Thursday 30 December 2010

Affirmation Experiment - Result

A few months ago, I started Affirmation Experiment to see if affirmations, so often claimed to be successful by psychologists and therapists and inspirational leaders work for me. 

So what happened to the experiment?

Well, in short - it was a FAILURE. 
It did not work for me. But like life, most things are not black and white. I think it has potential. I think it could work. But the reason it did not work for me, was because I couldn't remain consistent enough in sticking to saying the affirmations. 

Often I simply didn't have time in the mornings, or I forgot, or half the time I was in public so I could just look at them, not actually repeat them out loud. One thing I would say is that when I did speak them out loud, it did fill me with inspiration and motivation - just as I do when I read a good quote or a good poet, or listen to inspirational speech. So over long term, and more devoted and disciplined effort, yes, I think it could work. 

While the experiment itself failed, I have still kept my affirmation post-its all over my PC, so they are still there when I sit at my desk to inspire me. 

Perhaps in the future, I might take it up again and try to be more disciplined at it, but for now, I just read them out as and when I remember them. 

Have you had more success with affirmations? 

Friday 24 December 2010

Merry Christmas

I wish all of you a very Happy Christmas :-) Enjoy the holiday season, enjoy the time with your family and friends, and keep journaling. 

Thank you for being here - for taking the time to visit this blog. I appreciate it very much.

Merry Christmas

Dolly
xx

Monday 6 December 2010

Journal Writing Prompt 14 - Travel Journal

Since Travelling is on my mind at the moment, let's keep the theme. You don't need to go anywhere special. But you do need to open your mind, and your eyes. Take some time to look at your everyday world with new sight. Find something you haven't noticed before. Take time to think about something that usually blends into your background, as you make automatic journey. 

What is it about your village, town, city that you like? What is your favourite place? When was the last time you saw something new in your local area? How long have you lived here? Would you recommend it as a place to visit or you can't wait to get out? If you want to leave, what's keeping you there? Each question you answer will lead to a lot more question. This entry can be something as simple as looking at your local place through a tourist's eye, or a deep journey into your psyche about why you are staying where you are. Go where your words lead you. Go write.

Wednesday 1 December 2010

Meet a Journal Keeper - Rowland

Yup: I'm a journal keeper. I started in Dec. 2003, and am now on No.35. - virtually all Moleskines: I tried two other books but came back to the big M.

I stared keeping a journal as a means of expressing my anger and frustration at aparticularly bad stage of my life... but got bored with that very quickly . . . . you can only be pissed off for so long, surely? Anyway I'd always loved pens, pencils and writing and I'd always wanted to draw. So the notebooks gradually evolved into ... well basically a record of my life, including cuttings, quotes, thoughts, photos and now sketches . So a few examples:

Currently doing lot of B&W






Sometimes it's what I eat














Quotes? 'Never work' Guy Debord

Work from my journals has been featured in Zuiderlucht, a Dutch arts news paper based in Maastricht, for the last two years, under the title RAM.

Earlier this year I did the first RAM exhibition in Italy where I live, and this autumn www.matchboox.com published a miniature handmade book of work from my journals.

I, honestly, feel lost without a journal to hand. You can see more excerpts from them at http://www.reallyaccessiblememory.com/

I don't call myself an artist, though I draw; I don't call myself a writer, though I write..... my Italian blog is called simply lo scarabocchiatore...the scribbler!!!

Hope this is enough to give you a taste of my journal addiction!


Cheers,


Rowland