As you can see to your right, I am trying out a poll. I am very curious about the whole journal/diary thing. My parents bought me my first official journal when I was eight. I have kept one ever since. I am very inconsistent in my writing; the regularity really depends on the busy-ness of my life at the time. I have tried large journals, which didn't work so well because I felt obligated to fill the whole page and that was too much stress. I have tried small journals, which tend to work better for me. I've tried lined, unlined, spiral bound, spine bound, cutsie, serious looking, etc. My newest journal is an unlined sketchbook. I cut out pictures from magazines that I like for whatever reason (homes, clothes, appliances, whatever) and glue them in. I also include notes and pictures that Claire's made me, notes from Ryan, to do lists, recipes, paint swatches, bits of fabric from my sewing projects, my menu for that day; basically whatever I feel like. I write funny things the kids said, what I did that day, what the weather was like, projects I'm working on, doodles, who I talked to, etc. I like to think of it as a little clip from my day. In the past, I found that my journal entries would end of being a list of what I did that day without anything very interesting (because essentially, I do the same things day after day). My entries were also written in an essay style, which tended to be mundane. But with this new journal, I'm including things that show my mood, thoughts, and other tidbits from my life that are not the same every day. It has really worked for me. I also like to think that one day, when my kids (or whoever) looks at this journal, they will enjoy seeing the decorating styles, appliances, clothing, etc. that were popular today. Here are some pictures of my journals - I know the pictures are really grainy and the lighting is terrible; sorry.
My first journal - given to me in 1988 for Christmas
A sample of the inside
All of my past journals, in chronological order - the smallest one is a journal entitled "What I Read" I list the books I've recently read and what I thought of them.
My current journal with my latest entry. Some pages are more colorful and creative than others. This is an average page.
Another recent entry.
My lovely sister is an avid writer - she always has been since I can remember. I'm guessing she has around 15 to 20 filled journals. The girl went for years without missing a day. Amazing.
There was this lady is my past ward in St. Louis who always carried a cute purse around with her filled with gel pens and her journal. She was always writing and drawing in it whenever she had down time at church (and no ladies, she did not have any children and the ward had more active people than callings). I only caught a few glimpses of her journal, but it looked amazing. She was obviously very creative and a great artist. Each page was a work of art and literature. It looked like something that should be published. I have come to accept that my journal will never look like hers - but at least I can try to make mine interesting in my own way. I would love to hear your comments and thoughts on journals - be sure to post one!
5 comments:
An interesting question you pose!
My thoughts (which apparently turned into a saga of a blog-comment):
1. I have about 10 journals—nice, hard-bound ones--that are actually filled, that I wrote in regularly from the time I was in about junior high until a little while after I got married. A lot of “I’m so in love with so-and-so; and he looked at me when we passed in the hall….” Dorky stuff. My current journal, on the other hand, doesn’t even know that I’m 7.5 months pregnant, or much about anything from the last 2 ½-ish years.
2. Now that I’m doing the blogging thing, I think ALL THE TIME that I should be printing off what I put in the blog and that would be such an easy way to journal. Do I ever do it? Not so much.
3. I agree that essay-style journaling is not-so-fab. I think I’ll bore my grandkids to death if they ever try to read through my long-winded philosophies of life. That being said—I LOVE your idea with the sketchbook, and the random bits and pieces. I keep an interior design binder, for stuff I snip out of magazines, and then I have “idea files” I keep on my computer. I ought to do something with those, or totally steal your idea as a whole—it makes a lot of sense.
4. I have one journal, with a distinct green cover, that I only write in when I’m REALLY ticked off with my husband. I don’t ever go back and reread what I’ve written, but I just vent in it. (For the record, I actually haven’t written in it for at least a year—it must all be chirping birds and hearts in the air around here, I guess. Ha.) Anyway, after I fill it, I’m just going to burn it. But, that being said, I have this fear that I’ll die tomorrow and my children or whoever will find it one day and think I’m the Wicked Witch of the West.
Ah, man. Now you've got me considering actually WRITING in my journal...
And for the record, I voted for the "couple of times a year" option in the poll, because it was the closest. But it's a lie. Usually I get on a kick of writing 5-10 entries, and then don't touch it for a few years. I think it has currently been, um, five years since I've entered anything.
Where did you find your unlined book? I was looking for something just like that for my most recent journal purchase and I couldn't find one. I ended up with one that I don't like much. I was writing in it every other day for several months. Then came December and all I've managed to write in it since then is January 8 - Happy New Year.
I love journals! I find that I mostly write in mine when I'm emotional and trying to work through my thoughts-it helps me to write about it and stop stewing about it. I've also tried to do like President Eyring mentioned in conference and write about "the Lord's hand in my life". Its good for me to think about that.
Well, my journaling comes and goes. I've been trying the Elder Eyring idea this year with a new journal I got for Christmas. I love the idea, but I haven't found a good place to keep the journal so that I will write in it in better circumstances...like not when I'm finally laying in bed with only the most horrible pen in our entire house, yet not wanting to get out of bed to find another one. This has led to a few good entries, and many one liners.
I think overall I like spiral bound journals with lines. Too bad most of my journals are gifts, so I don't get to be as picky as I would like to be.
I think your idea is great! Good luck with it.
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