Journal therapy is a great way to check in with yourself and provide clarity into your thoughts and emotions, and understand yourself on a deeper level. For me,  consistent journaling is important to keep myself connected with the dialogue I’m having and the relationship I’m building with myself. It also pushes me to continue discovering and learning new things about myself, what I need, and what I want. But some days, I might not feel moved to write anything or I feel stuck on what to say and don’t know where to start.

Using songs as journal prompts can open up some serious self discovery and give you inspiration and motivation. Here are just a few ways I recommend using songs to tap into your inner self and creativity:

• Your favorite songs – they must be your favorite for a reason. What about them moves you?
• Your least favorite songs – why do you dislike them so much? What is it about that song?
• Songs that move you – doesn’t have to be any particular reason, it could be the lyrics, it could be a particular melody, or when they play the cello just right, or maybe a song that makes your hair stand on end. Whatever it is, explore your feelings through them.
• Songs that you have aversions to – are there songs that you just absolutely avoid? Maybe there’s a reason? For me, there’s usually a lesson in them.
• Songs that are often stuck in your head – There’s probably a reason.
• Favorite songs from childhood – It might be fun to take a trip down memory lane. Why were they your favorites as a child? Do you have any new perspectives on them as an adult?
• Guilty pleasure songs – this could be interesting 😉 Are there any songs that fit in the #sorrynotsorry playlist? What about the songs that you don’t want anyone to know you like?
• Songs you feel are about your life or describe you
• Songs you want to be played at your funeral
• Songs that make you feel powerful and courageous
• Classical music – sit or lie down, close your eyes and listen to a few pieces and see what thoughts, emotions and feelings come up for you, then write down whatever comes up.

Forget the intended meaning of the song, it’s the story that you conjure in your mind that matters most. Pay attention to lyrics or lines in the song that grab you the most, this can be an easy way to begin. Keep a running list of all the ideas, stories, visualizations, thoughts, etc. that come up in your mind, and use that as a guide to build out the rest of your writing. You can use the music to write out your philosophies/feelings. You can use the music to be the basic foundation of your story, whether it’s the story of your day or the story of your life. Play with different angles and perspectives of the song. Who was it written for? How does that apply to you?

Happy journaling!