Journal in the Park - South Bay
Bring your journal, a blanket, and come journal with us ✍️
Journal in the Park is a relaxed outdoor journaling session - a chance to slow down, get something out of your head and onto the page, and connect with other people who are building a writing or reflection practice.
How it works
There are two ways to show up, both are completely welcome in the same space:
Free write - no prompt, no agenda, just you and whatever's on your mind
Prompted - we'll share an optional prompt at the start for anyone who wants a place to begin
After the journaling hour, we break into small groups to share — not to read aloud verbatim, but to reflect on what came up, what you noticed, what you're sitting with. No pressure to share anything specific.
What to bring
→ A journal or notebook and a pen or laptop or phone (for digital journals)
→ A blanket or something to sit on
→ Snacks if you like
Timeline
Time What's happening
2:00pm Arrive, get settled
2:15–3:00pm Journaling, free write or prompted
3:00–3:45pm Small-group sharing
3:45pm - 4.00pm Wrap up, group photo, linger
Who's this for?
Anyone who wants to build a journaling or reflection practice, or who just needs an afternoon to write. You don't need to be a writer, you just need a journal and somewhere to sit.
A note on RSVPs and the waitlist 🙏
We manage capacity so everyone who comes has a good experience:
If you're on the waitlist, please wait for your approval before heading over. We open spots as they become available and you'll get an email when you're in.
If your plans change, please update your RSVP, it means someone on the waitlist gets your spot. We really appreciate it 🫶
Photography
Photos may be taken for social media. By attending, you consent to being photographed. If you'd prefer not to be in photos, just let us know when you arrive.
Prompts
Discovery:
What's one thing you did recently that you didn't plan — you just felt like it? What happened?
Describe your ideal Tuesday. Not vacation, not a special occasion. Just a regular Tuesday that would make you think yeah, this is it.
What's something you used to love doing that you quietly stopped? Do you know why?
Starting to dig:
What's one thing you're "supposed to" want that you've started to suspect you don't actually want?
Write about a decision you made that you can't fully explain to other people. Not because it was wrong — because the reasons don't fit neatly into a sentence.
What would you try if you knew no one would ask you how it went?
Who in your life are you performing "fine" for right now? What would you say if you stopped?
The real ones:
What's the version of your life you compare yourself to most often? Describe it specifically — the job, the apartment, the relationship, the timeline. Now ask: do you actually want that life, or do you want the feeling you think it would give you?
What are you tolerating right now that your body has already told you isn't working? (Be specific — name the signal.)
What's one thing you keep almost doing but stopping yourself? What's the story you tell yourself about why it's not the right time?
Identity / self-concept:
Write the sentence that starts with "I'm the kind of person who..." and then ask — is that still true? Was it ever? Or did someone else write that sentence for you?
What's a compliment you receive often that secretly makes you uncomfortable? Why?
What's something you're good at that you don't want to build your life around?
Forward-looking (but without forced optimism):
What's one small thing you could try in the next two weeks — not commit to, just try — that you've been curious about?
If you wrote a letter to yourself one year from now, what's the one thing you'd want to be able to say changed?
What permission are you waiting for someone else to give you? How can you give it to yourself right now?
What would it look like to take your own life seriously — not in a "grind harder" way, but in a "this actually matters to me" way?