Journaling

DoopHQ

I'm just curious how many people here keep a journal/diary. I read an article that journaling is good for your health in that it helps you clear your mind and writing can be therapeutic.

Also if you do journal, do you go old school and use ink and paper or go modern with journaling specific programs or word processor?

Cyd Cyclone

I've kept numerous paper journals. Recently I've preferred to use Moleskine, but that can be expensive if you write a lot. Primarily, I use it for working out problems, testing written descriptions of things for my job, and, occasionally, writing rather silly things.

One problem I've found is that I'll try to writing before bed, and then I can't sleep, so I'll stay up writing. That's best to be avoided.

Kealoha

Cyd Cyclone wrote: »

One problem I've found is that I'll try to writing before bed, and then I can't sleep, so I'll stay up writing. That's best to be avoided.

Not to derail, but there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with that. A lot of times the best stuff comes to me just before bed.

More on topic, journaling in pen and paper has a much different feel to it. For one, it's more portable, so you can write anywhere (unless you've got, say, an eeepc, which negates that). When I write on the computer it's more likely to be something more streamlined, less journaling and more "writing." But it varies from person to person, so just try it out for yourself. I write in moleskines, too, but you might just want to purchase a composition notebook or something and make sure you're gonna stick with it before dropping $10+ on a notebook.

Susan Delgado

I've kept journals/diaries for years... personally, I find a notebook (even just a steno) that I like a pen that feels good to hold and is easy to write with (whether it be a ball point or a gel ink or a calligraphy pen) and empty out all the junk in my head.

I've tried word processors or e-journals but it feels less personal to me....and also less private. Whether that's true or not, that's just how I feel.

I write about how I'm feeling, problems I'm trying to work out, poetry, sketches for short stories, whatever is on my brain. Sometimes I will go for months without writing and then end up with 10 pages of just venting and emotional dumping, but it feels good once I get it out. It also feels good to look back at old entries and see how much I've learned and grown.

aseriesofchasms

I think it's a great thing to keep a personal journal, I do it as a stress reliever. I use pen and paper as well as computer, just to get out what's in my head. I will recommend that you find one method and stick with it, instead of just writing in whatever notebook is closest to you at the time. I have about eight different notebooks that I've used for journals, and it just makes me look crazy.

I started doing per a recommendation from a doctor, and it's just a great way to completely open up without fear of judgment.

Rainbulimic

I've a friend who keeps a diary which is truly an interesting read whenever she lets me peek. She writes feelings as well as descriptions of important days, ideas, playlists and uses it as a scrapbook for odds and ends.

I seriously admire her for it, because it's wonderful to read back and remember certain events and the way she felt etc. But unfortunately, I've never been able to keep a journal of my own. I'll think of things I want to write, but by the time I get there, it's all gone. And then after about a week, I sort of forget to update it and it ends up lost and dusty...

Grim Outlook

i keep a comic journal where i draw a little two panel strip for every hour i'm on campus at school.

this is my first year at university and i thought it'd be a pretty neat way of being able to look back on what i did each day years from now.

i also scan them and put them online so people can see what i'm up to and stuff. it's the link in my sig.

i like the idea of journals a lot, i find it's not really that interesting as i'm writing in them, but knowing that i'll be able to look back on what i was doing now when i'm like 45 is pretty cool.

MagicToaster

For a while I kept a very short journal of what ever problem I was going through. I wrote down exactly how I felt and what I believed the issue to be. Later on, as I got over the problem, I'd read it again and realize that issues weren't as big as I made them out to be nor as life ending as they seemed.

This has helped me to put issues into perspective as I encounter them through my daily life. Problems always seem big when you are on the ground looking up at them. Not so big when you stand up and see them face to face.

This has been my journal experience.

Anome

I've kept a journal on and off since I was 12. It's very interesting to look back, though sometimes my former ideas and obsessions are a bit cringe inducing. I often want to go back and tell myself it's really not that big a deal but I can't so I just laugh instead. I find that, understandably, I write a lot more in times of crisis and confusion as well as times of unbelievable awesome so it makes for a very extreme version of my life - the best and the worst with not much in between. As a result sometimes there are gaps of months at a time when I didn't find anything to write about. I've been writing a lot lately, for both positive and negative reasons, and I love it as a way to work through my thoughts and to record my life for later reading. I've started to read it more carefully so that I don't repeat past mistakes. Some of them should have been so obvious. It's an interesting unfiltered version of myself and I rarely let anyone read it.

weirdone333

I keep an art journal, I draw and paint in it and show how I feel.

Its pretty sweet

aseriesofchasms

Anome wrote: »

I've kept a journal on and off since I was 12. It's very interesting to look back, though sometimes my former ideas and obsessions are a bit cringe inducing. I often want to go back and tell myself it's really not that big a deal but I can't so I just laugh instead. I find that, understandably, I write a lot more in times of crisis and confusion as well as times of unbelievable awesome so it makes for a very extreme version of my life - the best and the worst with not much in between. As a result sometimes there are gaps of months at a time when I didn't find anything to write about. I've been writing a lot lately, for both positive and negative reasons, and I love it as a way to work through my thoughts and to record my life for later reading. I've started to read it more carefully so that I don't repeat past mistakes. Some of them should have been so obvious. It's an interesting unfiltered version of myself and I rarely let anyone read it.

There are a few places that do open mic journal readings, where a bunch of people in their 20s-30s go up and just read from their old journals and diaries, your post reminds of some of the ones i've gotten to witness doing it.

Cyd Cyclone

I should also note, I keep multiple, concurrent journals. If I'm not feeling the writing vibe with one, I'll use on of the other ones.

ricko

Grim Outlook wrote: »

i keep a comic journal where i draw a little two panel strip for every hour i'm on campus at school.

this is my first year at university and i thought it'd be a pretty neat way of being able to look back on what i did each day years from now.

i also scan them and put them online so people can see what i'm up to and stuff. it's the link in my sig.

i like the idea of journals a lot, i find it's not really that interesting as i'm writing in them, but knowing that i'll be able to look back on what i was doing now when i'm like 45 is pretty cool.

Some of those comics are hilarious and I enjoy your taste in music.
If you don't keep making them, I will kill you.

- a fan.

Kiwi

Like Anome I write in my journal more when I'm feeling completely shitty or totally awesome. But I also pick it up when I'm bored and work out story ideas.

I used to keep an artsy journal that had an altered books, Postsecret vibe. But that took too much effort. Now I just use a Moleskine and a fancy fountain pen. (I actually started journalling a lot more when I got my first fountain pen. Man, those things make me feel powerful.)

edit:

aseriesofchasms wrote:

There are a few places that do open mic journal readings, where a bunch of people in their 20s-30s go up and just read from their old journals and diaries, your post reminds of some of the ones i've gotten to witness doing it.

That sounds like Mortified. I haven't seen any live readings, but this video is still one of my favorites.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaQcMr4CJp4

Iruka

I used to keep one, but haven't found the time while at school (I'm long winded), Its relaxing though, for sure, and the reading back on entries can be pretty valuable. Its actually a decent sleep aid if you have trouble clearing your mind before you go to bed.

Anome

aseriesofchasms wrote: »

Anome wrote: »

I've kept a journal on and off since I was 12. It's very interesting to look back, though sometimes my former ideas and obsessions are a bit cringe inducing. I often want to go back and tell myself it's really not that big a deal but I can't so I just laugh instead. I find that, understandably, I write a lot more in times of crisis and confusion as well as times of unbelievable awesome so it makes for a very extreme version of my life - the best and the worst with not much in between. As a result sometimes there are gaps of months at a time when I didn't find anything to write about. I've been writing a lot lately, for both positive and negative reasons, and I love it as a way to work through my thoughts and to record my life for later reading. I've started to read it more carefully so that I don't repeat past mistakes. Some of them should have been so obvious. It's an interesting unfiltered version of myself and I rarely let anyone read it.

There are a few places that do open mic journal readings, where a bunch of people in their 20s-30s go up and just read from their old journals and diaries, your post reminds of some of the ones i've gotten to witness doing it.

Oh wow that would be awesome. I would totally consider doing that with some of my more ancient journals. Maybe not so much the recent ones.

Cyvros

I used to keep a journal on-and-off in a private e-mail account, but I stopped after a while. I've always found the easiest/laziest thing to do (and this is going to sound really weird) is just to talk things out to some imaginary person. It's like keeping things inside without keeping them inside, and I usually feel much better after I do this.

I'm fairly sure that makes me seem weird. But it seems to work for me.

PolloDiablo

Grim Outlook wrote: »

i keep a comic journal where i draw a little two panel strip for every hour i'm on campus at school.

this is my first year at university and i thought it'd be a pretty neat way of being able to look back on what i did each day years from now.

i also scan them and put them online so people can see what i'm up to and stuff. it's the link in my sig.

i like the idea of journals a lot, i find it's not really that interesting as i'm writing in them, but knowing that i'll be able to look back on what i was doing now when i'm like 45 is pretty cool.

That's a nifty idea. I like what you've got so far. You should keep doing them, I'm a fan now.