There is something in the act of writing that creates clarity. Whether it is the physical act of transferring ideas and thoughts onto paper, or just the amount of focus required to organize thoughts in a logical structure, I do not know. Either way, writing can be a useful tool whenever an individuals thoughts are cluttered, or ideas are scattered.
Many people think of a journal as a personal item, used only to write about emotional experiences and private thoughts. I think that a journal can be a very useful tool when used in a public way, though. In my art classes I plan to have my students keep a journal/sketch book that they record subjects and topics they have been thinking about, as well as ideas for projects and art. I would inform students that this notebook would be a public item, and that I would be reading through it at several points through the semester. This way, students would be able to keep their personal, private thoughts out, and include only ideas they wished to share. Students would also be able to write in whatever style they felt most comfortable with, whether that include only drawings, only writing, or a combination of the two.
The journals would help me, as an instructor, to get a better sense of what my students are interested in and how they are currently thinking about art in relation to other topics. I would be able to keep current with my own assignments and be better equipped to keep my students interested in what I am trying to teach them.
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