Today marks the official kick off of Jamie Ridler’s Give a Girl a Journal project whose goal is to get journals into the hands of as many girls as possible and empower them to use them.
To get things underway Jamie has invited folks to participate in her blog hop and social media extravaganza and share the impact journaling has had in our lives and why it matters. I can totally get behind this, and today I’m sharing a peek into my journaling world.
I keep both written and visual journals, and I began as a teenager when writing suddenly seemed to make sense as a way to navigate a world that didn’t feel all that welcoming nor seem to make all that much sense. I started keeping my first dream journal then as well, and I began collaging at that time also. I considered collaging to be non-verbal communication and was fascinated by connections I was able to make through images. It’s been a life-long passion. While I only have a few remnants of those early journals and writings, I do have one of the very first collages I did. I’ve kept it framed and hanging on various walls in various homes all these years later. I love it that much. I feel both tender about the young me that created it, and honestly also a bit in awe that I clearly had found a way to express my voice in a way that has been such an important part of my life ever since. Just recently the picture fell, cracking the glass, so I’m not able to show you a photo. When I get it reframed I will.
In the meantime here are some photos of some of my journals. Here’s a collection that sits at my desk.
And these are just a few of them I’m actively using and keep in a box on the ready in my studio.
I’ve tried many times to keep just one journal for everything, but that’s never worked for me for very long. I think it’s part of my nature that I want multiple things going at once, and new projects always seem to want their own journal. I’m always happy to oblige.
I do keep a written journal of thoughts, things I’m working on, stuff that’s caught my attention, and things like that. While I always enjoy these daily journals, there have been times in my life when they’ve felt like a critical life line – like when I was a teen, and then during the time of my sister’s death, and during my father’s dementia and my mother’s stroke. Journaling was literally a salvation for me. Which I suppose is why I feel so passionate about Jamie’s project. It’s been such a helpful tool for me and I want every girl to have that available to her as well.
But as I said, I have all kinds of other journals as well. My dream journal, and one for daily ephemera. I have a journal devoted to each of my totem animals; and one for the formulas and observational notes for the many aromatherapy projects I work on.
In one of my first jobs I worked at a photography studio where I was introduced to visual stylists and the kind of journals they kept. I think this may well be when I fell in love with color. I started noticing colors and then noticing what combinations I liked, and I began playing with pattern. I like exploring how things mix, and keeping records of this in a journal delights me. I delight in the synchronicities that often occur – some strange color shows up and literally just in the next moment some other matching or complementary bit appears.
While I often use purchased journals to work in, I also love bookbinding and have made plenty of journals myself. It’s often fun to do this when working collaboratively – it adds another layer to the magic of such projects. Another advantage of being able to bind books is you can take loose pages you’ve worked on and bind them afterwards. I’ve done that a few times as well. But recently I got a binding machine that allows me to bind papers with a spiral wires, and I’ve been having a fabulous time with it. I doodle a lot. A LOT. Particularly when I’m on the phone. One day I noticed I had pages and pages of interesting images – often with little snippets of words written on the page. Clearly I had been jotting down things that were important/interesting during the conversation, and yet with the passage of time very little of it made any sense. And imposed on a background of totally unrelated images it was like a peek into my the wild garden of my brain. Because I’m always up to adding secret messages, hidden pockets, layers and folds, I’m having a wonderful time with this particular journal using the original doodles/messages as a jumping off point for whatever else wants to be added. I call it my Doodling Dossier.
Another journal I always keep is an Idea Reliquary – which I fill with inspirations and brilliant ideas and I’d-better-write-this-down-before-it-evaporates musings. Here’s a look at my very first one, which you can see greatly outgrew its spiral container. I managed to lose/forget about it for several years, and when I re-discovered it it was the most magical thing ever. A look back into my creative mind, and lots of the ideas were still very appealing. I don’t think I could ever be bored, my brain is constantly cranking out ideas. I’m just happy I figured out I should actually find a place to store them.
I’ve got a journal for costume inspirations, and one for mandalas; one for found poetry and one I’ve just started for a cartooning class I’m taking. And I have to say, we’re just dipping our toes into the waters. My world is awash in journals. And I couldn’t be happier about it.
That’s what I wish for all the girls who will get their first introduction to journaling thanks to Jamie’s Give a Girl a Journal do-good initiative. That they each get a taste of endless possibilities opening up. That they find their voice; they honor their feelings; that they learn who they are and how to celebrate that; and most of all that they know the power of being themselves full out.
I know the power of journaling and I’ll never forget it. Years ago I had a chop (stone seal) made with the reminder “Write Your Heart.”
I wish that for everyone as well.
I encourage you to play along in Give a Girl a Journal. Share your story; nominate a girl to receive a journal; or sponsor getting a journal into the hands of a girl somewhere in the world by contributing funds. Be sure to check out all the info here.
Oh, I love the stacks and piles of magic you have gathered into journal form. Thanks for the small peek into your emporium of delight and possibility.
Ah, that’s what a journal is like isn’t it – full of delight and possibility!
How lovely to be awash in journals. And so like you to have so many inspiring containers to hold your thoughts and visions! Beautiful post. Thank you for sharing.
It feels decadently delightful and abundant to be awash in journals. Here’s to all the magic journaling holds for us.
Deborah, I love, love. love all of your wonderful journals. I also love all the ways in which your creative joy and expression have their special space to be. Wonderful!
Thanks Pattie! And what a delight to have you pop by.
Oh I am always writing in a journal. There’s something much more intimate about handwritten thoughts vs. computer journaling. It’s fun to doodle in the margins, and jot down stray ideas that pop into your head, that you cannot instantly address when at the keyboard. I have a stack of homemade journals that I like to give away when the opportunity arises! Love your stash there. Very inspiring for sure! Thank you for sharing…and more importantly…THANK YOU FOR THE LOVELY VALENTINE! Stay warm…Aloha!
I couldn’t agree more Vicki – paper invites non-linear thinking (and writing) in ways that simply can’t exist via a screen. And I love that you have a stash of giveaways – so perfectly you!
Deborah, I think it’s great you bookbind to create your own journals. Takes journaling to another level. I keep many different kinds of journals too. Keeps me grounded and able to fully devote time to various parts of my life.
Journaling is such a helpful practice isn’t it? I’m so glad you stopped by to say hi Shell, and I loved a chance to see your journals as well.
Deborah, I think we may be journal kindred spirits! I love the stacks of journals. I, too, work in multiple journals for multiple purposes. One the rare occasion I find myself without a journal handy, I reach for anything that can serve that purpose temporarily. There was a time I thought I was alone, and now I realize I belong to a much larger tribe. Thanks for being part of that!
Oh yes Sam, we are indeed clearly members of the same tribe. I’m glad you’ve started blogging and look forward to reading more, and perhaps seeing more peeks into your journals.
Sam, I do exactly the same! I’ve ended up writing on the back of subway transfers, envelopes, whatever I might find in my bag because I absolutely HAVE to write! What a tribe we have here.
Deborah, I loved reading your experiences with journaling! And I especially liked all the photos and descriptions of all of your many types of journals. I don’t usually work in multiple journals (except I have a writing journal and and an art/visual journal) and I’m always intrigued by people who have many going for many purposes. Thanks for sharing! Keep journaling!
I’m always intrigued Beth by those who can keep just one (or in your case two) journals. I try periodically but I just can’t make it work, and yet still it appeals to me. Thanks for stopping by and happy journaling always!
Hi Deborah,
Thanks for stopping by and reading my Give a Girl A Journal post today! Your blog is delightful, I love the colors and clean, crisp feel of it. WOW—you have inspired me never to think I have too many journals! Yours are lovely and so organized and oh how learning bookbinding draws me in. I’m taking baby steps into visual journals and would love to see your youthful first collage; what a treasure.
I’m keen on your Idea Reliquary and may have to give that one a whirl. I write my morning pages in one; my One Little Word journal; a gratitude journal; a smash journal; and am starting a quotography journal. You can simply never have too many!
Thanks for spreading the love and helping to keep girls journaling! Vugs ~L. ♥
Thanks for the kind words and for the visit Laura. I love meeting other members of the multiple journal club. Never too many! 🙂
Thanks for the peek into your abundant collection of journals you’ve kept through the years, Deborah! I admire people who manage to record their lives through journaling. I have been receiving more messages lately to begin traditional written journaling and whisperings to make a return to art journaling and I’m sure this blog post is another one of those messages from the Universe!
Thank you also for sharing the project to get journals into the hands of girls – I will look into that and see how I can participate. I am starting to see the real benefits of having a journal to write out ones upset or confusion at things happening in ones life or in the world in general and it seems that it can only help our world to get more journaling in any way we can =)
It’s always interesting when messages and whisperings start showing up isn’t it, encouraging us onto a path. I know journaling has been so helpful to me when I’m noodling through the fog and various challenges, and art journaling is just plain fun.
What a joy to explore all your journals and through them to discover more about you! Thank you for sharing your wild creative garden and for supporting Give a Girl a Journal, Deborah. What amazing wonders we can open with just something to write with and something to write on! ((bighugs))
Thanks for stopping by Jamie. It’s such a delight to play along and support your fabulous initiative. You’re opening the way for lots of magic to happen!
Wow, I’m so impressed. A few times in my life I try to keep journal but never for too long… Your post inspired me to try again and to have not just one but a few… I could start to journal daily about my life, another journal could be about my embroidery and another about my spiritual awakenings… Maybe I wasn’t successful before because I was trying to put all in one…
Oh yes Evalina, I can totally see you working with multiple journals!