Writing as a form of therapy is as old as ink itself. Widely understood as a transformational process, the simple act of putting down the pen can effectively initiate personal growth and healing.
Over the years, I've had more than a few sessions on my therapist's couch to sort through the baggage I've built, bought, rented, and inherited over the course of 48 years. Without exception, all qualified practitioners offered the following recommendations: Start and keep a daily diary.
Many fears and worries seem to be addressed with pen and paper. But for reasons that I can only describe as part of my "personal fascination," my diaries began and ended in record time. Still, I knew the writing process was strong, albeit inconsistent. Once, after keeping my journaling nose close to the grindstone for thirteen weeks, I flew over the high-rise artist's block building and landed on the other side with renewed energy and great paying work. I immediately stopped putting my thoughts on paper.
Miraculously, the mere click of a computer key last spring eliminated my lifelong typical inertia. As easy as 1, 2, 3, I started my own online diary known as a blog.
A blog is a Web log consisting of a series of posts covering topics chosen by the author, both professional and personal. Each entry is tagged with the date and time of publication, giving it the texture of a traditional journal.
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The blogging process is very simple and free for anyone with access to a computer. Enter your thoughts, hit the publish button, and your rants and rave reviews will be published on the World Wide Web instantly.
No middlemen, webmasters, publishers or editors. Blog checks, pace, and frequency are in the hands of bloggers.
However, there are distinct motivational differences between traditional paper journals and blogs hidden under the bed. Blogs provide potential readers.
My first thought was to use the blog to share the unusual adventures of My Calendar His Girl's life and draw attention to the Breast of Canada project. With a lot of energy put into the somewhat unforgiving process of manufacturing, marketing and moving 3,000 calendars a year, we quickly realized that the fan base was a big topic.
My second blog of hers now in digest format, offering alternative breast-related news, a simple by-product of her role as editor.
Blog number 3 was born thanks to premenopausal memory loss and hair loss. Lovingly, my Menopause Blog, How to Separate Your Life Without Your Period. This effort really fits into her writing model in therapy and has contributed greatly to my state of mind.
Posting publicly about my sensitive periods in real time is like inviting a group of menopausal women over for tea and having a heartfelt talk. Naturally, expanding the dome of silence surrounding menopause and talking about "The Break" resonates beyond the whispers of female readers. I share my insights on my beliefs, treatments, and changing attitudes that each entry expands my thoughts. Increased self-confidence and a greater sense of understanding and liberation in old age. My menopause blog is like a tent in Cyber Red for anyone interested in musing about maturity., to see if other women were writing about their lives, health, and happiness.
It turns out they are. Thousands of blogs are written by new moms, recently divorced children, menopausal people, cancer survivors, stay-at-home parents, clinically depressed and chronically curious people. Photos are uploaded. Connections are gathered through comments left by readers, such as cyborgs. Even if they are geographically separated, there is a lot of contact between people who are connected by edge.
Clever blog names are popular among blog owners. Ellie in This is My Body, This is My Blood gives us a hilarious look at her premenopausal sympathy party. I'm Out of Estrogen, and It's Not Pretty gives Victoria a glimpse into her life through her menopause. The group came across the claim that “running this blog is about 50,000 times cheaper than having a good therapist.” Her blog is a place to relax, be human, and be heard. There are great professional bloggers who lead the parade of many readers, but not everyone writes like a pro. Countless circles of people with similar focus and different qualifications gather in the blogosphere, sharing.
My biggest advantage in blogging is that I am working every day to write exactly what my psychologist suggests. I clear my head, sort out my hormonal emotions, energize and remind myself that life is dynamic.
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