Thursday, June 10, 2010

Creativity Exercise: Ungratitude Journal

Is there such a word as ungratitude? There is now. Here's today's exercise: Forget about keeping a gratitude journal, unless that really, really helps your mood. Instead, start an ungratitude journal.

Once a week (heck, every Thursday, since you're starting today), get out a clean sheet of paper. You have to write this by hand. For at least one minute and no more than two, scribble your frustrations, anger, fear, anxiety. You don't need punctuation or grammar. I don't even leave spaces between words. I just scrawl.

Then, immediately rip your sheet into teeny, tiny shreds and throw them away. Why? Destruction is therapeutic. And, from my perspective, it's an essential part of the purge: Since I know no one will ever read a word of what I'm writing, I can say whatever I want.*

Ready, set, vent!

*Yes, this could also describe much of my poetry ...

2 comments:

Lezlie said...

So I didn't think there was any way I'd have 2 minutes worth of angst to scribble. Um.... Yeah. Glad I set a timer! I was shocked when it sounded and I was still scribbling madly! (....Oh. What a nice pun. Hee!)

Mo said...

Every new years eve I do this for the entire year! At the top of the List I write "As I shred this list may these things leave me in 20?? as I prepare enter 20??!" Then I write another page that starts "As I prepare to meet the New Year of 20?? I pray for…" Perhaps if I start doing this weekly my negative list won't be so long!