Want to Hear a Secret? I’m Doing Something I’ve Never Done Before.
And I want you to join me, because I think we could all use something fresh, intriguing, and nurturing at a time like this.
I’ve been feeling a pull to try something new with you.
Are you up for an experiment?
When I work with people on Zoom or in person, I love being able to witness what they’re sharing and ask curious, encouraging follow up questions. It’s fun and rewarding for me when it happens on Substack, too. However, I suspect a lot of you, like me, hold back a bit in the comments. It can feel way too public and vulnerable for a lot of us sensitive, introverted people to let our whole selves show up that way.
I’d really like to see if there’s a way to create more of that connection with you and give us more opportunities for reflection and interaction, minus the public forum. Here’s what I’ve been contemplating: a way to bring the best of journaling and face-to-face contact together.
I would like to offer you a guided journal prompt that you can respond to and send back to me. I’d write you back to witness what you shared and give you a personalized follow-up prompt to use, if you feel drawn to do so.
You could use this as a chance to share a memory, ponder a question, or get on your soap box and vent it all out. Perhaps you’ll let me in on a secret plan, hope, or dream. Or maybe you’ll just share a bit about your daily life. It’s absolutely up to you.
My response will not be a critique, a writing lesson, or a coaching session. It’s certainly not therapy or medical advice. I’m guessing you know where to find those responses in abundance.
First and foremost, my goal is to create a space where you can experience being seen and heard, not just write for yourself. This relational element is missing in so much of what we do, and while many of us love our alone time, we also need meaningful connections.
Beyond witnessing, my goal is to offer a way for you to go a little further or deeper in your journaling. My responses would be rooted in my Singularly Sensitive approach. I might suggest that you use the tools of exploring, experimenting, and integrating to help you find your unique path. Or I might invite you to explore your commitment to CHAOS (change, hope, authenticity, overcoming obstacles, self-compassion).
Ultimately, my response will be only an invitation, not an obligation, to keep journaling and reflecting, doing what we deep thinkers and feelers do best.
Would you be interested in trying this out with me?
Honestly, I’m not sure what to call “this.” When I was sharing my plan with the members of the last Soundings Circle, I hosted, I originally referred to it as a “journal pen pal.” But that isn’t quite the spirit of what I’m proposing. I’m not going to be journaling back to you in the spirit of a shared journal or a journal exchange. As much as that would be amazing, I would only have time to journal that way with one or two people, and I want to make this accessible to a larger number of people.
This also wouldn’t be journal coaching in the sense of helping you to become a better journaler (whatever that means). I thought about calling it “iterative journaling” but that sounds so formal. It reminds me of the ways that journaling gets co-opted in the classroom, which is not the experience I want to create.
I’m settling on calling this process “collaborative guided journaling” for now. It’s not a perfect name, but I hope it captures enough of the spirit of what I’m describing to pique your interest. The perfect name can evolve (and I’m open to suggestions). After all, this is an experiment, and I can change the name of this process at any point.
How the collaborative guided journaling experiment will work:
1. On Tuesday, January 21st, I’ll publish a post with several journal prompts. Respond in whatever way is comfortable for you—handwriting, typed, art, photography, music, etc.
2. Please pick only one response to share with me. Send it to the email in the post.
3. I will email you a response within 24 hours.
4. All responses must be sent to me by 11 PM Eastern on Thursday, January 23rd. I realize this is a relatively short time to respond and that this timeline may not work for everyone. However, I’m timing this experiment to coincide with having some additional availability in my schedule. Sticking to this timeline will hopefully allow me to respond to anyone who wants to join in within 24 hours (if I get inundated and need more time, I’ll let everyone know on Substack).
5. In my response to you, I’ll include a feedback form where you can share your experience of this process with me. Please complete it by 11 PM Eastern on Sunday, January 26th. I truly want to know it all—good, bad, indifferent—so that I can integrate your experiences with my own. Perhaps there is a seed of a process that could grow into something more, but I’ll need your honest feedback to help guide that decision.
Ultimately, this collaborative guided journaling process is something I want to try out, but I hope that it also feels like my gift to you. I think the entire Singularly Sensitive community is in need of a break from the weight of the world that we carry on our shoulders. I don’t have magic words to make that go way. However, I hope that, if you take this opportunity to go inward and take a chance on allowing me to witness and respond to your journaling, you’ll find yourself relating to that burden differently.
I’m constantly making the argument that the world desperately needs the contributions of sensitive, idealistic, introspective people. And at the same time, the world beats us up, wears us out, and tells us we need to change.
I can’t radically shift the broader culture with collaborative guided journaling (at least that would vastly exceed my expectations). However, my hope is that I might fortify you so that you can make the positive impact on the world that you are uniquely capable of making.
Will you take a chance on this experiment? And on yourself?
Let me know if you have questions or comments. Otherwise, I hope to see lots of your names popping up in my email next week!
Lori, thank you for offering this thoughtful and nurturing space. Your idea of collaborative guided journaling is such a unique way to foster connection and reflection, especially for those of us who may have felt vulnerable sharing our inner worlds publicly.
I’ve come to a place where sharing my vulnerability feels empowering, but there was a time when having an opportunity like this would have been transformative. To be seen and witnessed in such a compassionate way could be exactly what someone navigating the weight of the world on their shoulders needs right now.
To anyone reading this who feels overwhelmed, uncertain, or like your sensitivity makes it harder to engage with the world—this might be the gentle yet powerful invitation you’ve been waiting for. Lori’s approach feels like a way to explore your thoughts safely, with someone who truly listens.
Thank you, Lori, for creating such an inclusive and meaningful experiment. I hope it inspires others to take that step inward and feel supported in their journey.
New and fresh! 💖