DR. WALLACE: I'm a 15-year-old girl, and I have two older sisters. They're both very nice to me, and I've learned a lot from each of them, even though they are very different. The good news is that the two of them are also really close, and they get along great with each other.

I've noticed that one of my sisters has been keeping a journal since she was 16, and the other one has never had a journal at all. I'm thinking about starting a journal, so I asked each sister, and predictably, one encouraged me to start my journal right away, but the other one told me that she feels journals are a waste of time. She said we already have a huge trail of documentation of our lives via all of the social media we already participate in.

What do you think? Are journals worth the effort, or should I just save my precious free time to spend it elsewhere? — Considering a Journal, via email

CONSIDERING A JOURNAL: I'd encourage you to give journaling a try. Studies have shown that journaling can help some individuals reduce stress and anxiety. Expressing one's feelings also promotes creativity and writing skills.

One additional key benefit is an increased emotional self-awareness, which helps with socialization and self-confidence over time. Therefore, I feel you should give it a try. If for any reason it does not suit you, or you feel there is little to no benefit from journaling coming your way, you can always stop and use your time in other ways.

If you do wish to try journaling, simply choose a format and begin writing. There is no right or wrong way to journal. You can use a notebook and hand write your journal, or you can use a smartphone app or a laptop to get started.

Seek to write regularly, and at roughly the same time each day. This helps you to build a routine, and you're much more likely to stick with it if a comfortable routine is established. And regarding content, feel free to sprinkle in memories, feelings, goals, affirmations and any conscious thought you have or have recently had. Use a list of topics, bullet points, outlines or any format you can think of. Anything goes! And as you progress, you'll find your style and how you wish to archive your writings. Good luck — if you decide to give it a try.

DR. WALLACE: I'm 17 and a musician. I've been playing and singing for six years now, and several of my bandmates have been playing for roughly the same amount of time,

We've practiced a lot over the past six months, and we are getting really good and tight with our arrangements. We perform original songs, and we do a few cover songs as well. We are hoping to find venues to play this spring and summer, but because we are young and inexperienced, we have not yet been able to secure formal places to play. What can we do about this? Why is it so hard for a young, talented band to find gigs? We know that if we can find places to play live in front of people, especially those near our ages, we will develop a loyal following. — Musician in Search of Gigs, via email

MUSICIAN IN SEARCH OF GIGS: It can indeed be really tough for a young band of musicians just starting out to find suitable venues to play.

I recommend that you seek a manager, even if that person for now is a fellow student, a family member, an aunt or uncle or even a parent of one of the band's members. Being able to delegate this function to a person outside the band provides you more time to rehearse and also shields you from rejections, which can be deflating at times.

Beyond that, I suggest that you seek to start out playing at various homes in your area! That's correct: take opportunities at backyard barbecues, birthday parties or anything else where you get to play in front of people. Your new manager may be able to arrange a few of these opportunities for you.

I suggest that you start out doing them for free just to get in front of audiences, no matter if they are comprised of 10 people or 50. Over time, the word will spread in your community, and if your band is talented enough, new opportunities will spring up soon that could provide significant increased exposure and momentum

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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