Community Journaling with Mona Khalil
When you’re writing, you’re trying to find out something which you don’t know. The whole language of writing for me is finding out what you don’t want to know, what you don’t want to find out. But something forces you to anyway.
— James Baldwin
It’s essential that we, as coaches, do our own work to grow and learn, and journaling is part of my practice. As a coach and journaling workshop facilitator, I strive to create safe, intentional, and deeply personal spaces. The spaces I create welcome anyone ready to explore their inner world, no matter where they start. Participants in my workshops have shared how powerful it is to come together in community — where everyone brings unique perspectives and writing styles.
Dr. Alok Kanojia describes four benefits of journaling as being:
- It slows down the pace of your thinking. You write slower than you think.
- When we think in our head, we use specific brain circuits. When we write, we are activating our sensory inputs, and our capacity to learn from our sensory inputs vs thinking is way higher. You are activating a completely different side of the brain.
- When we think in our minds, we end up in a different place from where we write. In our mind, it is easy to develop a habitual thinking pattern. In a journal it’s harder to end up in a habitual way of thinking. You explore yourself more effectively by using a journal.
- Writing is where you strengthen your voice.
My inner creative voice is my soulmate. It has always been my companion.
What could your inner creative voice mean to you?
In 2023, I launched quarterly journaling workshops to create a communal space for curious newcomers looking to try guided journaling in a safe space, and others inspired to get into a new journaling practice. I often talk about journaling being a gift to your future self, but it is also a gift to your current self.
My intention is to create a trusting environment where people are comfortable being on or off-camera and are welcome to share or not share their writing. I wanted people to be able to feel their way through the space, and to feel empowered to show up as their whole selves with strangers. I learned that the only way to do that was to show up as my whole self with strangers, and to facilitate the space intentionally.
Creating an international journaling community has been a blessing. It’s not about the number of attendees but the accessibility, inclusivity, and global representation emerging in an intimate writing space. In my introduction, I always acknowledge I am Egyptian and Guyanese. Not to distance myself, but to honor my ancestors and invite others to honor theirs. Our ancestors guide us.
The workshops are intentionally set up to be a one-off offering. They’re available to anyone who decides to come again. No two sessions are alike in terms of writing activities. I want to offer variety in each workshop session. It forces me to be creative and invites attendees to write creatively.
My experience with facilitation and creating spaces continues to evolve with this space. There is an activation being in-community. An energy emerges when the prompt can elicit a visceral reaction. People are discovering their writing for the first time for themselves and sharing their writing, even if they came into the space not planning to share or are intimidated by being in a room full of strangers.
No matter what shows up, it’s what is meant to show up. You are embracing something you don’t know. This workshop is for those empowered to honor the words birthed on the page.
I want people to feel a sense of freedom from their experiences with me and each other. There is power in trusting the process. Not knowing what will show up, what it means, or what it is connected to.
I believe that telling our stories, first to ourselves and then to one another and the world, is a revolutionary act. — Janet Mock
Here, I shared ten quotes to inspire you to write.
Following a workshop, an attendee told me they didn’t want to journal because they feared what would come out. I’ve also had attendees share that they had no idea what would come from their writing and had no plans to share their writing. And yet, they were brave enough to show up with trust, and the environment we created together allowed what they needed to show up and land on paper.
Here, I wrote about unlocking self-actualization through written reflection.
There is so much vulnerability that shows up in the space. Vulnerability can show up in the feedback provided as well. Everyone is moving through something. And you never know what they are working through unless they choose to share. I’m beyond grateful when people share their journeys with me. It’s a reminder of the power of sharing the parts of our lives that are in-progress.
Everyone doesn’t get the privilege of experiencing brave AND safe spaces. I want to offer bravery and safety to those who haven’t experienced it or have only experienced it occasionally. Trust is something that grows. Attendees have an experience through their writing. Attendees have an experience listening to others. Attendees have an experience when they share their writing with a room full of strangers. If participants can be present fully, their hearts full of stories will pour into the room in very little time.
Journaling as a practice is rooted across cultures and ancient civilizations. Historically, it has been a means to reflect, communicate, and self-explore. My initial target audience for the space was to attract a diverse community across the U.S. What surprised me was that the international participants attended from various time zones. So far, the countries represented in the workshops include Canada, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Sweden, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Yemen.
I try my best to create with intentionality, accessibility, and inclusivity to humanize each other, regardless of where we are from. It’s important for me to bring humanity into the space.
I have participated in writing workshops in the past. When I enter writing spaces, I trust the facilitator. I know they will activate something in me while managing time and guiding me on the writing path. I respect their time, and they respect mine. I know the power of an intentionally curated space and steady guidance.
I’m grateful that whether it’s an in-person workshop or an online workshop, people can feel my intention and love. I want to support people who want to change their lives, especially when using writing as a tool through the process. I have a love for the craft of journaling and creating a safe communal space. It’s a space that gives you faith in humanity.
I want everyone who enters the space to feel welcomed without expecting perfectionism in themselves or their writing.
I am inviting people to be curious. And with that, you have to trust me. There is something magical about strangers gathering with an interest in journaling to attend an unknown space. It’s like signing up for a MeetUp. The power of community and hope.
I want to welcome everyone into the writing space. Especially the ones who have not been writing with pen to paper or who write occasionally. It’s not a space of judgment or perfection. It’s a space to make writing enjoyable and accessible. It’s an invitation for all to tap into community, learn, and hopefully, with a lasting inspiration to keep journaling on your own.
My values are courage and growth.
I have had to lean into fear and the unknown my whole life. I have a core belief that people can change. Is everyone open to change? No. Everyone does not have access to networks, financial freedom, and privileged spaces. Can change be scary? Yes. I want to create an inviting space if you are interested, and if you’re not– no harm, no foul.
You never know who is going to join the space. You don’t know what kind of day they are having. You don’t know where they are in their life. There is so much power in the room. You can’t plan for it. It emerges naturally.
Everything about creativity is unknown and has components of fear in it. It’s leaning into creativity as I go through the fear and unknown that I find helpful. I am willing to push through the discomfort of not knowing what will show up in the space. Attendees do the same. The unknown of what the space will hold is meant to invite curiosity.
The energy that emerges in the space surprises the attendees and me.
Creating a safe space to the best of my ability is important. The first time I launched the writing workshops was on a Friday evening. I had to remove attendees from the space. Once, teenagers registered and attended as their version of Ding Dong Ditch. I vowed never to put myself or attendees in that type of situation again.
Now, I let everyone know at the start of the workshop that this is a space we’re creating together. And in establishing trust, it’s essential to create a respectful environment. We each are responsible for making this group a respectful and comfortable space. Folks who are disrespectful will be removed from the space.
Knowing we are all having this moment together, I respectfully ask everyone to check their intentions.
Inspiring energy is not something you can manufacture. I love that people can feel each other’s energy in person or remotely over Zoom and speak about its power. Energy is felt and undeniable.
Whenever someone expresses that they are experiencing my magic, I think about the unseen and untold parts of my journey they cannot see. I have had to overcome fear to have the strength to create the moments I create for others. Here, I wrote about the first time I journaled.
I am grateful people can experience my energy and call it magic. What a blessing and a gift.
“Some of us need to be rescued, but everyone wants to be seen.” — Mariah Carey
Throughout my personal life and professional career, I have created community spaces that are genuine, inclusive, and safe — spaces that didn’t exist for me. Connection, belonging, and authenticity are key ingredients — you can’t “fake it ’til you make it.” I share my intention, create the space, and welcome those interested. Creating community is bigger than me. I want to pay forward the generosity of strangers, now and tomorrow. My word for 2024 was blessing. I didn’t realize that as I was wishing for blessings, I could also be a blessing for others. I want to be a superhero in strangers’ lives. I want to treat the world better than it treated me.
I want to inspire people to attend, return, and invite others to join.
Interested in joining an upcoming journaling workshop? Sign up to receive marketing emails at MonaKhalil.com
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