First Introductions to JournalingÂ
Since my middle school days, I have always been attracted to the world of journaling. At that age, I can remember admiring many dedicated Instagram accounts featuring elaborate BuJo setups and pretty scrap books. I had my own go trying to replicate these types of journaling. trying my best to build something that I would love posting online and admire for myself later. However for me and for many other people who start journaling, the motivation tapers off. It was not long for this style of expression to turn into a time-consuming hobby that I had little time and aspiration to continue doing.Â
Journal Prompts to Get You Into JournalingÂ
How I Started WritingÂ
Going into my first semester of college, I took an entry-level English and literature course. My professor was impassioned and right off the bat I knew that she would be putting us to work. During that first day of class, she handed us cheap spiral notebooks and told us that part of this course’s final grade would include having this notebook filled out by the end of the semester. I knew it wouldn’t be feasible to fill it if I waited until the end of the semester. So, I started a pattern to help me make progress. I had heard for a while that a good way to force yourself to start homework was to set a timer and treat it as a non-negotiable to start working within that time frame. So I decided instead, to alter that and apply writing into it. I started off with a five minute timer and my only goal during that time was to write without stopping. This was one of the best habits I built in my early college days. Writing helped me get the thoughts out of my brain that distracted me from my studies and zoned me into what I would describe as an academic mood. In repeating this cycle over the course of most of my days, I successfully completed my very first journal.
Simplify Your Start
After this course finished, I continued writing in a classic moleskin. And this is the advice that I would give to anyone, don’t start with an extensive set up of expensive leather covers and aesthetically pleasing writing supplies, instead just write. Since I had built the habit of writing, I had the constant urge to do it. So any thought, feeling, or idea I came up with had space in this notebook. My notebook started looking less like a diary and more like a giant catalog of things I spilled out. I think that it is extremely important to give yourself that freedom so you keep coming back. Some people may find writing to be awkward or embarrassing. In this day and age I think most can agree there is no longer an expectation of privacy. But, if you get this feeling when you are starting to write, I would suggest you make yourself believe that your journal is just for you. Write something outlandish; write something you would not wish for anyone else to see. A few ideas to get you started are a list of reasons you could be fired from your job, describing in detail the features of someone you love or hate, or list the most selfish thoughts you’ve wrestled with recently.
Find Your CategoriesÂ
After I had filled out those two notebooks, I started looking into getting some more dedicated materials. Once you have built this habit, you have a birds eye view to what it is you really write about. For myself, I noticed that I gravitated towards a few categories. I needed space to free-write, to reflect on my mental health and therapy sessions, and to review books, movies and other media. I landed on using a traveler’s company notebook. With a leather cover, this company sells thin notebook inserts that you bind with rubber bands. This way I had three separate notebooks all in the same place. You may not be interested in this set up, some people find it bothersome. So, you may enjoy a set up within one notebook, others may want multiple. What is most important is that your journaling system works for you, your hobbies, and your purposes for writing.Â