Yes,arfie,total sense.

A couple of years ago i thew out many many journals and it did feel like a cleansing purge.

sometimes it is helpful to read back on how much things/i have changed,but often it is very shocking as well.

As an aside, i have noticed how much my handwriting has deteriorated over the years....it went from being quite clear and lovely to an illegible scrawl which totally freaks me out.

I agree that it absolutely makes sense to me as well..... Love the term 'verbal vomit'.... Big squishy hug.... xo

I appreciate this post very much. I am someone who writes, saves it for years, and then comes back and dwells on things some more after rereading. I really should take your example, and take the release process more seriously.

Thanks for this, arfie!

Making total sense to me. Sometimes, deleting is the most .... cathartic? ... relasing? ... part for me.

"letting it go" personified?

now, to keep them gone. . .
the much harder part.

I think sometimes is as hard to get then out as it is to keep them gone... I've had a very hard time with both...

vent, delete, repeat as needed?

Yes I’ve torn up many journals & notebooks, even some of my own art (I regret the tearing up the art part)

Big hug <3

i've regretted more than one of my ritual deletions. i might have learned more from the regrets than i learned from the times it was cathartic.

Everyone copes differently before and after the happenings. The same in journaling, everyone journals for a sense of intimacy (within a corresponding cause for an alleviating effect). However, journaling can become an addiction hence why burnout does occur.

After journaling, I've always found myself performing better after several self-reviews, and examining my own works, which offer self-improvement... works as a power boost, and enhances my level of motivation at the end of the day.

I'd rather journal on my daily blessings, on happy moments, but when I've been done wrong, I've taken it out on paper and ink... And as you mention, a fast key facilitates keystrokes that work just as well. Although my ego tells me now, that I hate to journal, I hate to take the time to journal about nonsense, when I'd rather be living in the moment and sharing life at the moment with someone meaningful, I don't want to have to journal anymore, if that makes any sense to anyone else.

It has been my story, when I've written, I like to leave the sentimental feelings behind and move forward and up away from the shell. Sometimes, people appreciate my words and tone. I just lay it all down and walk away, it is what it is, and my way of getting direct relief is better than performing a blowjob or masturbating (I guess you can call it being selfish, whatever).

And, although I admit, I don't like to share my work with just anyone and anybody, I have burned my own journals over the course of years and not just at home in a safe fireplace, but also outdoors, by the bunch in the form of a campfire.

No rituals involved, just the thoughts behind to become beauty for ashes!

in my personal distinctions, there is a substantial diff between writing and journaling. writing is a project to create a finished product for commercial use. i consider a letter to my senator to be a commercial use. i am selling an opinion.

journaling is therapy. over the course of a writing project, i often use therapy breaks to get undesired tones and verbal vomit out of the work. journaling is among the therapy tools i might use to accomplish this.

my WORK is available for commercial consumption. bought. sold. done. what happens to it after it leaves my desk is beyond my control.

my journal? ? ? not even ***i*** want to read my journal. it is mostly verbal vomit and undesired tones. read at your own risk. not available for public consumption.