An innocent walk through Barnes and Noble with my mother results in finding a notebook that I didn’t realize would one day mean so much to me. At the time, the brown book adorned with Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation across the cover caught my eye for its beauty, and now, it means so much to me because of what lies within.
I am the type of person who does not think eloquently; I formulate ideas and sentences in my mind with such unsureness. I feel like I do not understand my own emotions, I do not know how to string my thoughts into a comprehensive subject until my pen hits the paper in my 5×7 Abraham Lincoln journal. When I pour the thoughts that dwell in my head onto paper, they make sense. The individualistic thoughts turn into magic that only I can understand, and I do not feel so lost. I find myself writing with the constant realization of “I did not even realize I felt this way until I allowed my brain to surrender to my pen.” The power of writing gives me my voice, shows me who I am, and I cannot imagine navigating life, especially college life, without it.
If I can offer one piece of advice, it is to find your own version of an Abraham Lincoln journal with a little red bookmark string that marks where your next brain journey will lead. Find one that speaks to you personally. One you can imagine pouring yourself into, and do not be afraid. I used to worry that one day someone would read my words. I used to worry it would be a free access pass into the depths of my mind, into what only I should know, but I have realized that in order to reach this depth, I have to be vulnerable.
Start with free write – it will reveal your soul in ways even you may never have known possible. Write absolutely anything and everything that comes to mind, and if you are authentic, you will learn about yourself. Write about your days, write poetry that makes you cringe, and do not be afraid to people watch. People watch with the intention of true observing. My absolute favorite activity is to examine shoes. If you take the time to look at the shoes people wear, you will realize how revealing they can be.
Find a journal and make it a piece of yourself. Let it inspire you, let it remind you that you are unique, let it give you the power to fill it with whatever you choose. Let yourself get lost in your own mind because it is when you breathe deeply and write freely, you will find yourself and your purpose.