Many influential people in history have kept detailed journals of their lives. My theory is that the journals served as a release of stress and create a commentary on your daily life.
I’m not influential, I’m just an ordinary person, and since the 1980’s I’ve kept a journal in one way or another. I have a bookshelf of journals, some illustrative, some just short notes. I kept shopping dockets from the 80’s. My eldest sons first pay packet. School results, and even my working day life as a fashion designer.
The creative benefits of keeping a journal are also well documented. You’ve likely heard that the best way to get better at writing is to just keep doing it. That’s true, but the benefits go deeper than just crafting better sentences.
Many years ago, I would copy my blog posts and print my own book to give to my Mum for Christmas. She shared it with all her friends and it became an annual event. When she passed, I took them back and I love re-visiting them every now and then.
However, now journals are high tech. Many of you are Face book ‘Featurists’ or write in some other form of social media, maybe even a blog such as this one.
Since January 1st 2013 I’ve had my Facebook journals printed. 1258 pages of photographs and writing. Along with my writing are the comments of the first 10 viewers. It makes for interesting reading. The books are beautifully printed and trust me, I’m fussy when it comes to the reproduction of my images. Every now and then I will look up what happened on the day, two years ago…..one year ago.
And here it is. My FB entry for December the 1st 2014.
I’m looking forward to be able to have a book like this for my blogging journal, I have written over 3650 blogs in the past 10 years…. so it will be expensive to have them printed… but Gees you only live once.
My photographs are my journal.
My illustrations are also my journal.
And my thoughts are my journal.
The image at the beginning of the post is a photograph superimposed on my journal. I love this image. I will never forget it.
Good post and nice pictures.
Thank you most sincerely.
welcome
Thank you for reminding me of the benefits of journaling. I have fallen out of that habit and have been encouraged lately to resume to help process a number of recent life events. Thank you for sharing your adventurous life with us… I wish you and your family a lovely holiday season.
Wendy, I think you do a pretty good job on FB… you can use that for your journal. Christmas will soon be upon us and Life will take yet another turn. I do wish you all the best for the holiday season. Cheers my friend.
To preserve your thoughts, words and images for the ages in the form of those beautiful books is brilliant! Your family and their families will treasure these. Although my life has been way less interesting, I wish I could go back through the years and review my thoughts and images. Bravo, Pam!
Bonnie, thank you. the books are already very special I can only imagine how treasured they will be when I’m feeble… I can put over them with a smile on my face.
Love to hear about your journals, so special for your family as well for yourself. Your journals look wonderful. I started journaling three years ago and it has been a bit”ön and off”. Now you have encouraged me to continue regularly . Thanks.
Lesley. writing is like a bit like not what I see, but what I make others see. I can’t help it, I’ve always written and it becomes a habit after a while. Thank you so much.
Pam thank you for this timely (for me) re journals. I’ve been reluctant to start one, however after a recent, upsetting job elimination it was recommended that keeping a journal may help me transition to the next phase. At 65, writing my thoughts on paper was daunting but ready your posts over the years, I realize my journals can be illustrative with words. So thank you again.
Good morning Deborah. Words open new drawers, and you never know what you find in there. Artist Anthony Gormley stated “What I try to give form to is the subjective experiences of living behind our faces” and trust me, you can write at any age… I’m well past 65.