An Interview With Jake Frankel
Journaling provides a sense of release, helping to decrease the clutter in our brains. As mentioned above, words are a place to put life when we have too much of it. Sometimes, we all could use a little more clarity.
Journaling is a powerful tool to gain clarity and insight especially during challenging times of loss and uncertainty.
Writing can cultivate a deeper connection with yourself and provide an outlet for calmness, resilience and mindfulness. When my mom passed on, I found writing to be cathartic. When I read through my journal years later, there were thoughts that I developed into poems, and others that simply provided a deeper insight into myself. In this series I’m speaking with people who use journaling to become more mindful and resilient. As a part of this series I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Pamela Torres.
Pamela is an actor, writer, producer, and model, recognized for her distinctive, vulnerable, and warm yet strong acting style. She was awarded the prestigious Vincent D’Onofrio scholarship at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute,
prompting her move from Vancouver, Canada, to New York to further pursue her career. Since then, Pamela has starred in and co-produced two theater productions in New York, along with various lead roles in film projects in and around the city. She is also currently writing her first-ever full-length feature film, scheduled for production in late 2024, and her
first-ever stage play set for early 2025. Pamela is a storyteller, creator, visionary, and, most importantly, a human. She believes that the work should always be personal and admits that her art is her voice — it’s how she communicates with the world.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! We really appreciate the courage it takes to publicly share your story of healing. Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your background and your childhood backstory?
Certainly! I grew up in a small town outside of Vancouver, BC, Canada. I come from a large family with one brother, two stepsisters, and two half-sisters. I believe all six of us have found our own means of escapism, as everyone does, though I chose my passage through art. From a young age, I attended a fine arts Elementary school and had a passion for creativity and an active imagination. Whether spending six hours on a title page to get the colors just right or staying up late to discover and listen to new music, I’ve always been a creative child. Later, I found writing to be a way of dealing with teenage angst. My mother and I moved quite frequently growing up, so I found writing to be a stable means for me to express myself. At one point in my life, I wanted to be an Interior Designer. I’ve always daydreamed about the world around me, finding myself creating narratives and images of what life around me could look like. You could say I’ve lived half my life inside my own head; the other half, making sense of it within my environment. Fast forward to now, I am a Canadian living in Brooklyn, New York, telling stories that mean something to me and come from my core.
Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about journaling. Have you been writing in your journal for a long time or was there a challenging situation that prompted you to start journal writing? If you feel comfortable sharing the situation with us, it could help other readers.
It’s not that I always journal; it’s that I’ve always journaled. It’s almost like I don’t have a choice. When I’m going through something, thoughts and ideas come pouring out of me. My notes app has always been a good listener of mine. There hasn’t been just one situation that propelled me to write because writing has always been a release tool. I’ve dated a lot of people in my life, and with each up (often written about), there is a down (always written about). My family has also been through a lot, and I find writing about it helps me cope. At the time of writing, I have a sick family member and two siblings struggling with addiction. I also have a lot of uncertainty in my personal life about where I will settle down and build my roots. If you looked, you would find journal entries and poetry in my notes about all of these topics. Life exists. Words are a place to put life when there is too much of it.
How did journaling help you heal, mentally, emotionally and spiritually?
My journaling has unintentionally sometimes become poetry. I think I have always seen patterns and double meanings within words and phrases, but I always felt ashamed of writing poetically. In my younger years, I was embarrassed about my journaling and would never share it with anyone. I felt it was far too personal, fearing others would see it and make fun of me. However, after reading other poets’ work and witnessing some artists I look up to release their own poetry, I have realized that it’s a gift meant to be shared, as most often, people relate to it — even the funny stuff.
The act of releasing my inner thoughts and emotions has been liberating on many levels. I no longer feel the shame I once felt about my inner life and somewhat depressive periods. I also no longer feel shame about writing work that is comedic. It doesn’t matter if other people don’t enjoy it the same way I do because I enjoyed writing it. If other people like it, great; if not, that’s okay too. Freeing myself and my work has allowed me to be lighter as a person. Realizing that nobody cares is the best thing I could have done for myself. There is freedom in art, and the more we allow ourselves to create and release, the lighter we become. I believe acting on that belief soothes my soul, and that, in itself, is spiritual.
Did journaling help you find more self-compassion and gratitude? Can you share a story about that?
Journaling has helped me find humor in somewhat challenging and emotional situations. The ability to write something, share it with someone, and laugh together about it is healing. Recently, I read one of my humorous poems to an unwell family member, and even in their time of darkness, they laughed. I am grateful for my ability to express myself in moments like this one and others like it. I am grateful for being able to relate to other people, and I am grateful for moments where I feel safe enough to write and share. I am grateful for being able to bring a smile to someone’s face, and I am grateful for being emotionally equipped to connect with other people. These are all beautiful things
What kind of content goes into your journal? For example, do you free-write, write poems, doodle?
The only thing I don’t do is draw. I am a terrible drawer. I free-write often, and my free-writing can sometimes turn into a poem. I sometimes sing my poems if there is a verse I feel is repeatable, but if I’m honest, I’m a terrible singer also. I truly admire those who can sing, for I cannot.
How did you gain a different perspective on life and your emotions while writing in your journal? Can you please share a story about what you mean?
As a creative person, my thoughts are often scattered in my brain. Journaling helps me to organize my mind and gain perspective on situations out of my control. It helps me to release anxieties and review events that happened to gain an understanding outside of myself. It also marks a moment in time for me to reflect upon, later in my life, which can be therapeutic in times of need.
In my own journal writing, I ended up creating poems from some of the ideas and one of them won an award. Do you have plans with your journal content?
I do, actually! I am entered into two poetry readings next week, one of which is a non-profit fundraiser to help stop human sex trafficking. The power of art goes beyond each and every one of us. Less importantly, two of my mentors suggested I make a children’s book with some of my poetry. The verdict on that remains out.
In my journaling program, I have found that journaling can help people to become more calm, mindful and resilient. Based on your experience and research, can you please share with our readers “five ways that journaling can help you to be more calm, mindful and resilient”?
- Journaling provides a sense of release, helping to decrease the clutter in our brains. As mentioned above, words are a place to put life when we have too much of it. Sometimes, we all could use a little more clarity.
- Journaling offers us a safe outlet when feeling anxious or overwhelmed. It is a space to express our emotions while in the heat of the moment, without erupting at or to anyone. You can say whatever you want to a notepad, and there’s no one there to judge you for it!
- Journaling can be an art form, especially when expressed through poetry or spoken word. Art often helps us relate to others, and them to us. It can be spiritual and healing.
- When you set aside time to write, you are engaging in a means of self-care. Life can be busy and stressful, especially here in New York City. It’s important to take a beat for yourself and just be.
- Lastly, self-reflection is a valuable tool for us to use in our lives. We, as humans, can get stuck in thought patterns — mentally, physically, and emotionally — sometimes without even realizing it. Introspection is a powerful tool to help us recognize and break these patterns.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of peace to the greatest amount of people, what would that be?
For people to be able to release what they’re ashamed of. Shame is a powerful thing that lives inside all of us. It is destructive and often based on thoughts and ideas we shape that aren’t actually meaningful or relevant to the people around us. Shame resides in the darkness, but when we open up and bring light to our insides, there is nowhere for shame to hide. It keeps us from living the life we want and the happiness we all seek. If I could inspire a movement, it would be for all of us to feel safe enough to share what holds us back. It sounds counterintuitive, but if we let go of the self-doubt and the parts of us we’re afraid to share, we might be able to accomplish the things we want the most.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them. 🙂
One day, I would like to work with Terrence Malick. I understand he is 80 at the time of writing, so it may forever remain a dream, but this girl certainly knows how to dream. His approach and style are artistic, yet masterful, and his approach to actors is simple and freeing (as I’ve heard). Needless to say, I am a fan.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Yes! Upcoming projects and works can be found on my website at Pamelatorresofficial.com.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued fulfillment and success with your writing!
Pamela Torres On How Journaling Can Help You To Be More Calm, Mindful And Resilient was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.