Last year I read Alice Walker’s memoir Gathering Blossoms Under Fire. It’s a collection of her journal entries over several decades. It’s a beautiful glimpse at her life. It’s actually more of a glimpse because since it’s her journal, it’s actually intensely personal. We see so much of her life play out and how she was feeling about it all. From motherhood to marriage, to work – it’s all there.
The other remarkable part for me is getting an inside view of her writing The Color Purple. It’s been a favorite movie of mine for years and to see it grow from a seed to a full novel that became insanely successful is fascinating. We’re also privy to how she felt about it being turned into a movie and later a Broadway play.
Starting a journal
The book got me really giving serious thought to documenting my own life by starting a journal. I haven’t done it before. I think it’s interesting to look back and see the life you’ve lived, where you’ve succeeded, and where you fell short. What brought you joy and what broke your heart? As much as we’d like to, we don’t remember everything. I certainly don’t. My horrible memory is frustrating to my family. I’m working on it. Journaling for me, could be an amazing way to keep time.
To that end, I have a list of writing prompts to get me thinking and bring forth memories. I’m using that to get me flowing but I’ll also be freestyling it and just getting thoughts out of my head. Do you want to join me? Let me give you some journal prompts to kick this thing off, okay?
- The things that make me happy and that I should do more often are…
- The mantra that I will repeat to myself throughout this year is…
- One personal goal for this year is…
Do you keep a journal? Have you read Alice Walker’s book?
Disclaimer: This post contains an affiliate link. When you buy something using our link we may receive a small commission.
