Online Course with Journal Writing Prompts

Writing for Life: Creating a Story of Your Own
The therapeutic power of journaling, proven and embraced over the last century by doctors and psychologist, is an effective tool to improve health and achieve healing of the body, mind and spirit. The journaling and scrapbooking techniques taught in this course provide a creative way to connect with the inner self and heal emotional wounds while documenting your story, your life, in a fun and unique way.   [Learn more]   [Enroll Now]   [ Course Reviews ]

Write A Way: Journey to Creativity

If I Were An Alien
By Sandra Lee Schubert

The universe is a big place, perhaps the biggest.
~ Kilgore Trout, (Philip Jose Farmer), "Venus on the Half Shell"

Scientists think the possibility for life in the universe does exist. The evidence for other planets that could sustain life increases as our technological advances find more and more planet like objects. I just saw the remake of the movie, War of the Worlds by Stephen Spielberg. In this alien movie, there was no first contact, nor a friendly greeting like we saw in Spielberg's other alien movies. This was an attack on the planet. What was their motivation? What did they really think of us? Why was there no getting to know you moments?

When you think you are the only one in the world it is hard to understand another point of view. In some ways we become myopic in our vision - seeing just through a limited lens of experience.

Everything you've learned in school as "obvious" becomes less and less obvious as you begin to study the universe. For example, there are no solids in the universe. There's not even a suggestion of a solid. There are no absolute continuums. There are no surfaces. There are no straight lines.
~ R. Buckminster Fuller US architect &aamp; engineer (1895 - 1983)

In one writer's group I belong to, we submit work the week before to be critiqued on the day we meet. Without giving too much away, one friend submitted a poem of just punctuation. I had to smile when I saw the piece. Once again, I am forced to set aside my thoughts on what makes a good poem and look with new eyes. The frame, which I use to critique work, does not fit here.

So you see, imagination needs moodling - long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering.
~ Brenda Ueland

If I were an alien, what would my world be like? On my imagined home planet the soil is just a reddish brown color. All my people are basically the same height and weight. We speak a common language except for the ones who live on the opposite side of the planet who rarely see the sun. They communicate with their eyes and it is so subtle it takes years to learn the nuances. If I were an alien, how would I view this world if I saw it for the first time? Would the variety of people language and landscape frightened me? Would I be angry? Or would I be in awe of it all?

Imagine for a moment the world you live in is limited to one range of colors and language. How would you feel? What would motivate you day to day to get up and live? Look at your life now and see it for the first time. What surprises you? Revolts or please you? What would you keep or change?

How would it be if we discovered that aliens only stopped by earth to let their kids take a leak?
~ Jay Leno US comedian & television host (1950 - )

As creative people we need to stir things up to get those creative juices flowing. Expanding our vision increases the possibilities of new and interesting things we can do in life and with our art. Keep your options open and see with new eyes.


Journal Writing prompts:

What sense is that? Do these exercises with a trusted friend. Try a variety of trust exercises to stimulate some new senses. Make an agreement with your friend to do this safely and with the option to stop if it becomes uncomfortable. You can both take turns.

1. Blindfold exercises:

• Each take turns being blindfolded and walked around your home, and neighborhood. This is an opportunity to close off one sense to appreciate the other. How does it feel to walk around familiar surroundings with out the comfort of seeing what is around you? Listen to the sounds around you. Feel the ground beneath your feet. Breathe the air. Is it different? How does the world feel using new senses?
• The Box - If you are each going to do this exercise than you should both create a box for one another. Fill a box with different small items that have different textures and weight to them. As example you can include a couple pieces of fabric such as burlap, silk or velvet. Put shells, rocks, marbles, keys, etc into the box. Each person gets his or her box and should explore it with their blindfold on or eyes closed. Open the box and feel around in it. Are you afraid of what you are touching? How do things feel with your eyes closed? Bring them to your face; sniff them. See if you can identify the items without looking at them.

2. Taste exercise
You can choose to do this with eyes closed or opened. Take some different fruit or food items preferably items that have different textures. Some examples would be an orange, avocado and piece of bread. Spend time looking at the items as if seeing them for the first time. Notice the shape of the avocado. Feel the texture of the orange. Sniff the bread. Take time with each one tasting, exploring and learning about these new things you have discovered.

3. Create some of your own sensory explorations. Listen to new music. Walk barefoot. Run one block really fast.

4. Write about the above as if you were an alien. What did you discover? How would you describe this new planet? How do you feel about the people you have met? How did if feel to be blindfolded in a new planet?


Sandra Schubert is the creator and instructor for the Self-Healing Expressions e-course Writing for Life: Creating a Story of Your Own. To learn more about Sandra and her course, click here:

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Copyright © 2005 Sandra Lee Schubert. All rights reserved.