Journaling A Problem

You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world's problems at once but don't ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own. -Michelle Obama

I do not like solving problems.  Ok, small problems, no problem.  Big problems... see yesterday's blog.  I need, always, to clear away past stuff, yesterday's stuff, to be able to cope with the Today Stuff.  But some days, it takes all dang day before things become clear, unless I art journal.  Sometimes, my list in my head is long and sometimes it is night when the list goes on and on and on.  Sometimes it is first thing in the morning and I can feel the blood pressure rise as I move towards doing absolutely nothing. 

Last week I had a problem.  Well, it was not my problem, but someone else had a problem, a big problem, and a heap upon heap of problems, and it scared me how much the problem was adding to other problems for this person.  I was, actually scared.  I was a bit terrified.  I am so far away, and I felt so helpless.  I smudged three clutches of sage that night, hoping that the smudge would send this person some relief.  I wept.  I had to keep control of myself or I would have been in the vehicle headed East.  But, that would not solve my problem either because I had no idea how to help with the kind of problems this person was having.  All I know is that the smudge helped me and this person ended up calling a relative who she trusted and she was able to talk it out with someone who had experienced such.  Sure enough, she solved both our problems.

Sometimes there is happiness all around you, but you cannot feel it for feeling the problems.  And, that is normal, and we need to honor every feeling we have, even the problematic ones.  Take some time to consider a problem you have now, or have had.  Over-thinking, though, will only make things worse.  Open jour journal to a two page spread.  On one side, start scribbling on a page and see if you can come up with a way to express the problem.  Think color, shape, perhaps find a face in a magazine that matches your feelings and collage that on the page.  You can write around the object that represents your problem.  Think of solutions;  plan A, Plan b.  Think of the consequences of both.  Consider which plan would begin to solve the problem.  Just doing this helps relieve the pent up (minor) anxiety that may arise because of the problem. 

I did the girl looking sad, stressed, in fact.  She is all lopsided and wonky, which I typically am when I have a problem that needs solving.  But, then I started adding flowers, then a butterfly showed up and by the time I finished the page, there was relief that flew in like a butterfly.  Pretty simple, I know, but it eased some of the angst. 

Try this before you have a problem so you, in a way, are practicing for when a problem shows up.  Again: Is it an angry problem?  It is a sad problem?  Is it a worry problem?  Whatever needs solving, and you feel yourself sinking into not doing anything, try pulling out your art journal and just doing a page on your problem.  A problem will remain a problem as long as we do not solve it.  

Happy journaling.  Solve it!

©Carol Desjarlais 8.26.19