The Power of Writing in Your Healing Journey

We all experience pain in our lives. Whether it’s a past hurt or a current struggle, we’re all dealing with something painful. Acknowledging and processing that pain is essential so that it doesn’t end up consuming you. We all have different methods to get us through life experiences — perhaps writing and journaling can help your healing.

In this episode, Nadine Kenney Johnstone talks about her journey in life and writing. She discusses how writing has helped her and other women heal from their pain. Finally, she shares her tips on how you can write and journal effectively.

If you’re a published author, an aspiring writer, or want to write in your healing journey, this episode is for you!

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

  1. Find out how writing and journaling can help you process your pain.

  2. Discover Nadine's effective writing and journaling tips for your healing journey.

  3. Learn the importance of rest and self-care for writers.

Resources

  • Sign up for Nadine’s Writer Workouts

  • FREE Action Guide on How To Use Writing in Your Healing Journey. Sign up below and I’ll send it right away!

    Episode Highlights

    [01:55] Nadine’s Memoir

    • In Of This Much I'm Sure, she wrote about her and her husband's infertility journey, which has a happy ending: her eight-year-old son, Geo.

    • Infertility is often a difficult topic to bring up, and she wanted to raise awareness.

    • The writing process was therapeutic for her, and she's happy it helped others feel less alone.

    [04:28] Acknowledging the Brutal and the Beautiful

    • The majority of her memoir is about the struggle, not the happy ending. This is to recognize that we are all struggling with something.

    • We must acknowledge both the beauty and the struggle in our healing journey.

    [07:19] Handling Love and Loss

    • She wrote an essay about losing her father to cancer.

    • Love is the answer to loss. When loss consumes Nadine, she chooses to show love to her people.

    • Listen to the full episode to hear about her father's passing and how she honored him.

    [08:36] “Love isn't the opposite of loss. It’s the answer to it.” - Click Here to Tweet This

    [16:01] Writing and Journaling as Self Care

    • She started as a fiction writer but shifted to nonfiction to process their infertility journey.

    • Writing gives you the chance to make sense of the beauty and the pain in life.

    • Nadine mentions Diana Carr and Arlene Faulk, women writers who used writing to process their pain and make other women feel less alone.

    [20:05] “It’s such a rewarding experience—that’s what I want for any woman who’s interested in writing and putting writing out into the world. It’s not just about the writing; it’s about what happens to your heart, your soul, in the process.” - Click Here to Tweet This

    [22:10] Using Fiction in Your Healing Journey

    • When writing nonfiction, you must be grounded and respectful of other people's stories while also putting your own out there.

    • Writing fiction can be cathartic and rewarding as well.

    • Readers will connect to any story as long as it has universal truths.

    [25:55] How to Start Writing

    • List down things that capture your attention.

    • Figure out why you're curious about a specific thing and dig deeper.

    • See what story unfolds from those things.

    [28:54] “Pay attention to what you’re paying attention to, write a list, and see what story might unfold from one of those things.” - Click Here to Tweet This

    [30:10] Writer Workouts and Retreats

    • Since Nadine's community needed to keep writing and feel connected during the pandemic, she conducted a "writer workout" every Monday via Zoom.

    • Constantly writing helps get your creative juices flowing.

    • Retreats give space and time to connect with ourselves. These also allow us to find direction and understanding.

    • Tune in to the full episode if you want to hear about their writing retreats!

    [36:30] Journaling Tips

    • When journaling, don’t pressure yourself to create something new.

    • Use the same process or prompt when journaling and do it at a specific time of the day.

    • Journals are pages where you can explore how you truly feel.

    [39:24] “... the journal is a page where you can explore how you truly feel, not how you should be feeling or what you should be doing, and the letter from your wiser self is a way to do that.” - Click Here to Tweet This

    [40:11] Getting Proper Rest

    • Note what you’re paying attention to.

    • Rest replenishes your heart.

    • Find out what rest means to you and incorporate it into your life.

    • Who would you be if you were indeed deeply rested?

    [41:00] “Rest is whatever is replenishing to my heart.” - Click Here to Tweet This

    About Nadine

    Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a writer and writing coach who empowers women to tell their stories, publish their books, and be the author of their own lives. She teaches at Loyola University and received her MFA from Columbia College in Chicago. Her memoir, Of This Much I’m Sure, was named Book of the Year by the Chicago Writers Association.

    Nadine's works have been featured in various magazines and anthologies, including the Chicago Magazine and The Magic of Memoir. She also has a podcast called Heart of the Story. Through her positive mentorship, women worldwide have achieved their writing dreams.

    If you want to know more about Nadine, visit her website.

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    Rosie AcostaLatin Meditation Teacher, Mexican American Author, First Gen Mexican American, mex, latinx, Mindfulness Teacher, Journaling, Meditation, BIPOC Meditation Teacher, BIPOC Meditation, BIPOC Mindfulness Teacher, Mexican American Teacher, healing, Writing