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Journaling for Your Life

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As a writer, one might assume that a consistent journaling practice would already be central to my way of being. But, except for a bit of journaling here and there on specific projects and some sporadic inspirational guidance from my spirit guides, I have never incorporated a regular journaling program into my daily life. That all changed recently when I took the Progoff Intensive Journal Life Context Workshop at the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago. The workshop, highly recommended by my Ph.D. advisor, theologian and Jungian psychologist Dr. Robert Moore, had peaked my interest for three reasons. First, as a Ph.D. student focusing on compassionate love, I am interested in any method that can help create a more loving and compassionate society. Second, as a writer, I thought this might help my own creative process. And third, being at the tail end of a divorce and finding myself struggling with love and compassion as it relates to that situation, I found myself sorely in need of some additional transformational tools.

     My reaction after taking the Progoff Intensive Journaling workshop was: “Gosh, I can’t believe I didn’t start doing this a long time ago!” By the end of the weekend, I had experienced entrance meditations, journaling in my daily log, having dialogues with specific persons, works, and events in my life, and looking at some of the intersections—the roads taken and not taken—in my life. The post-workshop practice has planted the seeds for further transformation and creativity.

     Journaling, I am now convinced, is a useful tool, indeed. So, I thought I’d take an Internet journey to two websites that focus on this tool: The Artist’s Way site (www.theartistsway.com) based on the works of Julia Cameron, and the Progoff Intensive Journal Program for Self Development site (www.intensivejournal.org).

     Many of my readers will be familiar with Julia Cameron’s books including her landmark volume, The Artist’s Way. Some of you will, no doubt, have taken one of her Artist’s Way workshops. Since I myself have not used Cameron’s method, I thought I’d get some hands-on insight from a friend who has. Maritza Marrero comes with impressive professional credentials including Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Employment and Training and Vice Chancellor Human Resources at the City Colleges of Chicago. She is currently working with her husband as HR Director and Business Manager of Carlos Steel Corporation. Maritza started using The Artist’s Way method two years ago and it transformed her life. She followed the method to the letter for one year and continues to use segments of it tailored to her current needs.

     Maritza used The Artist’s Way method to let go of a career that was no longer satisfying and to begin a journey of spiritual development. “I’ve rewired myself,” she states. “It’s taken me a long time to rewire, but I see the bigger picture now.”

     Those who are interested in delving a bit deeper into this method can visit The Artist’s Way website. I was a bit surprised that there wasn’t a specific section devoted to details about the method. However, if you click on the “News” link, there is a great article about the tenth anniversary of The Artist’s Way that is chock full of valuable information. For example, The Artist’s Way is credited with sparking a creativity movement, which, according to Biography magazine, “has everyday Americans pasting up scrapbooks, jotting down memoirs, jamming poetry readings, sewing quilts, and delving into all manner of self-expression.”

     The article also gives the following thumbnail sketch of the workshop:

     “The Artist’s Way is structured as a 12-week journey of personal discovery, employing Cameron’s basic tools of the creative practice: Morning Pages: three pages of longhand stream of consciousness writing designed to be done first thing every day, and The Artist Date: a weekly solo adventure meant to replenish the artistic soul. From museum visits to flower-picking, the artist date is a personal reward and much-needed adventure and respite from the stress of everyday living.”

     An interactive section of the site features a forum entitled “Calling ALL artists” that invites artists who have involved in The Artist’s Way method to commit to a weekly post giving an update on the previous week’s progress in their artistic endeavors. It also invites artists to name any positive or negative events that affected their week’s work.

The Progoff Intensive Journal Program site does not contain a similar interactive feature. That’s because of the program’s emphasis on the value of silence. The program was developed by Dr. Ira Progoff, a depth psychologist who was highly influenced by Jung, Paul Tillich, and Martin Buber. “Growth takes place in a person,” he stated, “by working at a deep inner level in a sustained atmosphere of silence.” The Progoff site makes clear that participants work in total privacy: “No one comments on or judges your life. Feel safe to be honest about your intimate feelings and experiences.”

     Dr Progoff’s work is being carried on by his son Jon Progoff, director of Dialogue House Associates, Inc., the headquarters for the Intensive Journal Program, and by several trained workshop leaders throughout the world. Jon points out that the Progoff site is essentially an informational tool that contains data about the method, its background, common questions, and the dates and locations of upcoming workshops.

     It is, indeed, an excellent informational site. Go to the “About this Method” section at this site and you’ll get a thumbnail overview of how participants can benefit from the program:

     By using an integrated system of writing exercises. It’s much more than a diary.

     Gain insights about many different areas including personal relationships, career and special interests, body and health, dreams and imagery, and meaning in life.

     Apply fresh approaches to access your creative capacities and untapped possibilities.

     Work in total privacy. Neither you nor anyone else will judge or analyze your life.

     Use a method that is without dogma. The Intensive Journal method is a process that can be used by people of all different backgrounds, interests and faiths.

     Attend workshops at leading centers for reasonable prices.

     You do not have to like to write or be a good writer. You are the only one who reads what you write.

     Much more in-depth information is available by clicking on the links to sections like

“Features and Principles,” “The Founder: Ira Progoff,” “About the Workshops,” and “Schedules and Locations.” In the “Public Workshops” section, you learn that the Progoff method actually consists of a series of workshops that build upon each other. The Life Context Workshop, which I took, for example, is followed by Depth Contact and Life Integration. The topics covered in the Depth Contact workshop include Dreams and images. Participants learn how to use Dr. Progoff’s non-analytic method to draw messages from their inner symbolic experiences. They discover a unique way of working with their dreams and imagery to develop creative leads and insights.

     The method, according to Jon Progoff, is a combination of group and solo work. “The group atmosphere is important for this method to work,” he states, “and therefore people after workshop work on their own and in their own process and then come back to other workshops that we hold.”

     The site was being redesigned when I reviewed it for this column. The new site promises to be easier to use and will contain some interesting life histories from three specialized audiences that are using the method: Wellness, Ministry, Social Services. Here is a sneak preview:

     Fran Pullara had been using the Progoff method for a long time when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She writes:

     “As I continued using the method, it gave me the comfort and safety of exploring my fear, anger and despair. Cancer patients and those around them often want to believe that everything is okay. The Intensive Journal workbook was a place where I was allowed to feel the feelings of despair. I was able to let go instead of trying to control everything out of fear, and as a result felt less victimized. In fits and starts, I began to process the fear, pain and seesawing emotions that threatened to paralyze me.

The Artist’s Way and the Progoff Intensive Journal Program are both excellent. And both may be used for both life transformation and for creative breakthroughs. My friend Maritza used The Artist’s Way for a life transformation involving career and spirituality. “We are all creative creatures,” she points out, “and often it is so embedded in our psyches that we aren’t aware of it. Creativity is not only for artists, but can be used in business, for example.” According to Jon Progoff, the Progoff method has been used by many authors to overcome writer’s block and has been a featured part of the International Women’s Writing Guild’s annual conference for the past twenty years.

     My advice: Visit these sites and decide which method resonates with you. Then get going and get journaling. I’m glad I (finally) did!

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Mary Montgomery-Clifford is a certified web author and developer. Her company, Montgomery Media Enterprises ("Freelancing with Finesse!"), specializes in public relations, events, promotions, writing project and web authoring, development and publicity. Ms. Montgomery-Clifford has a Master's Degree in religious studies from Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS) in June 2002 and is working on a Ph.D. with a focus on the new scholarship of Unlimited Love and the Other Regarding Virtues in the Fall of 2002. She is also in the process of completing the Morris Pratt Institute Course on Modern Spiritualism. Contact her via e-mail at Monty764@aol.com, by phone at
773-235-8821 or at her web site at www.montymedia.com.

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