Why Poets Need to Keep a Journal

tlthornes (50)in #philippines • 6 years ago

Do poets need to keep a journal? Absolutely not. But is it beneficial? Should I care about keeping a journal as a poet? Absolutely.

Before I’ll give you my reasons why poets should be journal-keeping, let’s discuss for a sec about being a poet—what does it mean to be a poet? And as a poet, what is our role in the world?

Believe it or not, you’re not just a hobbyist or a poet by free time or a writer of social media. You’re so much more than that. More than the label you carry. You have a role—as a poet—in the world.

WHY ARE YOU A POET?

For starters, what does it mean to be a poet? Why are you a poet?

You are a poet because you’re expressing yourself—or the art in what you’ve discovered—through rhyming words or using metaphors and figures of speech. You are a poet because you have something to say to the world, or to yourself. Whether or not you’re writing for yourself, you will be looking for an audience.

The audience, then, at this point, is the world.

Poets have changed the world, not just in terms of literature. They were there since the start of artistry and they will keep being there for everyone.

Our role as poets is to be the shoulder the heartbroken people can cry on. The escapade the little boys and girls turn to before drifting into sleep. The missing words from mothers’ lullabies as they tuck their children goodnight. The guidelines the wise people study before having enough courage to show the world the right way.

Our role is to be for the world when it is hurting, loving, learning, grieving, comforting and experiencing happiness.

WHY YOU SHOULD KEEP A JOURNAL

So, let’s go back to the reasons why poets have to think about keeping a journal.

If you haven’t kept a journal before, you still have the chance to experience the joy of learning and maturing as an explorer of life. If you’ve read my previous post, 18 and Poet, you will know how being a mature explorer of life can affect your writing.

Here’s a point I can mention countless times in every blog I post, we are all explorers of life. Age doesn’t dictate how mature we are as explorers. This is why there are individuals called Late Bloomers and Fast Learners. Whether you are any of the two, the most important thing is that you strive to mature.

Points shot? Now, let’s move on to the reasons:

1. Reflecting is learning

We reflect daily whether we are aware of it or not. You can never complete a learning process without reflecting on it. Through journaling, you are constantly reflecting on the things that happened in your life.

There is no journaling the right way, but there is a certain way of journaling where you can make the most of your learning process. I’ll be doing a separate post on that next time.

So as a poet, we need to be constant in learning and reflecting. Journaling is a great way to do that.

2. Journaling is fluid

Just like how writing a poem is fluid, journaling is also very fluid. Erase the misconception about journaling everyday. Trust me, it doesn’t seem too hard but if you keep doing it (unless you’ve been doing it for a very long time), you will have a burn-out and it will only drive you away from journaling.

Remind yourself that journaling is not a task. It is simply a way to learn faster and more efficient. If you don’t feel like journaling seven times a week, then don’t stress yourself about it. Only journal when you have learned something significant in your life. Then do it the proper way.

3. Your journal is a safe place.

It is a safe place. You know it. Everybody knows it. It is personal so there are no rules on how to do it or how frequent you need to be doing it. If you keep reminding yourself that it is a safe place, then your mind will be like silk, flowing ideas and thoughts smoothly without restraints.

4. It is therapeutic.

You probably know this already and you probably never cared before, but as a poet, our minds are in constant work. Doing something that can relax our brains for a moment is beneficial for our mental health.

Again, remind yourself that it is not a task. You don’t need to do it if you don’t want to.

5. It is a mental workout.

Our brains are like muscles as well. The more we use it, the stronger it gets. Through journaling, we are practicing our writing skills and we are getting used to writing more.

As a published poet, I need to practice and get used to writing more. Journaling is really helpful for me to try out a few writing mistakes and improving them. Like I said, it is the safe place. It is okay to scrap some pages and try again. It is okay to scribble something and commit mistakes. Through mistakes, we mature more.

JOURNAL-KEEPING AS A POET

Bottomline—No one needs a journal to survive life or to be a published author. But as a poet, it provides us so many benefits (more than what I’ve mentioned) that it might just be the step you’re waiting for to accomplish more writing milestones.