This is especially important for me!
I mostly write my thoughts for the day, which will sometimes devolve into a bit of existential angst. People might start wondering about me if they read my journals, even more than they do now.
Journaling questions
- Thread starter Corey
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This is especially important for me!
I mostly write my thoughts for the day, which will sometimes devolve into a bit of existential angst. People might start wondering about me if they read my journals, even more than they do now.
- Thread starter
- #22
Thank you, everyone, for your input. I picked up a bunch of different journals over the past two months with the intent on writing more and picked one up yesterday and committed it to be the one I start with. I've taken the suggestions listed and I think I'm off to a good start. A quick stream of consciousness beginning quickly turned into five pages that "found" their theme fairly quick. Thank you again!
Nice! glad your getting into it. keep it loose and enjoyable or you wont want to do it.
+1. I could probably be committed and/or imprisoned for some of my "really no good very bad day" entries.
Thanks for this thread. I've been thinking about starting journaling, but really didn't know where or how to start. This is all great advice!
When I find myself in a rut, I usually write about my morning shave, what product did I use, how many passes, quality of the shave. Usually by the time I finish that entry I have come up with something else to write about, typically a summary of stuff my 5 year-old daughter did.
Reading back over some of my journalling entries, some of the ones I'm most proud of start something like, "Used my Merkur slant with D.R. Harris Arlington, and my SOC Boar..."
Reading back over some of my journalling entries, some of the ones I'm most proud of start something like, "Used my Merkur slant with D.R. Harris Arlington, and my SOC Boar..."
I've gone ahead and taken the plunge. I picked up a journal and started writing. I try to write something every day, although there are some days when I just don't get a chance to do so. Right now I'm trying to do a little bit of self-improvement, so the the journaling is helping me think about what I need to work on, how I can work on it, and what kind of progress I'm making. Each day, I have also been writing about someone or something that I am thankful for. I figure that, between those two topics, I have enough material to keep me going for a good long while!
Our small group was just taking about journaling last night. Don't forget to go back through it once a year. Especially if it's being used as a self-improvement type activity. Go back and take a look at where you were so you can more accurately estimate where you are. Mine is primarily a prayer journal, and I need to go back and look for how each prayer was answered.
I found this thread tonight and found it very helpful. My first son is due in May. I am planning to start a journal the day he is born and give it to him at some point (18th bday, wedding day, etc.) some great ideas in this thread.
I start out every morning by noting the time, weather conditions, and temperatures (two thermometers). That sort of primes the pump. Often I am testing different pens or inks and I write about that, so that I have a permanent record.
I started keeping a journal again in December because my hand was stiffening up to the point where my signature was virtually illegible. I can honestly say that my signature is now better than it has been for decades. I'm now working on improving my penmanship, one letter at a time. That work provides grist for the journal as well, because I comment upon my progress or lack thereof.
I also write about any other project(s) that I have going on. I just completed a rustic leather sleeve for my journal, and I noted each day's progress on that. I'm starting to do some pen and ink sketching again after a 20+year hiatus, and I fill blank spaces in the journal with small studies of details for which I'm (re)learning the techniques, like pine trees, ponds, streams, feathers, pine cones, etc.
I started keeping a journal again in December because my hand was stiffening up to the point where my signature was virtually illegible. I can honestly say that my signature is now better than it has been for decades. I'm now working on improving my penmanship, one letter at a time. That work provides grist for the journal as well, because I comment upon my progress or lack thereof.
I also write about any other project(s) that I have going on. I just completed a rustic leather sleeve for my journal, and I noted each day's progress on that. I'm starting to do some pen and ink sketching again after a 20+year hiatus, and I fill blank spaces in the journal with small studies of details for which I'm (re)learning the techniques, like pine trees, ponds, streams, feathers, pine cones, etc.
Stick with it ... I wanted to do the same thing but failed miserably. I regret not sticking to it.
I'm jumping into the journaling crowd today. I've been into fountain pens for about a year and in the last couple of months the AD has really kicked in. Until recently I had three pens. Only one of which I used with any regularity, a Lamy Al Star and only one ink, Noodler's Bullet Proof Black. I now have about a dozen pens (Yikes, I just counted them, 2 doz.!), with more on the way and almost as many inks. I'm working on my cursive hand writing, playing with different nibs and better papers. I wrote a poem the other day and shared it with SWMBO, she then gave me a journal that she had bought many years ago when she was in Italy before we even met, that she had never written in. It's so nice and the paper is unlined, I was hesitant to even put a pen to it for fear of "defacing" it with illegible scrawlings, but I think I can proceed now.
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I started journaling about 10 days ago. I have tried it in spurts in over the last 5 years, but it's never stuck. I hope to stick with it this time. I tend to write about my food, my activities for the day, and what I learn from reading a Bible passage. I also want a end-of-day summary, but am not there yet. I started with just part of a page and now am filling up one page. Going to be moving to a two page format tomorrow and encourage myself to write more. I did get the B&B Journal Cover and love it. It is perfect for fountain pens. I also carry two more in an Aston case. That gives me 3 different inks to rotate through.
So I can be like all the cool NIB kids, I started a journal last night too. I'm not necessarily looking for a 'Dear Diary' experience, but just a place to practice some free writing. I'm doing some practice drills and copying letters in a different notebook, and saving the journal for the end.
I am memorizing a Bible scripture a week, so I started my journal with this week's passage, Psalm 1:1-3. I then moved on to my thoughts about improving my print italic handwriting, and finished up with a couple good things from the day with two of my kids.
I am memorizing a Bible scripture a week, so I started my journal with this week's passage, Psalm 1:1-3. I then moved on to my thoughts about improving my print italic handwriting, and finished up with a couple good things from the day with two of my kids.
Great start, Kyle. The more often you write, the easier it is to write more. I started with one paragraph and am now up to over a page.
You may want to start now so that by the time he is born you will already had made it a habit. With a new baby you may have too many things on your plate and it will be harder to start something else new at the same time. You can start a new book when your son is born.
I just started a hournal this year and had no clue where to start or what to do. I needed a little push. I found this and it has helped at least get me started:
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2014/01/01/jumpstart-your-journaling-a-31-day-challenge/
Enjoy it and learn from ot. You may find your jouranl is more for you and something nice for your son top read. Congratulations on the soon to be new arrival
I've been using that AoM jumpstart too
Thanks, this deserves it's own thread!
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