Journal writing is something which has been part of my life for many years, and I have been thinking more about it lately after coming across journals, or diaries as they were then, which I had written in my teenage years. Not surprisingly these made me cringe uncomfortably as I read about my ‘crushes’ of the day or who I had danced with at the local disco (yes then they were called disco’s), or who I hoped would ask me out. I also wrote about pairs of shoes I especially wanted or outings I had been on with my family.
Despite feeling embarrassed and squirming a little at some the things I had written, the journals were an interesting insight into my teenage brain and emotions. Reading through them has in some ways helped me understand the past experiences which have shaped and developed me. Then I wrote quite openly about my emotions, and I can see personality traits and characteristics which I remain significant, but which I hadn’t recognised as being an essential part of who I am.
I have since written a journal fairly consistently for the previous 18 years and it has become part of my night time routine. Wherever I am in the world a journal will go with me. I don’t always write every day, I don’t want to put that pressure on myself or write for the sake of writing. Some weeks I may go 3-4 days without writing anything at all in my journal, although not often. Sometimes I write purely about my day and things I have done. Other times I write about how I feel about things that have happened or things which are troubling me or exciting me. Often I’ll document significant national or global events, and sometimes I’ll write about a particular book I’m enjoying or a film or play I’ve seen.
The key to my journal writing is that I have no particular rules. I journal when I feel like it, and about what I feel like at the time. The only time when I perhaps stray from this is when travelling. When on holiday my travel journals take over. Then, I do write daily and these are most definitely a record of the place I am visiting, how I got there, what I’ve seen and eaten and enjoyed (or not). Reading back on my travel journals is a great source of pleasure and bring back so many forgotten times and places.
Much of the writing we do today is on a keyboard, or on a phone or tablet. I know there are many apps and websites that can be used for electronic journalling. In a many ways, blogging is a form or journalling . However, for me the act of picking up a pen and handwriting words, and putting thoughts on to paper is more tangible and permanent. When writing on a computer, words can be changed and whole paragraphs moved or erased. It becomes an edited version of a life, the best you can make it be. A hand written journal is more immediate and a truer reflection of a life. Of course words and sentances can be scribbled out but generally it is made up of feelings and thoughts as they occur. A hand written journal for me is the non edited, raw and more real reflection of a moment in time.
Last year I kept a gratitude journal. which for a few months was a good discipline, and I wrote about it here. However, unlike my daily journal it is not something I’ve continued to maintain. I also keep a blog journal, although actually this is more of a planner with scheduled posts and ideas and to do lists. Journals are a big part of my life and if you visit any stationery shop or gift shop today or read any lifestyle blog or magazine and you can’t fail to notice that journal writing is having a moment. There are journals for everything. Happiness journals, dream journals, baking and gardening journals. Journals for motivation and inspiration. Journals for doodling and creating and of course bullet journals which are very big right now.
I am in favour of anything which encourages writing and ideas and involves putting pen to paper. I have always been someone who writes things down. Writing is an outlet, a form of therapy and a creative process. The stream of consciousness and blurted out first formed thoughts and reactions written in my journal is the unedited and perhaps truest part of me.
“But what is more to the point is my belief that the habit of writing thus for my own eye only is good practice. It loosens the ligaments” – Virginia Woolfe
