My Diary is my Best Friend
Jul 3rd, 2008 by iHanna
My hand moves across the page, and I’m liking my own handwriting. It feels strange to like it now, I’ve disliked it for so long! I want to create sentences that are beautiful, like poetry. but what comes out is mundane daily ephemera. Nobody will remember what we had for dinner, but I will. I’ve written it down. And sometimes I get revelations, about my now and about my past. That’s when it’s exhilarating to write.
I’m in love with journal writing right now, I take it with me everywhere and write when ever I can! I think it has to do with my meditation practice, as I mentioned before. Trying not to think is the best way to release ideas and find new ways to think. A good way to channel thoughts into something useful is to write them down. A journal is always there for you to listen to your thoughts, what ever they are about.
Some links to get you going:
- Three beautiful things - a blog where Clare writes 3 things she is greatfull for every day - and these are some beautiful and inspiring lists! Could you come up with 3 beautiful things today? Right now?
- The Journal Series - articles by Jazz blog about writing (lots of great reading)
- Tips for beginners about journaling, an article by Bridgette Guerzon Mills
- So what is reflecting? - article I like in the blog New Century Notebook (does not update often but has a nice archive)
- How to keep a manifestation journal
- Note to self video - poor man’s therapy? It’s a book by Samara O’Shea who also has written the book For the love of letters! I want to read both. [via sama]
- + Don’t say it at Happiness Project
3 Beautiful Things in my life
1. Hello Kitty Bubble Gum with stickers in the mail from my friend
2. Lavender Chicken and sticky rice for dinner
3. My green Mango armwrist watch with a new clockwork inside
Have a creative day!
this is how I feel about journaling too. thanks for the great links.
Thanks for linking me, Hanna! I’m still thinking about that beautiful glass-work you did. I’m jealous…I want a glass workshop in my basement…and there’s no way I can afford one!
OK Hanna, you have to share the recipe for lavender chicken!
I used to write in my journal constantly,and it was my constant in keeping me even-keeled. Bbut over the last few years, I kind of gave it up and write very irregularly.
At the moment, I am trying to rediscover it. Luckily, I work in an environment that encourages self-exploration. If I need a mini-break, I can write!
xo
Even mundane issues can turn out to be really interesting reading!
Yesterday evening I incidentally flickered our “family-meeting-journal”. It´s a simple book where we (me + my daughters) wrote notes from our (intendedly) weekly family meeting or house meeting. It was supposed to be a sort of democratic forum and practical way to organize everybodys schedules for the upcomming week, discuss family matters - no issue too big - or too small to be mentioned. It was also a way I tried to involve my kids in housework and stuff like that. Someting like: hi guys, lets make a plan. We´re almost out of bread so who´s going to bake a new bread tomorrow? Okay, you do that, okay, then I´ll do the laundry say…
My kids loved to act as secretaries. To write down - in headlines - what we decided, and who was going to do what, and of course the financial balance: the pocket money!
All pages beautifully illustrated.
Some of the stuff is only few years. And it´s so funny to read it over. And one suddenly remembers a lots of situations! Little sacred moments. But also discussions and sometimes disagreements. Anyway, its great to look at now. So just imagine what it will be like in another ten, twenty ears.
My warmest recommandetion of noticing and writing about the mundane! Mundane notes will only become more and more interesting as time goes by!
Thank you Hanna! But I think I will need a translation…I don’t currently know anyone who speaks Swedish! Except for you of course. :-)
thanks for these great resources,
i am definitely going to check into them!
This is useful article. Thanks so much.
This is useful article. Thanks so much.