A Love for Journaling

In my last post I talked about keeping a personal, daily journal in order to help give you a chance to practice your writing on a daily basis. I do this myself, in part to help my writing, and in part because I simply have a love for personal journals.

I've found, while I was taking inventory of my sketchbook/journal/diary collection, that I have ten different journals, four of which are currently in use, the other six sitting and waiting until the current ones are filled and I move on. Not only that, but of the four current ones, I keep one in my school bag, two in my satchel, and one on my person at all times. It can become hard to keep track of them all, but luckily I've been able to set specific times and days when I use each, and each has its own specific purpose.

Has having all of these actually helped me? I honestly don't know, but I'd like to think so. I believe that by allowing myself that personal time to really explore my thoughts and feelings, I've worked to make myself not only better at writing, but also better at communicating in general.

A certain feeling comes over me when I open one of my journals. I generally have my headphones in, unless I particularly want to be open to the noise of the world around me, and I know that this is my time to really dig deep. When sketching, I keep my eyes open to what's happening around me, my vision drifting from one person to the next, one object to the next, and I silently record my sights with quick, sloppy line-art. When writing, I allow myself a moment to really sit back and investigate how I'm feeling, why I'm feeling that way, and how those feelings are affecting my judgment, my perceptions, and my expectations. My journal time has become one of the best moments of meditation, and I relish the chances I get to crack into those books and put my pencil, and my brain, to work.

So what's the point of this post? Well, I guess it's a follow-up to the last one. I wanted to reiterate how important daily writing can be, even to non-writers. Keeping a journal can help clear your mind of issues and problems, help see things in a new light, and help solve problems you otherwise would've found yourself worrying about. Also, keeping one journal is a great way to start out, yet I encourage anybody who actually acts on this advice to keep multiple journals, and, if possible, to carry one with you wherever you go. I can't garauntee you much, but I can say that I'm certain a time will come in your life when you wish you had more links to your past than simply your fading memories, and a journal is a sure-fire way to provide yourself a window into who you were before, and how you've changed over time.