How do we keep writing in hard times?

I was planning to host a self-love journaling challenge in February. But when I sat down to brainstorm prompts, I thought to myself – who’s going to feel like writing when the world is on fire?

Each day, we seem to face another horrific headline about another life taken or terrorized.

It leaves us feeling hopeless and helpless and staring at a blank page, wondering, “What’s the point?”

But silence is NOT the answer.

Your writing does matter.

If you are a poet, your verse can give voice to the voiceless and articulate all the feelings the rest of us have yet to name.

To the essayist, you can examine the issues others are having trouble understanding.

If you are a novelist or short story scribe, you build worlds we can escape to when we need reprieve, and your characters offer people and perspectives that could widen our worldview.

And for my fellow journalists – whether you write stories that show us what’s wrong with the world or what’s right — you have the power to speak truth to power and the platform to harvest hope.

You may think that something like writing isn’t big enough to make an impact, but history shows us that big changes start with small acts of courage and compassion. If our voices didn’t matter, oppressive systems wouldn’t work so hard to try to silence us.

Being in community with other writers is one of the best ways to keep writing in hard times. That’s why See Jane Write exists and why I’m a fan of journaling challenges.

How Journaling Can Help You ‘Love Thy Neighbor’

So, in a world of chaos and darkness, is there any place for journaling? Absolutely.

Journaling is an act of self-care, and in times like these, caring for our mental health is crucial. In our journals, we can remind ourselves to find joy when and where we can because joy is an act of resistance.

But we can’t stop there. We also must care for our communities. I believe journaling can help with this as well. Between the pages of my prayer journal, I find peace. But my journal is also my place to plot plans for how I will make a difference, how I will show up for other people.

In one of my favorite passages from the Bible, Jesus’s disciples ask him, “What is the greatest commandment?” Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” Then he goes on to say, “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

So I’m going to hang this journaling challenge on these ideas, too, and I hope you will join the challenge even if you’re not the church-going, Bible-reading type. Even if you don’t believe in a god, you believe in something. You have values. During this journaling challenge, I want you to consider how you can show your love for those values in your everyday life — with all your heart and soul and mind.

And I think we can all agree that “Love thy neighbor,” as the verse is written in the King James Version of the Bible, is a mantra that certainly needs to be adopted in such a time as this.

But notice that the verse says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” So you’ve got to love yourself too, boo!

Yes, do your part to try to make an impact, but don’t try to pour from an empty cup.

The Love & Legacy Journaling Challenge

So the Self-Love Journaling Challenge is getting a rebrand and is now the Love & Legacy Journaling Challenge. Yes, I’m going to give you prompts to help you think about ways you can love, appreciate, and accept yourself and practice better self-care (because self-care is self-love in action). But I will also offer prompts to help you consider how you can better love your neighbor, your family, your friends, your community, your people, and even complete strangers.

As we make an impact with our language, let’s also make an impact with our love. This is how you leave a legacy.

The Love & Legacy Journaling Challenge begins on February 1 in the See Jane Write Network Facebook group. Each day, I’ll post a journaling prompt. Feel free to write as much or as little as you want. (If you’re someone who needs rules, aim for 15 minutes.) Use the Facebook group to chat with others about any insights or emotions the prompts evoke. If you’d like to participate, simply join the Facebook group. If you’re not on Facebook, I’ll also be sharing the prompts on Instagram Stories @seejanewriteco. Let me know in the comments if you’re in!