• Home
  • Music
  • About
  • Contact

RichardbBrunner

~ creative arts therapist

RichardbBrunner

Tag Archives: writing

Journal Writing & Self Talk

11 Thursday Mar 2021

Posted by RichardB in Awareness, change, journal, self talk

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

self, talk, writing

Patterns of negative or positive self-talk often start in childhood. Usually, the self-talk habit is one that’s colored our thinking for years, and can affect us in many ways, influencing the experience of stress to our lives. However, any time can be a good time to change it! Here are some ways you can stop yourself from using negative self-talk and use your mind to boost your productivity and self-esteem, and relieve stress.
Notice Your Patterns:
The first step toward change is to become more aware of the problem. You probably don’twriting (940x752)realize how often you say negative things in your head, or how much it affects your experience. Here are two strategies that can help you become more conscious of your internal dialogue and its content.

Journal Writing: Whether you carry a journal around with you and jot down negative comments when you think them, write a general summary of your thoughts at the end of the day, or just start writing about your feelings on a certain topic and later go back to analyze it for content, journaling can be an effective tool for examining your inner process.

Thought-Stopping: As you notice yourself saying something negative in your mind, you can stop your thought mid-stream my saying to yourself “Stop”. Saying this aloud will be more powerful, and having to say it aloud will make you more aware of how many times you are stopping negative thoughts, and where.

Journal writing and self talk

17 Tuesday Mar 2020

Posted by RichardB in creative arts therapy, journal, Mental Health

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

writing

Patterns of negative or positive self-talk often start in childhood. Usually, the self-talk habit is one that’s colored our thinking for years, and can affect us in many ways, influencing the experience of stress to our lives. However, any time can be a good time to change it! Here are some ways you can stop yourself from using negative self-talk and use your mind to boost your productivity and self-esteem, and relieve stress.
Notice Your Patterns:
The first step toward change is to become more aware of the problem. You probably don’twriting (940x752)realize how often you say negative things in your head, or how much it affects your experience. Here are two strategies that can help you become more conscious of your internal dialogue and its content.

Journal Writing: Whether you carry a journal around with you and jot down negative comments when you think them, write a general summary of your thoughts at the end of the day, or just start writing about your feelings on a certain topic and later go back to analyze it for content, journaling can be an effective tool for examining your inner process.

Thought-Stopping: As you notice yourself saying something negative in your mind, you can stop your thought mid-stream my saying to yourself “Stop”. Saying this aloud will be more powerful, and having to say it aloud will make you more aware of how many times you are stopping negative thoughts, and where.

in the blue

20 Friday Sep 2019

Posted by RichardB in art, My Poems

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

writing

some where in the blue …
aqua waves caress the beach
sunshine glistens on sand as far as the eyes can see f-489.jpg
stars dance every night in the sky

they tell us when to
pray and sleep
and love and pray
and sleep and love

in the morning
we drink mango juice from our palms
licking every drop
lips wanting more

when the sun is at its highest
the wind stops and waits for the clouds ….
sitting in the evening distance

Writing a poem with clients

26 Friday Apr 2019

Posted by RichardB in art

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

clients, Poems, writing

Writing a poem for the first time can be intimidating, but there are many possible ways to get started. In this post I’ll talk about just one of them, which is a list poem.

Defining a Poem

The first step when introducing poetry to clients is to define poetry. Show what a poem looks like on a page. Explain that a poem is usually short, and that each line has a fixed length. It uses carefully-chosen language to express a feeling, and sometimes uses rhythm, rhyme, or repetition.

MP900341496.JPGWriting a List Poem

A list poem is a poem in which each line begins the same way. List poems are wonderful for beginning writers especially, because the start of each line is provided, creating a comfortable way in (at least I have this part that I can write, and know I’m spelling it correctly). A list poem can be simple and powerful. One client, who struggles with depression, wrote a poem in which each line begins, “I love” followed by one thing that makes her feel happy.

5 Tips for Writing a Successful List Poem:

Read poems together as a group, to get clients familiar with the sounds and rhythms of it. After reading a poem, ask if there is any line that clients like or find interesting. Ask why they like it, what makes it stand out. Keep your ear open for things clients say—does something sound like a list poem? “Every morning I…” “I want to read…” “If I had a million dollars I’d…” “I love the way…” The possibilities are endless.

When clients are ready to begin writing, here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. Be specific

Help clients bring their poems to life by including specific details. In other words, show, don’t tell. “I wake up early,” becomes, “I wake up at 3:00 am every morning to go to work.” Instead of “I cook Chinese food” help the client write, “I cook catfish with spicy sauce.”

2. Five senses

Can you see this poem? Can you hear it? Smell it? Feel it? Taste it? Is this poem bringing a world to life? If not, think about describing with the five senses.

3. Order

Pay attention to the order of the list. Does it have a beginning? A middle? An end? Does it need an additional line to bring it to a close?

4. Word Choice

Think about word choice. Could another word be more effective? Sometimes beginning writers want to use the word “beautiful,” but write “nice” instead because it is easier to spell. Help the writer actualize the poem in her mind.

5. Edit

Don’t be afraid to edit. ‘Make it Messy’ is a good mantra for first drafts. They should have crossed out parts and additions. Are any items in the list extraneous? Are there unnecessary repetitions? Help students build the confidence to edit themselves.

blind me

22 Friday Mar 2019

Posted by RichardB in art, My Poems

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

writing

oh such liberating desire

release me from these bonds

which blind me from the sun

the brightness

‘the warmthsun-rays-hi

lifted from the stone

placed in a washing bowl

my fingers reach in – grasping

lifting dripping into my face

a brief respite from the dryness

the lonely sleep

You and Me

07 Friday Dec 2018

Posted by RichardB in art, journal, My Poems

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

writing, You and Me

You and Me

I hear you

I know you

I have walked in your shoeshands-005

I am walking with your feet

Your skin is my skin

I hold you

You hold yourself

I ask you

You ask yourself

We listen together

Our ancestors tell a story

of laughter from long ago

when we were all babies

alone swaddled in blankets

waiting for the breast

We watch as you move

I call out the signs

You give me your hand

We hold them together

and wave good bye

instagram

Tags

About Addiction anger Anxiety asanas asthma bbc behavior Bird Birds brain cats children China Coloring Page creative creative arts therapy Creativity dance Dance Movement Therapy depression diet dmt dogs Economy fall flora flower flowers food handout handouts health history India Japanese Textile Designs latin life Mandala meditation men Mental Health mindfulness money Movement music My Photos news NH pain people pets photo photos Psychotherapy quote recovery relaxation research Science Seguy Art Deco Designs self snow sony Stress therapy trauma TravelTuesday treatment trees wellness winter writing yoga youtube
Follow RichardbBrunner on WordPress.com
  • Instagram
  • Tumblr
  • YouTube

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • RichardbBrunner
    • Join 449 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • RichardbBrunner
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...