Journals have been the tool of choice for visionaries, dreamers, explorers and movement leaders. In the past, people could save the letters received from friends and loved ones, and the letters themselves became a type of journal. But today, in the faster and more-crammed world that technology has allowed, people must make a more deliberate decision to write about their experiences, challenges and insights in a journal.

Aside from being a chronicle of your big-vision journey, as so many journals in hindsight become, taking pen in hand to write in a notebook can produce an unexpected bonus. The very act of writing by hand forces you to slow your thoughts and quiet the incessant chatter that is the hallmark of the busy mind. Thus is opens you to insight, inspiration, and vision that comes from higher and wiser sources.

Liken it to driving: Imagine that you have an appointment with a wise counselor, and are looking for a particular address in an unfamiliar place. Are you more likely to find what you’re looking for if you’re speeding along at 75 miles per hour, or if you slow down to a speed that allows distinctive buildings and signs to emerge from the blur of what you’re passing?

There are other journaling exercises that can be helpful in solving a problem or seeing a situation differently. One that you might find interesting involves writing out a question or issue in your nondominant hand.

What’s the point? As Albert Einstein said, you won’t solve problems by using the same approach that got you where you are to begin with. When you do something differently, such as writing with your left hand if you usually use your right, you break a pattern. In the process, you might allow yourself a more creative way of seeing or thinking.

You can also draw, use crayons or other colored writing tools, or glue in words or pictures you’ve cut from a magazine. You might be thinking, "I don’t have time for that. Besides, that’s for children." What do you think it means that, to reach the kingdom of heaven, you must become like a child again?

Many creative activities seem childish, and yet creativity awakens inspiration. And inspiration is exactly what you need to fuel your enthusiasm and meet challenges in unusual and energizing ways.

For related articles, tips and inspiration, visit:

• Ivy Sea's vision, inspiration and creativity portal

• Ivy Sea's writing and publishing portal

• Ivy Sea's wisdom and mastery portal

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