What do I write?

What a good question - for any diarist. But a really good question for students writing reflective journals.

Can I share a really simple framework that works for most journal writing situations?

• * What happened?
• * How did you react to this? Feel about this?
• * Did it remind you of anything?
• * What could have happened differently? What information would have been/is useful to you about this?
• * What are you going to do next? (If anything) Or next time?
  
• * Answer the question "So What"?

If you cover these basics you really can't go wrong in a general sense.

So what is reflecting?

Artist: Pat de Groot

As a writer, I often start my own contemplation from a creative perspective. And to begin examining reflection I talked with a couple of painter friends about reflections. The connection between reflection and light is one that hit a chord for me. There is a connection between considering the importance of light in a reflection in nature (or a painting) and the act of reflecting being an act of casting some light on a situation you have experienced.

In talking with these painters I discovered there are other connections to be made. Learning to paint a reflection, paint the impact of light is a basic painting technique learnt by all student painters. When I raise the issue of reflecting with my students, I always link it to being a basic skill they must learn to be able to move on and effectively critically analyse. In a more practical setting in human resources I also always described reflection as a critical skill which practitioners need to practice habitually, to be able to fully develop as a practitioner.

Like the art of learning to paint though, reflection and the casting of light, is not a simple skill to learn. It is not material. It is not simple to describe. It is not solid or shaped.

A lesson from maths reminds us that reflection is a map that transforms an object into its mirror image. It is transformative. It is a mirror image - not a pure image.

In writing, reflection is contemplation with a conscious intent. Observing and interpreting what you observe - and continuing that observation and interpretation on the impact of any event, or even of the reflection itself. Perhaps as endless as light appears to be in masterful painting.

Dear Student: You can see why reflection is not easily taught. Like a student painter though, you can take the tools you have and practice. It is in the practicing that the reflection begins, and moves and grows and takes a life of its own. Remember the last posting - perfection is not part of the journey or the journey's end.

A Perfect Reflection?

I'm thinking about my students again ... asking them to reflect on their learning, reflect on their experiences, reflect on their feelings ...

The ability to reflect is such a critical part of the qualification they are completing at the Uni. For one of my units, a reflective assessment has been set for another purpose too - to assist them to do some self-debriefing in what can be endless reading and viewing about the horrors of past historical treatment of marginlised people.

So I am finally biting the bullet. In my own post grad study on tertiary teaching, I have decided to look at the act of reflection. What do we mean when we ask our students to reflect? How does this look as a behaviour and how would it read as an article/journal entry/tutorial.

I thought it only fair to record some of my summary thoughts here as I go.

Defining reflection is obviously the starting point - and while I will be looking at all kinds of philosophical and pedagogical musings on this ... I want to record some early thoughts I have, where I think they might be of some assistance for students ...

My first link to the material world was to think about reflections in mirrors or water ... where a reflection is a copy of another image - and two things immediately came to mind.

In the mirror we see what we choose to concentrate on - the good, the bad, the ugly! Then there are those lovely fun house mirrors which are a great example of how the reflection in a mirror can be distorted for us.

A reflection in nature, say a tree reflected in a lake, or the picture at the beginning of this blog posting, is open for some interpretation too. The reflection is never quite like that of the original picture. While it is close enough to see what it represents, it is never as clear as the original is it?

Dear students: There is a powerful lesson here. Your reflection is just that. A reflection, and not a perfected image of the experiences you are having. Some distortion of the experience and feelings is going to be a part of the experience.

Benefits for kids ...

A blank journal is a great gift for kids ...

There are so many benefits to creating opportunities for kids to writer freely in a journal. I would strongly suggest a paper copy diary or journal for primary ages kids ... even for older ones. There are enough excuses for them to be using the technology that comes with computers without adding a new one. There are some cute voice activated journals that offer full privacy that I would have loved to have when I was a youngster.

Skills and opportunities include:

• writing
• handwriting
• reflecting
• debriefing
• self directing
• creativity
• reading
• contemplation
• self reliance
• imagination ...

The list goes on ... ask any primary school teacher ... so consider the real gift behind giving a journal and pen to a little friend ...

Designing Reflective Journal Tasks

I admit to waxing lyrical about student journals. I especially admit to finding them difficult to grade - great to read, mark and provide student feedback that is really individual, but difficult to put a numerical value on.

So while I am preparing for the new semester of students which will soon be upon me, I am pondering how to design a journal activity (as opposed to an open journal) for the students. It's for a first year University class, in which we look at some pretty awful parts of history and try to make sense of them with contemporary minds ... thus there is plenty to reflect on.

In breaking down some tasks, it has taken me on a little internal journey examining how it is that I reflect in a journal piece. I know the theory about reflecting, I know how to do it ... but breaking it down into arbitrary steps is another thing.

So I'm taking my time in the design - despite the looming deadlines of the new semester ...

New Writer's Resource Launched

There is a new blog space on the black dedicated to writer resources, musings, creative exercises and guest writer bloggers ...

I am pleased to introduce The Writer's Room to you ...

The blog is by yours truly, but dedicated to the craft of writing more generally than a blog on Journals (in all their exciting shapes and forms) can provide.

Do pop by and have a look - and regular visitors here who are writers are welcome to do a guest blog post if they have something interesting to say!

Quote Journal

Chuck Swannell of Burlington County College created a useful classroom exercise based on a Quote Journal. It is worth having a read about - as it had a really positive effect on the students involved in his writing classes and I suspect it could easily be adjusted for other topics at all educational levels as well.

The basic idea is that students are encouraged to find quotes that move them - from films, bumper stickers, books TV etc. and then reflect upon them. Chuck also had students read them out in class each week ... The possibilities for this type of exercise are endless in a number of different subjects and at primary, secondary and tertiary study levels.

Never underestimate the value of journals in teaching!

Every kind of art is a journal in the end ...

This week's diary quote is from Pablo Picasso. It reminds me that for all artists, the journal is represented in many art forms. I don't know many artists (including writers, poets, sculptors, photographers etc etc etc) who only ever do one art form ... we all have our addictive art, the one we can't live without ... but we all experiment with our left over creativity in other ways too.

Most artists keep a visual or written diary of some sort ... and for most of us it is part of living, breathing and eatings ... however I also think its important to acknowledge our particular art as a journal of sorts too ...

Which brings me to the quote for the week .... with thanks to Picasso ...

"Painting is just another way of keeping a diary"

A Summer Journal

The Christmas season is upon us ... and here in Australia it is also the beginning of long days, warm days and nights, and thoughts of the coming long summer break. Even for those who don't take a long holiday during summer, there is a sense of holiday in the air even in the busiest of workplaces as soon as December hits ...

December 1st marks the beginning of summer. For a few years in a row, a dear friend and I kept a summer journal. We would meet on Dec 1 (the first time was at a gorgeous cafe in Northbridge, whose name escapes me, but whose Strawberry Shortcake I still lust after). An entry would be made on the 1st and we would set some summer goals - usually ones about enjoying ourselves over summer.

We would then take turns having the journal and writing in it. There was hardly more than a dozen entries each summer ... but we did this for years. And then each Dec 1 became even more fun as we re-read past entries, and had a laugh or two before setting more summer goals.

I can't remember when we stopped doing this. But I do know she still has it in a box of goodies somewhere ... and I might just suggest we pull it out again this summer ...even if just to read ...

Writing with a friend you love and trust with your summer secrets, is one of life's really special memories ...

To Do List Vs Journal

Journals take many forms ... and one is the notebook full of to do lists. Always a fun way to record part of your life, while also being useful. There is a To Do List blog (recently published as a book ... congrats!) .... worth a visit for to do listers!

Journal Writing Conference

For those of you in North America (or planning a trip next June) there is a Journal Conference coming up ... special topic writing to heal ... check it out here! (And if you go you must tell me about it!).

Student Journals

I 'fessed up to my student group today! I am marking papers from the lecturing I have been doing this semester and left some of the best till last! The student journals. I confessed to them that I love reading them - and had told them this in the first workshop 12 weeks ago ... I've been honest. It is such a privledge to read their musings, hear about their growth, and see all the things they experience and learn. Better still they are only a PASS or FAIL. I can't hack it when journals for tertiary students are given a GRADE. Defeats the whole purpose ...

Reflective Journals - one for the students

I know I am a journal writing purist when I get cranky about student assignments being set as journals ... and then the students are told exactly how they are to keep this journal, what to write, how to set it out! Worse still ... it is given a mark. Ouch.

I also know I am a realist.

Assignments must be graded in the big bad world of tertiary study and journals are a useful tool for students to learn for reflection - either in study or for their future professional lives.

Having waxed lyrical ... here is a useful article on line about writing a reflective journal.

I'll talk more about grading these in a future blog entry ....

Writing Implements

My New Century Notebook research is currently looking at the implements people use to write thei diary with. The usual things are like pens, pencils, crayons, coloured felt tip pens or other drawing implements and also the good old computer of course for Bloggers!

My research is also taking me up some strange pathways however ... like what do people write on ... other than notebooks. I've had lots of feedback about writing on old notebooks, napkins from restaurants and the back of tickets etc ... But there are some weird and whacky things people write on too (I'm leaving the whakiest for the book by the way!) ..

Any stories out there abou twhat you write your diary notes on????

The Discipline of Writing

Every writer faces this ... every writer has techniques that work - and then days that don't. 'How to' books are filled with tips and techniques ...

Yet in the end, the journey of writing is laced with very personal ways and means to deal with the act of discipline. Not the whip brandishing kind, but the 'just sit there and write' kind.

The main enemies of a writer's life are procrastination, distraction and lack of passion - and all writers suffer these from time to time.

The difference between a productive day and an unproductive day is huge. You feel different at the end of the day and the cycle of each is hard to break. Productive doesn't only mean how many words you write - it can be linked to research and experiencing things that are essential to the art of what you are writing too. I think it's really important to remember that reading, listening to others, trying new things and sometimes, especially if you write fiction, sometimes just day dreaming is a part of the writers productive tool kit ...

Of course in the end you still have to face that blank page or computer screen ...

Surrogate Journals

It strikes me that not everyone keeps a journal or a blog ... this was no major revelation mind you, just something I have to remind myself now and again when I am socialising. "Not everyone writes a journal Pamela", I sometimes have to soothe myself ...

There are so many other forms of chronicalling our lives. I mused here recently about the visit of an old friend. Catching up on news face-to-face is a great way to review the months since last you met. Even emailing a friend regularly can become a type of journal experience - especially if you (or they) keep them all and you can review them at a later date.

Then there is your daily diary. If you record your activities (and perhaps some qualitative comments about the day) then your appointment diary becomes your journal too ...

More recently for me I have had a young cousin staying from Cananda. This has inspired more conversations with other family memebers too. And I see these interactions as a nother way of telling the stories of our lives ... our family lives, history and points of remembrance ... all really important aspects of who we are.

It is making me feel quite strongly about my heritage, especially my female heritage, right now.

Consider the things that are journalling, but without journalling ... collecting letters, notes, souveniers from movies you go to, photo albums, postcards or your scrap book.

Expanding the definition of journalling as a verb can only be a healthy thing I am sure ...

Is The Blogosphere Your Alternative Reality?

Think about it. Or don't think about it if you have any kind of mental illness please - this is a health warning.

Is virtual reality actually an alternative reality for you?

The philosophers out there will have fun with this one.

But what do you think?

Letters ...and muses

For many people, writing a letter to a friend (or an email) can serve as a journal entry.

Sometimes, receiving an email or letter from someone you write to can feel like a response from your journal too.

Let's never forget the power of writing to someone.


I love email - but I hope it never replaces picking up a pen and free writing to people we love ... or people who are our muses ...

We have much to loose if we do ...

The Writer's Life

Oh my head hurts. I can't turn it off. I'm not functioning in the real world too well right now.

To be honest, while I am waiting for the last of the surveys to come in for New Century Notebook, I am working on something totally different. But my head has also recently gone back to my work of fiction. It is something I prefer to work on during the summer months - due to it being set in a beach house and all that kinda makes sense.

So there goes my head. Sometimes going crazy with the work I am writing at the moment. Sometimes wondering how I am going to picture New Century Notebook when I go through the surveys all in one hit. Sometimes just damn crazy sitting on the front verandah of a beachhouse that has been in my mind for years - but I have never seen.

Someone tell me that writers aren't crazy?

Yeah, I thought not.

Can't honestly tell me that can you?

Well that's it then. I am going back to the beachhouse for a nap ...

Donate a Page Of Your Diary

Time to come out of the closet.

I am collecting journal and diary samples for The New Century Notebook Project.

I would love to have a collection of diary pages to include in the book and on this blog ... and YOURS would be fantastic.

There are two ways you can participate.

You can email me a scanned page from your journal to pamelaw@iinet.net.au or

You can post me a page to Pamela @ PO Box 135, Leederville, Western AUSTRALIA 6903.

Do let me know if you wish to remain anonymous or not. It is your choice what name you are (or aren't) known by. Oh and the small print is that when you send me your page it is a gift to me and if it ends up in the book then the Copyright is then with me (Sorry guys ... I have to cover this stuff!).


Click on picture to enlarge for reading.