Journaling for Clarity, Healing, and Memory with Jayne Swallow

⚠️ Note: This is a legacy episode from the Intentional Documentary® era. I’ve kept it here because it explores journaling as a tool for healing, clarity, and memory, particularly interesting for those reimagining how and why they document their lives.

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When Jayne Swallow became a mother, she realized how quickly memories faded and how powerful journaling could be in holding onto them. What began as a personal design project turned into Promptly Journals, a brand that helps people document their lives through beautiful, practical tools, both in print and in app form.

In this episode, Jayne shares how journaling has supported her through memory-keeping, burnout, and emotional overwhelm. We talk about writing as a form of healing, how to make journaling doable in busy seasons, and why perfectionism often gets in the way of meaningful documentation.

Topics covered:

• Why journaling matters, even if you’re not “a writer”
• Jayne’s evolution from graphic designer to journal-maker
• How journaling shifted from memory-keeping to emotional processing
• The difference between prompted and unstructured journaling
• How the Promptly app helps families record and print their stories
• New journal formats for grief, miscarriage, and mental health
• Letting go of the guilt when starting “late”
• Tips for weaving journaling into real-life rhythms
• Why writing doesn’t need to be beautiful to be meaningful

Connect with Jayne + access the archived episode resources here: 

→ dangerouslygoodstories.com/intentional-documentary-archive