"Excuse me, Miss (or Ms. or Mrs!), do you journal?"

[Joonie]

ThesFlishThngs: I keep all of my important writings/ memorabilia in a compact easy-to run-out-of-the-house-with thrifted crate. Mind you- my husband and pup come before the writings!

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

I'm sorry, I didn't fully understand the first part of your question (misbehaving laptop, plus the distraction of TCM's coming attractions. )
I don't have any particular plans for the future of my journals. A lot of the same techniques are employed in my 'for public consumption' art, though not quite so random and sloppy. I suppose my position is that I don't want any one reading my private writings while I'm still around, but after I'm dead, who cares?
(Someone told me that after my grandfather died, my grandmother built a bonfire and burned so many letters and personal items, which makes me sad, as I so treasure everything I have of theirs, now that they're both gone. Honestly, once you're dead, what does it matter? Most people who care or have an interest in your life will appreciate what you've left behind.)

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

ThesFlishThngs: I keep all of my important writings/ memorabilia in a compact easy-to run-out-of-the-house-with thrifted crate. Mind you- my husband and pup come before the writings!

Thank you. Though I'll probably be thrifting a bit this weekend, it just dawned on me that I have this utterly empty old case:

just sitting around like an ornament. Maybe I'll free up some shelf space, & pack it with my journals and passport and whatever other little treasures that will fit. See, that's what I need, some fresh, clever, outside influence.

 

[Audrey Horne]

Oh, how wonderful if my grandmothers or grandfathers had left writings of even the most mundane daily in-and-outs! A friend of mine collects vintage/antique diaries and journals and they are such a splendid read!

I have a photocopy of my great grandmother's journal. Well, it's my mom's copy but I borrowed it. It's from 1947-1948 and 1956-1964 with long lapses. There are also random pages written by my great aunts and my second cousins.

It's so beautiful to me. I wish I could see/have the original. I'm just glad that it's still in the hands of a relative who realizes how special it is.

Excerpt:
November 19, 1947 Wednesday
"Yes we wonder where we will be a year from now. For my self I am glad I don't know. God knew when he made us, that the burdens of life as we live it was bad enough without knowing in advance of our troubles."

Sad because I know of the tragedies she had yet to face at this point.

 

[Joonie]

Audrey- How bitter sweet! I have a copy of my great-grandfather's "autobiography" (which consists of a mere ten pages) but nothing from any other relative.

 

[Sunny87]

I've been writing in diaries and journals since my late teens.

Its fun to look back a few years,or even months to see the thoughts and what was going on..

Also,someday maybe mine and others journals will be found and turned into a sort of book of old times of the early 2000s

 

[Tenuki]

Oddly, I was looking for a fashion thread, but since it's kosher to revive old threads, I couldn't resist this one on keeping a journal.

-Why do you write?
To get it out of my brain. My crazy ol' monkey brain likes to re-enact the days' events. I meditate and exercise, but nothing gets the words of the my punkin like writing. It's also a creative outlet for my various crafts and need to collage.

-How long have you done so?
I've been keeping journals since at least 1988.

-What do you usually write about? What don't I write about..lol

I have had two shared journals - once around 1988 with my sister when she was living in New York as a nanny and found it was a fun way to correspond.

I'm currently sharing creative journal with a friend, creative mainly in how we record and share the information being passed between us, such as text written on origami pages, text layered with stamped and drawn images. Which reminds me, I'm due for an entry and then to return it...

I have a journal for my hand spun yarn - source of fiber, cost, music I was listening to, how I processed the fiber, the settings I used on my spinning wheel, and yarn specs and a sample of yarn. For a while, I included a small knit sample, which is useful, if a tad bulky.

A journal for knitting, which has everything you'd expect. I'm an improvisational knitter and use directions as a framework, so I record as much technical information as I can stand for each project.

I've had, and still have, all the journals I've written in, but for the past two years, I've been experimenting with a Daily Moleskin calendar. It's the 5 X 8.25 inch size. I put ticket stubs, journal entries, cutouts from magazines, photos, comments on current events, and whatever mental ramblings come out of my pen.

I briefly tried to journal on a computer, but I like the tactile nature of pen to paper.

There was a question a page or so back about owning other peoples (particularly family members) journals. I do have in my possession, two of my dad's sketch books from around 1970, when he was taking art classes. These are various sketch studies but also some rough compositions of paintings, some of which re-appeared in some form or other.

Aside from dad's drawings, my favorite diary of all time was a brithday gift a few years ago. It is a book called "The Pillow Book" by Sai Shonagon. It's the diary of a Japanese Courtesan from around the year 900. It recounts court intrigues, has lists (list of annoying things...), lots of personal information, and some poorly translated double entendre related to the game of go (but the translator assumed that the reader would not get the jokes. Frankly the translator didn't seem to get the jokes either). The translation I have has a brilliant payoff at the end - the journal goes missing for a while and she is mortified that someone is reading her words. Little did she know that 1100 years later people are still reading her words.

I doubt any future finders of my journals would find much of interest, even if they could read my handwriting.

 

[December]

I've been keeping a diary since I was 10, in 1998.

-Why do you write?
I can't remember why I decided to. It was my third or fourth attempt- the other ones hadn't taken off. It's all very mundane to begin with "My Grandma knitted me a jumper. I said I liked it to please her but it's disgusting. Pink and navy stripes. Yuk!" lol

As I got older, they became more a way to channel my thoughts and they almost became an ear to speak to. I found writing things down helped me get things off my chest.

-What do you usually write about?
These days I hardly write. I have my fiance now to talk to about all the things I used to write about- my worries, or particularly good times, or something that made me chuckle. These days I only really write in there if I'm annoyed with him!

I still have all my diaries. There is about 20 different notebooks, which flow into each other and they all have a name. The first one was Cally because I was reading a Point Horror book in which the lead character had that name. The latest one is Pepsi because I love the stuff!

When I was younger I loved the idea of someone reading them in the future. Now I'm not so sure- they got very dark between the ages of 16-18. I like to have them near me though. I'm actually reading through one at the moment, it's sat next to me on the sofa as I type. I like to remind myself of things that have happened in the past. They made me who I am today

 

[Joonie]

"The Pillow Book"

...........it's also a great film!

 

[Deleted member 12480]

i did write for a good part of a year about a year ago. you've inspired me to start again

 

[FountainPenGirl]

Hi, Somehow I think it helps sort out one's thoughts. Sometimes it's almost a kind of therapy. I've been keeping diarys about the last 15 years. Sometimes I write often and sometimes I will go quite a while without an entry. It just depends on what life has been like and how busy I am. I first started a diary about 30 years ago. My mom gave it to me and got me started. After it was full I didn't keep going at it. Then some years later I decided to start again and have kept them going since. What I've wondered about is do I leave them for the kids and grandkids to find after I'm gone or just let my thoughts go with me. A lot of the stuff I write are my inner most thoughts. The type of things a person thinks but would never say. I guess that's the point of a diary.

Another fun point is I always use my fountain pens to write.