Hello readers of this blog! My name is Cara Cole and I am a
Social Work major.
As a child, I was often given diaries as a gift at birthdays
or Christmas. I tried writing in one of those diaries on a daily basis but I
was never able to develop this activity into a comfortable habit. As I was
writing, I felt self-conscious the way my thoughts sounded on paper. The act of
journaling felt more like a task I needed to cross off my to-do list rather
than a cathartic exercise. Eventually I gave up and was content sharing my
secrets with God and my friends.
Something that is emphasized throughout social work courses
is that in order to effectively help clients with whatever their facing, a
social worker must “know thyself”. Essentially, I must face my demons—social,
emotional, and psychological issues—that may be demons my clients are facing.
One way to understand oneself is through journaling. Weekly
journals are assigned in many classes, which may seem like busy work, but I
have found are quite helpful. Writing in a journal can provide a sense of freedom,
power, and safety. For me, it is freeing because there is not a list of
criteria to meet and I can write about almost any topic I choose. It is
empowering because I can share thoughts, feelings, and events that I may have
never shared (or will share) with another human being. There is safety in the
knowledge that my words will not be passed onto others, unless I choose to
expose them to them.
Those sensations are rather positive, yet I often feel
terrified even thinking about writing about something that is painful for me. Transferring
something out of my head and into ink makes it real and difficult to ignore. Sometimes
I am prepared to confront an event or feeling, but sometimes it seems
impossible for me to unleash my demons onto a blank sheet of paper. I do not journal on a daily basis and sometimes I only do it for class. However, I find it
encouraging that even if I was initially fearful, journaling is a cathartic
experience that leads to understanding and healing.
For some people, writing in any context can evoke unwanted
feelings, such as fear or frustration. However, it can also be a good
experience because the paper isn't judging you and hypothetically, you can “talk”
for as long as you want without interruption.
As a tutor, I hope that I can provide an experience in which
you do not feel judged for your work. I am fascinated by others’ stories; not
only to discover a story, but to understand it. I will try to help you “know thyself”
as a writer by exploring both areas that can be further developed and your strengths—you do have strengths!
