The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life

Jaouad describes the “alchemizing” nature of journaling, reflecting on how people have turned to cataloging their days ever since literacy began in human history. She traces its evolution from Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations to Anne Frank’s Diary, noting how they have become historical artifacts. She also touches on the difficulty in beginning that everyone faces, whether one is a seasoned journal-keeper or a beginner.

Jaouad offers some tips for those who are struggling to begin, which include writing in lists, stowing your journal in a safe place, and telling yourself you can burn it afterwards. She also suggests pairing journaling with a pre-existing habit to fold it into one’s routine, as a way to establish consistency. Finally, she suggests lowering the stakes to ensure it is a practice one returns to easily. Jaouad welcomes the reader to the set of 10 essays that follow and the practice of journaling that the prompts will hopefully aid.

“Here Goes Nothing” by Dani Shapiro

Dani Shapiro reflects on the uncertainty that every writer faces when beginning a new piece of work, irrespective of past experience. She suggests that the “fallow period” each writer, including herself, experiences before beginning a new piece of work, is helpful in its own way. Shapiro’s prompt invites the reader to set a timer for 10 minutes and write what one would if one weren’t afraid.

“Just Ten Images” by Ash Parsons Story

Ash Parsons Story narrates how, when she adopted her third son, Zion, who was born premature and needed to spend time in the NICU, she would make a mental note of the images from the day and write them down later. This practice of writing “Ten Images” has given her a way to continue writing through times when she has no time or energy through the years. In her prompt, she invites the reader to write down 10 images from the last 24 hours.

“The Art of Dailiness” by Michael Bierut

Michael Bierut describes how he began “The 100-Day Project” (16) as an assignment for the graphic design class he was teaching at Yale University. The assignment involved his students doing one creative act that they could repeat every day for the next 100 days. Over the years, his students’ variations ranged across memorizing and delivering a sermon about heaven and hell, designing variations of movie posters, and dancing to the same song across different locations. Bierut invites the reader to reflect on a time they started doing something daily.

“Be Slow” by Rachel Schwartzmann

Rachel Schwartzmann reflects on how slowing down helps deal with the overwhelming question of where one must begin. She invites the reader to sit in silence for five minutes, then write about the thoughts that emerged in the stillness.

“Journey and Journal” by Pico Iyer

Pico Iyer reflects on how he began journaling at the age of 18, on a journey from Tijuana to Bolivia. He invites the reader to reflect on, and write about, a moment from their lives that moved them to forget time and lose oneself entirely.

“How Are You Really?” by Nora McInerny

Nora McInerny reflects on the importance of not relegating the questions of how one is to small talk, when asked the question by a loved one. She asserts the importance of being honest when asked this question, and her prompt is the question itself: “How are you really?” (24).

“Radical Receptivity” by Marie Howe

Marie Howe describes a common practice she engages with, which is also her prompt to the reader: When her mind feels cluttered, she sets a timer for a few minutes and begins writing with her non-dominant hand, beginning her piece with either “I don’t want to write about” or “I want to remember.”

“Inside Seeing” by Lou Sullivan and Alexa Wilding

Alexa Wilding describes how her son, Lou Sullivan, invented a game when he was in treatment for pediatric brain cancer—mother and son would close their eyes and describe the shapes and colors that would form behind their eyelids in the dark. Wilding invites the reader to do the same, then write about what they see.

“First Lines” by Erin Khar

Erin Khar describes how using lines from other books as a first line often helps her through her writer’s block, and she offers the reader some of her favorites. She invites the reader to choose a random one from a book, or use an old favorite, and use that as a starting point to the day’s journal entry.

“I Begin Again” by Aura Brickler

Aura Brickler expresses her hope that she will begin again someday, despite losing her husband to cancer. She invites the reader to write about a new beginning that the reader has been either dreaming about or bracing for.