I rarely break from writing and when I do it is often to engage in other art pursuits for short breaks. This week I am on holiday and my days are filled with children and the hustle and bustle of tending to wee ones.

I allow myself a break from the novel I am writing and return to short pieces like this.

I explore the art of journaling and writing as a craft for healing. As a therapist and writer, I know the benefits of writing for wellness, healing and as an art. I must say that for myself often the two are intertwined.

When we write to heal we often let go of the daily grind and things that arise that are triggering. When we have trauma our life is like an iceberg. There is so much below the surface that we do not see. As we do the work needed the iceberg melts and there is less below the surface.

This allows more material and insight to come into our awareness and plenty of material to write about.

Good writers need to write what they know. I would add that a good writer also needs to write what they feel and what they are experiencing and healing from.

This is how we write our way home. This is how we use writing as a tool.

The home that we return to through writing is our core which is our true hearts. This is the home that resides within us. The place that we can tap into to create and let the words flow.

We can sign up for classes to teach us this or we can start by exploring what arises with a gentle inquiry. When we write without judgement we are on the path to self-discovery and wellness. This is a path which has many bends and turns.

People believe that writers tend to suffer from writer’s block and harsh criticism. I would agree and say that although this is the case for every human a writer feels this intensely. Writers are highly intuned with this roadblock, It is one that we will all face and one we need to overcome. We must accept being blocked and in acceptance comes freedom.

This freedom is the simple joy of writing.

To start we need to clear the debris and write from the heart without judgment This is, of course, easier said than done. In theory, everything is simple.

Writing your way home requires getting in touch with our own internal house. We explore the attic, the various levels and the basement. Your internal house is the stuff we might repress, and compartmentalize.

This takes courage and a gentle approach. It is not for the fainthearted. Writing is a craft we can do anywhere the key is that we write often and let go of our expectations for perfectionism. It doesn’t matter if we are perfect what matters is that we write with an authentic heart.

This is the insight and the courage to share our own flaws and failures with the world. We are brave to continue and start again and again. We accept rejection and what we perceive to be a failure and this openness cracks us open.

This sounds good, doesn’t it?

The truth is you don’t need to be a writer to achieve this. We do need to be open to the pursuit of writing as a means to come back home to our whole authentic selves. This is a great gift that you can give yourself and the ones you love.

If you need help the folks at Elephant Journal Academy are always here.