Keeping a Journal

John Guillen109 Comments

journal-2

Photo Credit: The Recruiting Manifesto

You always see in movies or read in books about how this person or that wrote religiously in his her journal about the happenings of everyday life. Which I think is something that many of us have done at some point in the past.

Journals serve as an outlet for EVERYTHING going on in one’s life. I mean, yes there are probably several pages dedicated to that boy or girl you have a crush on but can’t seem to figure out if it’s mutual. But there are also pages upon pages of things that you’d never tell another person. Not your mom or your best friend or anyone. Why? Because no one else will ever understand.

Some might think that it’s only necessary to keep a journal when something is going wrong. Well let me quickly dispute that idea. You see, I’ve never written in a journal before, but a few short years ago I went through something that overwhelmed me for a long time. I needed some kind of avenue to express myself. I turned to letters. I wrote hundreds of letters that were never meant to be read by any other person, unless I decided to give them all to the person I was writing to. Which I never did. So now they serve as a reminder of what I was doing over the course of a three year span of my life while I was trying to figure everything out.

The initial reasoning for writing the letters had long passed but still I kept writing them. About school. Or writing. Or anything at all. My journal wasn’t a journal, it was a series of letters that I’ll never allow another person to read. Cause they just wouldn’t understand.

But that’s just me, have you ever kept a journal? If yes, what did you use it for? Maybe to write about your daily life. Or about a particular event. Or as an outlet to express yourself when no one around you knew what was going on. Or maybe you use it for story ideas. I’d love to know!

Side note: this is my 200th post! Thanks for sticking with me. It’s been great so far.

109 thoughts on “Keeping a Journal”

  1. I have written in a series of journals since 2003. I use it mostly as a way to keep track of things and its fun to read back to see how I’ve matured and how my views on things change.

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  2. I have tried many times to keep a journal, for many reasons. Unfortunately I can’t seem to keep up the habit, but this has inspired me to give it another go!

    Congrats on 200 posts too 😀

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  3. I have a drawerful of journals. But a few years ago, life got in the way and I stopped journaling. Last month, I felt journaling calling to me once more. So I got out a new journal and wrote. I haven’t had it out since 😦 Maybe your post will be my motivation to take it out again.
    Congrats on your 200th post.

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  4. I have about 20 journals, spanning from age 15 to 25. Lots of embarrassing and blackmail-worthy material in there, but it’s cool having a track record of most of my life and seeing how much I changed. I’ll keep journaling until my hands fall off (PS. thanks for calling it a ‘journal’ and not ‘diary,’ I think people who say journaling is for tweenagers are really thinking of diaries).

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  5. I try to write a journal entry every evening, but real life gets in the way. I stick to one page per entry – I write about the first thought that comes to mind once I open the page. Usually this is something that has been on my mind all day. Based on reading old journal entries, I’ve picked up the habit of adding the day of the week plus date and year.

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  6. I’ve been in writing in a journal off an on for years. I use it for story ideas, keep track of my thoughts or just to write down what I feeling. I write down reminders, I basically use it for everything.

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  7. I do keep a journal. I need to write in it daily, but I don’t. One the left-hand side of the paper, I make lists of goals and things I need to do an focus on, on the other side, I write about my feelings and what happened that day.

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  8. I have a shoebox full of journals I used to write through school. I kind of stopped after University but I am trying to get back into the habit. I find it’s a good outlet and a good way to get some perspective of things that happen in life. Also sometimes it’s good to just vent.

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  9. I’ve started many a journal, but never had time to devote to one. Each one fell by the wayside after one or two entries. Where they are now I do not know. Still I had more disappointment, struggle, victory, and excitement from life experiences floating in my head to find words to write. All I needed was time. Time is that elusive ingredient, added to the others, necessary for accomplishment. Sometimes we need to fight for those moments.

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  10. I’ve started about 60 gazillion journals, and I write for maybe a few days before it tapers off and I either get lazy or completely forget about it. Don’t know why. Despite being a writer, I’ve never been all that great at journaling. I do keep a small notebook with me at all times, but it’s usually for story ideas. So I either think my life isn’t interesting enough to write down, or I find other avenues for expressing my emotions. I wish I was better at journaling, but I’m terrible at it. And honestly, I don’t even like doing it that much. I’m weird. I know it.

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  11. Congratulations on 200 posts! I go through periods where I’ll want to keep a journal. I keep one right now. I think it’s so I can reflect on what I was going through later on in life, and to remember everything.

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  12. I’ve kept a journal off and on over the years. But it usually would last a couple of weeks or so before I got bored with it…or I didn’t have much of anything to write about. More recently I started an art journal. Basically just random drawings and inspirational quotes, ideas, etc. I do have one other notebook that I’ve been using for all of my random ideas. It’s so worn out and dog-eared from taking it everywhere..and it’s missing the cover. But I’ve had it for years and it’s my favorite.

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      • Yeah it’s fun. Almost like having a regular journal because you can draw what you’re feeling.
        You want one filled up or a blank one to fill yourself? I got mine at Hobby Lobby. It’s a nice black hardback book.

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      • Ok finneeeee. 🙂 Why don’t you try your own art journal? I know…. I’m wasting my breath…or typing….? Anyways, I know you don’t take suggestions, so never mind.

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      • Haha… I know you’re not really. At least I would hope not.
        Well, I’m sure you could draw better than Picasso… seriously. And he’s famous.

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      • Hmmmm. I don’t think so. I had one art class in college and we looked at some of his work. I know the name of one….was it Guerica? Or something. Totally guessing that name. Not even bothering to Google. Probably way off. So no. I draw stick figures.

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      • I wouldn’t know… I’m not a fan of his work. But art history has always fascinated me. Probably because I’m an artist. Haha

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      • That class wasn’t art history. Or maybe it was. No, I think it was art appreciation. Eh. It was in the summer. And we actually had to do a few art pieces and holy crap mine were bad. And guess what the worst part of all was!? I finished with an 88.7 as my grade. And got a B. How does that not go up when it’s summer?! Ugh. The artwork was cool. I actually liked it.

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      • Nice! Yeah, art is definitely interesting. Some of those famous guys had pretty rough lives. I’m still not a huge fan of Picasso though.

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      • Well the only artist who I absolutely must see their work in person is Michelangelo. At the Sistine Chapel. Cause I seem to think I’ll be traveling the world at some point in my life. Haha

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      • I know! I need to marry rich to make sure it happens. Haha you can’t tell anyone. Especially since there are soooooo many more places I must see. Like who has money to be in South America and then Europe and then the US and then everywhere? Not me. But Jennifer Lawrence does.

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  13. I had a lovely blue velvet journal that, detail my daily life, and all the Goths in the neighbourhood coveted. I still have it and it is soooooooooo boring and the writing is dreadful. 😦

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  15. I’ve tried numerous times in the past. None made a year. Haha….But whenever I look back into my old journals, it’s like a walk down memory lane. You’ve inspired me to try again, and perhaps this time around, I’ll be more successful!

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  16. I have kept a diary throughout my life, but only when I’m seriously annoyed at someone, so now when I read it back it just looks like I’m a very, very angry person, like all the time, so I just don’t share them with anyone.

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  17. Awww, you kept a journal? You never told me. Well. I think you might not know, but I also kept a journal. I have (er, had) been writing regularly since the 5th grade. It’s been three years since I stopped though. Now I just write maybe once in 3 months, or sometimes, I don’t write at all. But yes. My journal started out as a daily diary, how my every day went, but soon, it became more than the usual stuff and it became more personal because I started writing down my poems and feelings and thoughts that crossed my mind. So, yeah. Now when I go through my journals, I feel as if I used to be very emotional growing up. Mad about little things, I wrote about fights with my brother. Blah, stuff like that. But then, there were my poems and stuff too. So. Yeah.

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    • It’s not a journal. It’s a box of letters. I never told you cause it has to do with a girl. And I get sad when I talk about it. But I’ll write you an email right now and tell you.

      So do you not keep a journal still? Cause imagine all the cool stuff you could write about! You’re almost done with school! I bet that would be a great thing to write and then for you to read later on! 🙂

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