.

It has floated away down a dark mythological river

whose name begins with an L as far as you can recall,

well on your own way to oblivion where you will join those

who have even forgotten how to swim and how to ride a bicycle.

No wonder you rise in the middle of the night

to look up the date of a famous battle in a book on war.

No wonder the moon in the window seems to have drifted

out of a love poem that you used to know by heart.

Happy New Year — resolutions, yes or no?

Published on January 4, 2010 in Anais Nin, inspiration, Journaling, Journals, New Year, Notebooks and Writing, journaling.

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I made no resolutions for the New Year.  The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me. — Anaïs Nin

It’s 2010 and this is the first year I toasted the New Year without any resolutions. What’s the point, we never keep them anyway! Instead of pronouncing my resolutions over a glass of champagne, I decided to write mine in my journal. First and foremost, I decided to slow down a bit this year, do more reading and less published writing. Four books in eighteen months has given me a little bit of heartburn and although I’m happy about my accomplishments, I’m somewhat tired of reviewing galleys.

During the holidays, I read two books—Mary Karr’s third memoir, Lit which was great, but just a continuation of the tragic drama in her life. It’s mind-boggling how one woman my own age could have already written three memoirs. I bow to her writing style and story. The second book I read is one which has to do with my written New Year’s Resolution and it’s called, Awakening The Buddhist Within by Lama Surya Das. The first chapter is called, ‘Contemplating Your Life,’ which for me will be the subject of 2010, the year my first child gets married. Das writes in a very compelling and easy-to-understand manner and much of what he says appears to be common sense, but it’s nice to see it on the page. He says that self-reflection helps us heal our lives and accept any problems we have and realize that something might need to be changed. He says that everything in our life depends on our relationship with the self, the world and the other. He says that when something is going on inside your head, chances are it will have something to do with at least one of these parameters.

On the path to happiness, he suggests sitting down and trying to change one of these relationships. He poses some interesting questions which can make great journaling prompts. Try these:

  • Where do you want to be in a month, a year, five years, ten years?
  • What or who might you be if you were given the choice or the chance?
  • If someone gave you a cosmic credit card what would you do with it?
  • What do you want to do with your creativity?
  • What would you do about your compassion for others? How would or could you help others?
  • Who am I and who can I be?

In summary, the tenets of Buddhism includes being mindful or pleased in the pleasures of the moment. Focus on the words, ‘just this here and now,’ while you inhale and exhale (important part) and simplify, simplify, simplify and remember what the Buddha said, “Wherever we go, wherever we remain, the results of our actions follow us.”

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU AND THANKS FOR BEING FAITHFUL READERS!!

Thanksgiving in Paris

Published on November 30, 2009 in inspiration, Journaling, Journals, Notebooks, Thanksgiving and Writing, journaling.

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I am writing you from Paris where my family and I just celebrated our favorite holiday together—Thanksgiving. My son, Josh, an NYU student, is in the midst of a semester abroad here. Although this is not a French holiday—we thought we would join him and have our own celebration. It has been a feast, the days before and after our Thanksgiving, as we enjoyed the pleasures and decadences of French dining from the cheeses, French breads and pastries. (Although I must say there is a strong lack of fresh fruits and vegetables, and today’s task will be to locate a fresh market).

On Thanksgiving Day, we only had one glitch—the French do not eat turkey. In fact, through the eyes of Frenchmen, turkey is served to peasants and sometimes only at Christmas. It is rarely, if ever seen on restaurant menus. At the restaurant we chose for our private Thanksgiving feast, I did manage to find a small hen which was a fabulous substitute. I ordered mashed potatoes and salad—just the type of meal I would have prepared, had we celebrated at home. In the end, I came to realize that home is where your family is and the fact that we were all together was even more important than the food which was served. After all,

Thanksgiving has always been our favorite family holiday for as long as I can remember. One of the reasons we love it, is that it is does not have religious connotations. I recently learned that the first Thanksgiving was celebrated in St. Augustine, Florida, America’s oldest towns and the one that all Florida school children (including my own) have visited at least once during their youth. The one thing I remember about that town, this many years later is the old school house and the dunce cap worn for misbehavior and as the name implies, ‘stupidity.’ In those days they definitely knew nothing about being politically correct! They would never get away with such a practice today.

In addition to Thanksgiving being a good excuse to get together and eat with loved ones, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and to give thanks, in general. The dinner table as a perfect place to reconnect and tell stories and catch up. It’s fun to reminisce about past holidays and how in the 1970s my husband and I had our honeymoon in France. We discussed all we are thankful for. In years gone by, when my kids were young we used to feed the homeless at the local shelter in Orlando where they fed 1500+ people in a big tent downtown. My kids would go to the buffet and fill up plates of turkey, mashed potatoes and yams accompanied by a bun and serve all the homeless men, women and children. There was enough gratitude to go around. They were thankful for the warm meal, and we were thankful to be able to help and for the life we lived. As we struggle with social and economic issues we must never forget all the good which surround us and to always find time to journal our blessings.

In fact, this is a good week to do some powerful gratitude journaling!