Lara Tupper: Swift Ink Stories

What if someone reads my journal?

As a girl I had a diary that locked, a place to secure the inner turmoil of my 10-year old self. It was pink, not my favorite color. There wasn’t enough space in the daily pages. I soon lost the tiny key.

But I got the message: Recording my thoughts, no matter the flavor (miserable or joyous) was a worthy endeavor. The journal could be a private place, just for me.

For many of us, beyond age 10, a journal might not feel like a safe space to divulge. The fear of being found out (read) is common. What to do with this anxiety? Cultivate illegible handwriting? Acquire a safe deposit box?

Author Julia Cameron provides one solution: Burn your pages. “I believe in ‘write them and let them go,'” she says.

(To read my full article, The Key to Journaling Without Fear, please see Kripalu Resources.)

April writing exercise: Write the thing you've been too scared to journal about--the first scary notion that comes to mind. Know that no one will ever see this but you. Gi…