"Excuse me, Miss (or Ms. or Mrs!), do you journal?"

[Joonie]

Forgive me if this kind of thread already exists[huh] , but I was wondering if any of you ladies keep or have kept a journal/diary. I have been writing, almost daily, for over fifteen years- and I'm still not exactly sure why! Mostly I write about my daily life, the ups and downs and in-betweens; the small, seemingly unimportant and the life-changing events I experience. Every so often I am tempted to "look back," for a laugh or cry or simple memory. So, my curiosity abounds:
-Why do you write?
-How long have you done so?
-What do you usually write about?

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

Yes. I'd be lost without paper and ink. In the old days, I mostly did basic writing journals, sometimes on a daily or weekly basis, sometimes months would pass between entries. Reading back, it's clear I was compelled to write when I was blue and felt my life sucked. Those big empty gaps (mostly) spanned the times I was too busy having fun to bother writing and exploring my feelings.
For the past ten or twelve years, my journals have been much more arty, combining paint, ink, glued-in bits, a drip of coffee or smeared on smudges of a cupcake. I'm not so concerned with spelling out a moment in time as I enjoy illustrating it.

 

[Lauren]

Yes, I do- but it's mostly on the computer these days. I keep swearing I'll go back to paper and pen, but I haven't. I start then stop. Since I'm already at the computer anyways it's easier for me to do it that way. I do it to read back on what I'm up to- both emotionally and day to day. It's nice to go back and see what I was thinking or feeling. Sometimes I laugh at what seemed like tragedy at the time, and sometimes when I'm going through something rough now I can see other times I've been through something just as hard that I have made my way through before. I also have a terrible memory for day to day things, so doing this helps solidify it in my memory. Another reason I don't keep a paper diary is my random moods which I'll chuck months or years of writing in the garbage- kind of like a way to get past things, but later I've regretted it.

 

[Joonie]

@ThesFlishThngs: I've seen your blog and it reminds me of my "romance" with pens, inks, and sealing waxes! In the past, my journals were a hodge-podge of writings, pictures, memorabilia, and various papers. Unfortunately, as growing older I have abandoned much of my creativity, and now only write. My need to write drives my poor husband mad (he is, after all a digital man, whereas I am old-fashioned in that respect)- there is paper and pen in every nook and cranny of our home!
@Lauren: Again, I am a slave to old-fashioned pen and paper. (That, and I am a teacher, which makes anything I put online "game" for public use.)
*When Gutenberg invited the moving-type printing press (and literacy became more widespread), there was an outcry from philosophers claiming that man would no longer need to remember things, as all was in writing. Odd thing is, my memory often fails me and I have to look in past journal entries for information!

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

Don't let anyone talk you out of your love for the real thing, Joonie. Just think, one day there will be no more boxes of love letters and passionately scrawled diaries gathering dust in attics. So sad to think of.
I've just now dug out my old journals (except for one or two that seem to be missing, hmmmm....), and snapped some photos of them. As soon as I get them up on flickr I'll share here.
Oh, I got my first real fountain pen today! So exciting. Of course, I've only found one place in town that sells bottled ink, but one is better than none.

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

I'm just too visually stimulated to be satisfied with electronic journaling.
These are from 2001 - 2006

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

Just a few more:

A travel journal I made for a trip to New York and PA.

 

[Lauren]

Those are just beautiful! I did one like that for a VERY short amount of time- it certainly is inspiring, the way you have artfully captured things.
I do really admire those who take the time at pen and paper. I think maybe I should give it a try again. I did purchase a lovely journal last year but only put two entries in it- maybe it's time to give it a shot and make it part of my daily ritual.

 

[Lotta Little]

I write in my diary very regularly, except when I get too busy. I like to look back and see what I was doing, say, a year ago today. Sometimes they remind me how far I've come. I have to laugh, for example, at the diaries from the years when I had a stressful career that I hated. I used to take sleeping pills because of the insomnia I had at the time and more than once an entry starts out with a complaint that the pills weren't working, only to end abruptly in a smear of ink because they were.

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

Yes, you should Lauren. It doesn't have to be a pressured affair in which you feel if you miss a few days or weeks you've messed up. Just to have a book handy, with tape or glue to attach little snippets of the day, maybe a bit of watercolor to wash over the pages. Stuff like that. It's amazing what memories can come flooding back with just a few visual cues.
Sometimes I will prepare several pages in advance (I'm not patient when it comes to waiting for wet media to dry, which is where double-stick tape comes in handy). Just paint random washes of watercolor or thinned acrylic over a page, or along the edges, then when you have something to add there's already a background waiting for you.
Rubber stamps are a lot of fun too.

 

[analiebe]

Just a few more:

these are all beautiful... i had to comment on this page though for i too have a "mousey"... it was my first toy... given to me on the day my mum brought me home from the hospital...

 

[CherryWry]

ThesFlishThngs, those are gorgeous!

I've been journaling for 20 years, but just in writing, although I love the way more visual journals look. I like the portability of writing. If I've got a doctor's appointment, a flight, or some other thing scheduled where I know I'll have time sitting around, I'll make a point of bringing my journal so I can catch up if I haven't written in a few weeks.

 

[AmateisGal]

I've been journaling pretty regularly for the past 15 years. While I do have a blog, I do my more private thoughts in my journal. And I love, love, love to buy journals and have lots of them around.

There's something about putting pen to paper that just helps release all my emotions. Just last night I was feeling pretty blue and started writing - felt lots better afterwards.

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

these are all beautiful... i had to comment on this page though for i too have a "mousey"... it was my first toy... given to me on the day my mum brought me home from the hospital...

Aw, that's sweet, analiebe. Imagine having a cuddly friend for so long? Of course Sara's has been around since she was 3 or 4. You'll notice he's missing an ear, a paw, and an overall strap.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

I kept paper journals from 1984 until 2004. It moved to the computer after that and that's where I've been ever since.

 

[Joonie]

ThesFlishThngs: It isn't that I've been keeping journals that bothers my husband- just my need to keep things written down and that I often have to refer to my journals to find out when or how things happened, hence my bit about the printing press. And your journals are simply lovely!

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

It's great though, isn't it, to have journals to flip through to refresh your memory?
Your mention of the printing press reminded me of the Christmas my husband arranged a grand surprise for me - borrowing a storage truck, finding time between work and school to drive to a nearby town and purchase an old proof press, along with a cabinet full of letters and printing blocks, hide it all away, and leave me utterly speechless by presenting me one tray of metal letters, saying, "there's a little more that goes with it, if you're interested."
What a shock!

 

[Joonie]

ThesFlishThngs: Oh, my! That's one delicious gift!

I wonder: Do any of you have any plans/hopes for your writings in the future? (i am trying not to be morbid- sorry.)

[huh] Again, I am unsure about this myself! As for now, they are just for me and are on the "If the house were on fire, I would grab....." list.

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

No, it's not really morbid, just reality. I've thought about the 'if the house were on fire' scenario, mainly as the house was built in 1917 and still has cloth wiring. (! ) I know. But to be honest, there are so many 'treasures' scattered throughout, I don't really know what I'd grab first. Open the doors and urge the cats and dog to safety of course, snatch handy things like laptop, purse, money stash, but my art is everywhere, as are my generations of family photos. Plus the portrait of my daughter....... I should be more organized, I suppose.
Who wants to come help me?....

 

[Joonie]

Anyone have relatives' old journals or even those of strangers?

Oh, how wonderful if my grandmothers or grandfathers had left writings of even the most mundane daily in-and-outs! A friend of mine collects vintage/antique diaries and journals and they are such a splendid read!