Using Writing As a Healing Tool (with Writing Prompts)

Years ago, I was reading an astrology book called The Missing Element.

The whole premise was that your life’s work was incorporating the lessons from the element (air, wind, fire, water) that you were missing.

I was shocked to learn that my missing element was water – the element of emotion.

How could that be?!

I had so many emotions. I could run the entire gamut in 20 minutes.

Yet, as I went deeper into the work, I realized that while I did have emotions, I was not allowing myself to feel them.

I was suppressing them, instead of feeling and releasing them.

I had decades of emotion stored. How could I even begin to release this? Especially when feeling and crying didn’t come naturally.

The answer was through writing. Whenever I would write, I would find myself aligned and connected to my heart in a way that I hadn’t ever felt.

As I started to release the built-up trauma, grief, pain, and betrayal, I felt lighter. Writing was this beautiful channel for my stored emotions to safely leave.

It can be difficult to start writing, so I want to provide you with a list of writing prompts.

It’s always interesting to see what comes up. Sometimes a really old memory that you haven’t thought about in years will resurface, sometimes strong emotion that you didn’t consciously realize you had will come.

Whatever comes up, let it.

I also encourage you to not overthink what you are writing. Start writing, keep going, and pour it all out onto the page.

You don’t have to write something perfect to heal.

The healing comes when connecting with your heart and channeling out what is ready to be heard.

Writing Prompts for Poetry or Journaling

1. I’ll give you my heart, but I won’t …. What won’t you do? What part of yourself are you keeping?

2. Do you only see me as …. This can be how someone else sees you or how you see yourself. (See below for a sample of this one!)

3. I distinctly remember, there was… Think of a faded memory you have, what stands out still after all this time.

4. The waves of the ocean are… Are they saying something? Are they bringing back a memory or feeling? Are they calming your nervous system?

5. In a fit of fury, I … Think of a time where your anger didn’t serve. What did you do in your fit of fury?

6. And just like that, the clouds clear… What is revealed when the clouds clear? What has left? What was behind the clouds all this time?

7. The stars in the sky look down at me… what do they say? What are they thinking? What knowledge do they want to convey to you?

8. You and I keep falling… What is pulling you down? What is keeping you from standing straight, in your power?

Happy Writing!

And I’ll end with a poem written from one of the above writing prompts.

Wilted Flower

Do you only see me as the wilted flower?

Not strong enough to stand on my own,
who needs to depend on– the stronger,
the smarter, the brighter to carry me through

Whose brokenness precedes me
whose sadness is seen in my wide eyes,
do you only see me for my brokenness,
and what happens when I get strong?

Will I wilt again as that’s the pattern I know,
or will I stand in my power realizing
there’s more for me than I ever knew?

Will I recognize I’m not the wilted flower?
I carried your perception of me,
my empathic gifts crossing the lines
confusing your thoughts with mine

I was never the wilted flower you saw me as,
I was never the wilted flower I felt I was

Staying small, a fraction of what I could be,
unable to see, if turned my face to the sun
instead the shadow, I could start to receive
and really grow

Roots deeper than ever before
new blossoms begin to form
reaching up toward the heavens
so I always remember

There’s nothing fragile or broken about me,
nor the flower, she’s born of joy and strength
and if her petals begin to wilt,
she can let the old fade away
as she turns toward goodness,
letting the blessings come in to stay

It’s time to show my strength
the words I whisper to myself,
I say them loud and let them be known
I am complete and whole
I am complete and whole
standing tall in love and joy
in receipt as new gifts unfold.

-Eileen Anne

Thank you for being here!