The Balancing Stones Sculpture Writing Project

~ FEBRUARY - MARCH 2017 ~

Good Evening all Balancing Stones Sculpture Writing Project participants.  We are about to fill in our next Stone, which is Stone 6.

If you would, please pull out your Notebook with all of your notes in it.  We are going to continue to use our Notebooks, but we are also going to get a nice Journal for our next four (4) Stones -- Starting with Stone 6.

Here is where we left off last time we were all here together...

Inside Your Notebook:

Your Stone 5 is:  ________________

It is meaningful to you because_____________________________

Using your Stone 5 word, "_________" as an instruction, what did you come up with? __________________________________________________

Keep in mind that we have four (4) remaining Stones left to fill in.

Here is what you should have completed:  You should have Focused on your Writing, and picked one word from the information that you have gathered up to this point.  The one word that you picked should head you into the direction that you seek to go in with regard to your writing.  It will be your Stone 6.

It was important for you to think about it overnight, because this is about YOU and your heart's desire with regard to your Writing.

Take a look at the Balancing Stones Sculpture once again...

The Balancing Stones Sculpture

[My personal example with Five (5) Stones filled in)

Your Balancing Stones Sculpture will look differently from the example above, but this gives you an idea of how your Balancing Stones Sculpture print-out should look.  As we continue to develop your personal Balancing Stones Sculpture, our next Stone is now ready to be filled in with the word that you came up with after thinking about your heart's desire with regard to your Writing, and what you came up with from the information that you gathered.  

Remember, this is an eye-opening Writing Project that is personal to you and your writing desires.

Since you've been following along with my example, I am now going to tell you what I came up with for my Stone 6 -- "Therapy".

Why "Therapy"? ~ Because it is what I came up with after thinking about my heart's desire with regard to my Writing, and what I came up with from the information that I gathered.

Next, we are to place the word that we came up with on our Stone 6, which will be to the left of our Stone 5, or directly above our Stone 5 (depending upon the lay-out of your Balancing Stones Sculpture).  Everyone has placed their last word (Stone 5) -- on the Stone that sits on the pedestal.

So now my personal Balancing Stones Sculpture print-out looks like this . . .

Rather than place my Stone 6 on the Stone right above my Stone 5, I chose to go to the left primarily because the word I chose fits better there -- for no other reason.  If I had picked a word like "art", I would have placed it on the Stone above my Stone 5.

Now here is where our next tool comes into play -- Our Journal . . .  

Open your brand new Journal, and on the first page, write the word that you chose for your Stone 6, like so . . .

If you want to be creative, you can purchase a Journal with a blank cover and place the word your chose for your Stone 6 on the Cover as follows . . .

Now we're rolling right along with our new Journal dedicated to our Balancing Stones Sculpture Writing Project for our next four Stones -- Starting with Stone 6.

To make this even more exciting, buy yourself a brand new ink pen!  

You'll find out some surprising things about your "self", and your "Writing" as we move right along . . .

See you back here tomorrow!

 Peace, Love & Light,

  René

© Copyright - René Allen - FEBRUARY - MARCH 2017 - All Rights Reserved

The Balancing Stones Sculpture Writing Project 

Here is where we left off:  FOCUS on your Stone 5.

1)  Whatever your Stone 5 word is should be written in your Notebook about why that word is meaningful to you.

2)  Remember that the word jumped out at you from the conclusion that you reached on your journey participating in this Writing Project thus far.

3)  Focus on yourself and your interest in Writing.

4)  You should have WRITTEN in your Notebook using your Stone 5 as an instruction.

Now we are back here to continue on with our Writing Project, and our remaining four (4) Stones... 

[Remember questions and comments are welcomed here on the Blog]

TODAY'S HELP TIP:

My Stone 5 word is "Journal"

It is meaningful to me, because I would like to write Novels in the form of a self-help Journal focusing on Journal Therapy or Reflective/Meditative Writing.

Using the word "Journal" as an instruction

a newspaper or magazine that deals with a particular subject or professional activity;

a daily record of news and events of a personal nature; a diary.

With the information that I have, using my word "Journal" as an instruction, my direction is to have an open mind with regard to turning to writing a Newspaper or Magazine that deals with a particular subject matter or a particular professional activity; or to create a daily record of news and/or events of a personal nature -- somewhat like a diary.

_______________________________________________________

For your Notebook:

Your Stone 5 is:  ________________

It is meaningful to you because_____________________________

Using your Stone 5 word, "_________" as an instruction, what did you come up with?

Keep in mind that we have four (4) remaining Stones left to fill in.

Here is what you will do next:  Focus on your Writing, and pick one word from the information that you have gathered up to this point.  The one word that you pick should head you into the direction that you seek to go with regard to your writing.  It will be your Stone 6.

It is important that you think about it overnight, because this is about YOU and your heart's desire with regard to your Writing.

Take a look at the Balancing Stones Sculpture at the top of this Blog post.  Your Balancing Stones Sculpture will look differently from my example, but it gives you an idea of how to develop your personal Balancing Stones Sculpture.  This is an eye-opening Writing Project that is personal to you and your writing desires.

See you back here tomorrow as we come back to fill in Stone 6!

         Peace, Love & Light,

    René

© Copyright - René Allen - FEBRUARY - MARCH 2017 - All Rights Reserved

The Balancing Stones Sculpture Writing Project

~ FEBRUARY - MARCH 2017 ~

Alright, everyone has had a little extra time to get all of their Stones in order, and get everything written down in your trusty Notebooks.  We left off with the following...

1)  We got our Notebooks out;

2)  We wrote down our Stone 4 word;

3)  We wrote down the one area of choice that we picked in relation to our Stone 4 word;

4)  We wrote down the one sentence that relates to our area of choice; and

5)  We then put steps 2 through 4 together, and everyone should now have what we have each come up with as our personal writing conclusion, and it should be written in our Notebook.

We are now on our 5th Step.  Your fifth step should end up looking something like my personal example as it relates to what your choices are:

My Novel will be in the form of a "Self Help Journal" focusing on Journal Therapy or Reflective/Meditative Writing.

There are five (5) more Stones that we have to work with on our Balancing Stones Sculpture.

Stone 5 is going to be all about "you" and your writing.

Take what you have written as your conclusion, and pull out the key word that jumps out at you for your Stone 5 word.

What jumped out for me is the word, "Journal".

Take your word for Stone 5, and add it to your print-out of the Balancing Stones Sculpture.  Your print-out will look a little different from mine, but you should have five (5) Stones with words on it, including your 2nd Stone with the year your Stone 1 word was first used in the English language.

Please Note:  Your Stone 5 word should be placed on the Stone sitting on the pedestal like so . . .

    (Here is my print-out) . . .

 

The Balancing Stones Sculpture 

Here is what we are doing next:  FOCUS on your Stone 5.

1)  Whatever your Stone 5 word is, write in your Notebook about why that word is meaningful to you.

2)  Remember that the word jumped out at you from the conclusion that you reached on your journey participating in this Writing Project thus far.

3)  Focus on yourself and your interest in Writing.

4)  Now WRITE in your Notebook using your Stone 5 as an instruction.

See you back here with your Notebook in hand tomorrow as we continue on with our Writing Project, and our remaining Stones... 

[Remember questions and comments are welcomed here on the Blog] 

We're warming up our writing skills!

  Peace, Love & Light,

René

© Copyright - René Allen - FEBRUARY - MARCH 2017 - All Rights Reserved

The Balancing Stones Sculpture Writing Project

 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 - MARCH 2017 ~

We're Back Once Again!

Everyone is back here with their one sentence for the area that they have chosen.  As a re-cap, we each chose three areas of interest relating to our Stone 4 word.  Then we narrowed it down to one area of interest.  The area that I chose for my Stone 4 word, ("Novels") was  . . . "Self Help Journal" . . .

[I'd like to write a Novel in the form of a "Self Help Journal"]

The next step was to write one sentence in relation to your area of choice.

My one sentence about my area of choice, "Self Help Journal" is . . .

Journal Therapy or Reflective/Meditative Writing.

My Novel would therefore be in the form of a "Self Help Journal" focusing on Journal Therapy or Reflective/Meditative Writing.

To make this exercise more plain, it breaks down to picking an area of writing that you are interested in pursuing and going further by conducting both outside and inside research.  The inside research begins within your "self".  The outside research calls for you to do further studies about your writing areas of choice.

The Balancing Stones Sculpture shown at the top of this Blog Page illustrates the 4 Stones that have been named so far in relation to my particular choices.  Your choices and Stones will of course be different.  [Refer to previous Blog posts to clarify our travels so far].

The question right now is:  What did you come up with?

We came back so that you would be able to gain further insight on what you should get out of your one sentence.

Here is what you should do next:

1)  Get your Notebook out;

2)  Write down your Stone 4 word;

3)  Write down the one area of choice that you picked in relation to your Stone 4 word;

4)  Write down the one sentence that relates to your area of choice;

5)  Put steps 2 through 4 together, and what do you come up with?

Place your conclusion in your Notebook.  Use my example as a guide.

Your fifth step should end up looking something like this:

My Novel will be in the form of a "Self Help Journal" focusing on Journal Therapy or Reflective/Meditative Writing.

There are five (5) more Stones that we have to work with on our Balancing Stones Sculpture.

Stone 5 is going to be all about "you" and your writing.

See you back here tomorrow!

  Peace, Love & Light,

René

© Copyright - René Allen - FEBRUARY - MARCH 2017 - All Rights Reserved

The Balancing Stones Sculpture Writing Project

 ~ FEBRUARY 2017 - MARCH 2017 ~

We're Back!

QUICK REVIEW:  The object of this Writing Project is to encourage you to expand your mind with regard to your writing path using your own choices and a little Research -- which will lead you to self-discoveries.

Currently, we are continuing on with our wonderful Balancing Stones Sculpture Writing Project, which is now carrying over from February into the month of March 2017.

We've had a lot of participation, and I'd like to share some of the other input from the Writers participating here in our Writing Project:

Other Stone 1 picks:  Travel Writer, News Reporter, Author, Poet, Short Story Writer, Blog Writer, and Website Creator.

My Stone 1 pick was Novelist.

You may have picked an entirely different writing career word that identified with your soul for your Stone 1.  Feel free to share it in the Comments here on the Blog.

Our Stone 2 consisted of the year our Stone 1 word was first used in the English language.  We all found out that information from the Dictionary of our choice.

Next came Stone 3, which consisted of a word that we each chose from the Research that we did on the year that our Stone 1 word was first used.

Then came Stone 4. which was the condensed word that we each came up with from our further Research on our Stone 1 word that resonated with our soul.

When we last conducted our Research, we each came up with three (3) areas of our choice to do research on with regard to our Stone 4 word.

For example, my Stone 4 word was "Novels", and my three areas of Research were the three genres that I chose, which were as follows...

1)  Historical Fiction

2)  Drama

3)  Self Help Journal

 

We were each to take our three areas of Research, write the information we found out down in our trusty Notebooks, and  chose one (1) of those areas that we were most drawn to.

 

For me, it was two areas, so I had to narrow it down to one (1) area.  I liked both Historical Fiction and Self Help Journal.  When I write Novels, I tend to lean toward Historical Fiction most of the time.  So I took a leap, and turned to the path I normally don't tread:  Self Help Journal. 

 

We were each to take the One (1) area that we chose and come back here for the next step . . .

 

So here we are!

 

Now, here comes the FUN...

 

Take the area that you chose, and using your Research on that one particular area, write one sentence about the area that you were most drawn to.

 

Help Tip Example:  The area that I chose was "Self Help Journal".  The Research that I conducted informed me of the following...

 

1)  Self-help or self-improvement is a self-guided improvement—economically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a substantial psychological basis. Many different self-help group programs exist, each with its own focus, techniques, associated beliefs, proponents and in some cases, leaders. Concepts and terms originating in self-help culture and Twelve-Step culture, such as recovery, dysfunctional families, and codependency have become firmly integrated in mainstream language.

 

Self-help often utilizes publicly available information or support groups, on the Internet as well as in person, where people in similar situations join together. From early examples in self-driven legal practice and home-spun advice, the connotations of the word have spread and often apply particularly to education, business, psychology and psychotherapy, commonly distributed through the popular genre of self-help books. According to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, potential benefits of self-help groups that professionals may not be able to provide include friendship, emotional support, experiential knowledge, identity, meaningful roles, and a sense of belonging.

 

Groups associated with health conditions may consist of patients and caregivers. As well as featuring long-time members sharing experiences, these health groups can become support groups and clearing-houses for educational material. Those who help themselves by learning and identifying about health problems can be said to exemplify self-help, while self-help groups can be seen more as peer-to-peer support.  [RESOURCE:  WIKIPEDIA]

 

2)  I found out that there are all sorts of Self-Help Journals in the form of Books, such as:

 

a) Start Where You Are:  A Journal for Self-Exploration by Meera Lee Patel

b)  The Gratitude Journal: A 21 Day Challenge to More Gratitude, Deeper Relationships, and   Greater Joy (A Life of Gratitude) by Shelley Hitz

c)  Knock Knock I'm Doing My Best Inner-Truth Journal by Knock Knock

d)  Journal of Awesome by Neil Pasricha

...and the list went on and on...

[RESOURCE:  Internet Search]

The question for the area that I chose also becomes, What exactly is a Journal?

By definition, a Journal is . . .

1.  a daily record, as of occurrences, experiences, or observations: She kept a journal during her European trip.

2. a newspaper, especially a daily one.

3. a periodical or magazine, especially one published for a special group, learned society, or progression:  the October issue of The English Journal.

 

4.  a record, usually daily, of the proceedings and transactions of a legislative body, an organization, etc.

5.  Bookkeeping.

1. a daybook.
2. (in the double-entry method) a book into which all transactions are entered from the daybook or blotter to facilitate posting into the ledger.

6.  Nautical.  a log or logbook.

7. to write self-examining or reflective journal entries, especially in school or as part of psychotherapy:  Students should journal as part of a portfolio assessment program.

 

My pursuit in the area of a "Self Help Journal" would be more along these lines . . .

 

Journal therapy,  which is a type of writing therapy that focuses on the writer's internal experiences, thoughts and feelings. Journal therapy uses reflective writing so that the writer can receive mental and emotional clarity, validate experiences and come to a deeper understanding of him or herself. Journal therapy can also be used to express difficult material or access previously inaccessible material.
Like other forms of therapy, journal therapy can be used to heal a writer's emotional or physical problems or work through a trauma, such as illness, addiction, relationship problems etc.

In short, my one sentence for the area that I chose ~ "Self Help Journal" . . .

Journal Therapy or Reflective/Meditative Writing.

What did you come up with?

We'll be back with further insight on what you should get out of your one sentence.

We can't wait!

    Peace, Love & Light,

René

© Copyright - René Allen - FEBRUARY - MARCH 2017 - All Rights Reserved