The BIG Reveal—Introduction to Journal Writing Course

A year ago this month, at the FPEA Convention, we talked with Tricia Goyer who shared she and a friend Angela Love were starting an online platform to host courses for homeschooled high schoolers. Tricia asked if we had a course we would like to have on their new platform. Of course, my mind immediately jumped to something near and dear to my heart—journaling.

Even though I’ve been a writer for forty plus years, each New Year I never got past January 10 in my attempt to develop a journaling practice. Then three years ago I sort of backed into journaling through a side door and fell in love with it. The change came from realizing I had a rigid idea of what a journal was and my mind would rebel at writing down my thoughts and emotions on a daily basis. So, I found other ways to journal. Now it is something I look forward to doing every day, which is still hard for me to believe.

Anyway, when Tricia asked us about any course ideas we had, my mind leapt. And so, it was decided we should put together a course on journaling.

I had no idea it would take eleven months from the time we started developing the course, but it did. There was a learning curve as we put together and videoed each segment, not to mention the worksheets that go with each lesson. And of course, being us, the course covers a brief history of each journal form explored.

I like to think of the course like a sampler, a place where students get to try out nine different forms of journaling and then spend three weeks experimenting and deciding which journaling styles suit them in the hope they develop an ongoing journaling practice.

I’ve found that journaling has improved my creativity and mental health, given me additional joy and clarity, and I hope the course contents will do the same for many high school students around the world.

To learn more, click here.

—Janet Benge