Weekly prompts to help you think a little harder, write a little longer, and have a bit of fun in your journal. I provide the prompt and then a bit of discussion afterward to help you think beyond the prompt.
How To Use Weekly Prompts
Using weekly prompts can be as simple or as difficult as you would like. I do not use one every day, and sometimes I use several from the weekly prompts list at one time. Over time, I have learned that too simple doesn’t work for me. I like to push the question around in my mind, look at it from a couple of different perspectives, and see what comes out.
Imagine, if you will, the prompt as a unique piece of artwork. Put that piece of artwork on a pedestal and then move around it. Look from side to side, high to low, and anything between. I want it to speak to me, give me thoughts, and guide my thoughts into a deeper understanding.
In all seriousness, I do study the question. I don’t spend hours on it and sometimes not even minutes. A few seconds and a few pointed questions after. Generally, those questions begin with why. Why did the prompt spark that response? Does that matter to me, and why? Why did I choose that answer/point? My meanings and questions can be vastly different from yours. That’s okay! The prompts are supposed to spark YOUR thoughts and feelings.
Focus Quote
In solitude we give passionate attention to our lives, to our memories, to the details around us.
Virginia Woolf
In my day-to-day life, my attention can be divided several ways. I may be dealing with work, my kid, my husband, and my personal wants or needs. Those things are before I start dealing with the house, the bills, and the groceries or meals. It’s no wonder so many women are stressed out.
When I sit with my journal, all of the chaos falls away. The chaos can come out in bits and pieces when I work on my morning pages. But regular journaling allows me to give attention to the matters of the heart, the parts of my life that are in desperate need of attention. Sometimes, that time is spent merely stepping back into a memory that comforts me. At other times, all of the emotions of a situation pour out onto that page, allowing me a moment of relief from all that I am carrying around inside.
Weekly Inspiration
Expressive Journaling
‘I don’t want to write about you anymore.’
Getting your emotions out is so important, you do do this with sentence after sentence, or you can spit it all out in one as this journal shows.
Expressive Journaling
‘It’s dark today.’
It is absolutely okay to have darkness in your pages. This can come out in words or paint. I love art journaling, but sometimes I just don’t have the energy required to put the work in. A page like this one really fits the bill.
Expressive Journaling
‘You wonder why I’m bitter?’
Never be afraid to pour it all out over and over. The one resounding phrase that haunts you, the answer to a stupid question that bounces around in your brain, sometimes the repetition soothes you in a way that is indescribable in words.
The images that I choose for inspiration are not about the links. They are solely about the images and what they represent. I love seeing other people’s journals. I love the inspiration that hits me to go write in my own. Sometimes, that inspiration leads me to try something I have seen on their pages. Mostly, it just inspires me to write!
Weekly Prompts
61.01 Describe three things you want to remember about your teen years.
Think about the moments that seemed so important at the time. Looking back, what was important then seems silly now. But the feelings associated with those moments remain the same, and that’s where my focus is. So what moments were important to you then that you want to remember?
61.02 What is your number one rule in life?
We all have rules we live by. Describe the one that gets you through. My number one rule is not to compare myself to others. I do not compare myself physically or mentally. I am me. We all have problems that are sometimes visible and sometimes not. Just because you see the beauty on the outside of others does not mean there is no pain on the inside.
61.03 What three items in your house do you want to get rid of but can’t?
Sometimes, I have items that remind me of other moments. There’s nothing wrong with the item, but the memory association kills me. Then, some items were given to me, and I just don’t want them but feel obligated to keep them. Those items are a constant drain on my energy. So list three items and why you have them, keep them, and do not dispose of them. Could you make other choices?
61.04 What is your stance on aliens?
Have you seen anything that you were unable to explain? Do you have friends or family members that have? Did you believe them? I had an experience as a teen that left me a believer that there is most definitely something out there. Something far more advanced than we can begin to comprehend.
61.05 What is the funniest sarcastic line you have heard lately?
I love funny tshirts. ‘I should’ve been born with warning signs’ or ‘I like long walks. Away from everyone.’ These one-liners bring me lots of joy. Especially when certain people see them and I know that message is meant for them!
61.06 What is your favorite grilled food?
I know meat is what comes to mind first, but there are so so many things that can be grilled. Squash, peaches, pineapple, peppers, breads, tortillas, etc. So think about the items you love the most and write about them. Who does the grilling? Have you had it by someone else? Was it as good or better?
61.07 Word of the week: Collywobbles.
Look it up, write it down, and use it in a sentence or three. Apparently, I live with the collywobbles daily and had no idea!
I hope these weekly prompts inspire you to think harder, dig deeper, and write a little longer this week. Looking for more prompts? Check out the Divergent Dialogues category to see more weekly prompts, 31+ Fun Journaling Prompts, or head on over to my Pinterest board!
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Happy Journaling!
Sarah G.
