writing and journaling and sharing your heart with others.

I sat down in the mood to write a blog post, but without much in mind to write about. Lately I've been thinking about journaling — the real kind, with pen and paper — it's something I haven't done in quite some time and, honestly, something I've never done regularly (even though I've always wanted to). I recently read These Is My Words by Nancy Turner (if you know me personally you already know that I've been touting its brilliance since the moment I finished it) and was inspired by the main character's perseverance in journaling through many seasons of her life (it's not a real diary, as the story is mostly fiction). I remember the feeling I got when I read Anne Frank's diary, like I was glimpsing a tiny piece of her heart and the feeling is like nothing else I've ever experienced. It's the same feeling that washes over me when I walk through a historic building or see an exhibit that houses historic artifacts or artworks. It's a sense of connectedness that is not exactly like conversation. I think it's because the journals and the artifacts and the artworks give the viewer (or reader, as the case may be) a look into something that is private and deeply personal.

I just subscribed to receive emails from a slew of people (like Lena Dunham and Kirsten Dunst) that were sent in confidence and they interest me so much. (Read more about how you, too, can subscribe here.) I think it has something to do with seeing the inner workings of someone else's mind exposed, even if only briefly. I like to know things about people. I am deeply curious about the people who I know and love (and those I don't know that well, too). I think this is a human need, but maybe some need it more than others. Connectedness is highly important to me. I can't stand conversations that seem to progress superficially, which occasionally leads me to over share and recount details of my life that might be better kept private. I think that that need is what even encouraged me to start blogging in the first place. I loved the community of blogging — the chance to get to know someone in a different state, a different season of life, sharing a different viewpoint. I am a textbook introvert, but blogging has always felt natural to me. Writing has, too. I can express myself much more clearly through written word, which has its own advantages and disadvantages.

I'm so curious to know how you share your heart with others. Is it through speaking or writing or music or art? Or do you prefer to keep your heart close to you and not share it at all? I'd love to know a bit more about you, my sweet readers! xo

* Photo from our time at the Timberline Lodge in Oregon.