Fortunately, we've both got that artist-thing going for us, so often times the blank journals become sketchbooks. This is in addition to the regular, conventional sketchbooks we use for work.
We enjoy the concept of journals, for sure. We just don't use them as such very often. Some of them have purposes though, even if incomplete. They contain thoughts, facts we want to remember, ramblings on spiritual and religious considerations, outlines for books, herbal recipes and remedies, etc. Some are turned into types of scrapbooks.
Sadly, many of them are left blank, out of paranoid fear of ruining the purity and potential of the book by writing something stupid in it. Because that's how we roll.
We've even been known to rip pages out if it's later decided that the "purpose" for the journal has changed and the former writings would somehow disrupt the flow of the new concept. This makes sense to us when it's happening. Writing about it after the fact highlights the absurdity. Obviously we have some sort of psychological issue relating to journals.
Maybe if I could type in them, I'd be more inclined to use them. Or perhaps I should get my laptop a rich leather cover to bring out the romance of journal keeping.
:o)
4 comments:
Haha, I know exactly what you mean about runining the purity. It's as if the journal is sacred, only to be used for ceremonial purposes, but what those ceremonial purposes are? No idea. Lol. I read an article that talked about this kind of thing, and it said that you should drop any preconceived notions about what is supposed to go in there, and to just write or scribble anything and everything. I tried it, but now it all seems too jumbled. Now I want to make a seperate one for my jewelry ideas, one for art sketches, one for recipes, one for actual "journaling" etc. So yeah, good luck to you on overcoming your psychological issue, I know it's hard. Lol
I, too, am a member of the Must Have Journal Club. This morning I took five little Moleskine notebooks out of my bag -- four of them still utterly pristine!
Heh, it's nice to know we're not alone in this! We've been attempting to use up the journals we already own before buying new ones, but then we discovered Moleskine, and now we have that to contend with. Bah
Quote: "Sadly, many of them are left blank, out of paranoid fear of ruining the purity and potential of the book by writing something stupid in it. Because that's how we roll.
We've even been known to rip pages out if it's later decided that the "purpose" for the journal has changed and the former writings would somehow disrupt the flow of the new concept. This makes sense to us when it's happening."
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Wow. I know it's about a year after the fact, but when I read the above, I nearly fell out of my seat. It's like you climbed into my head and exposed my thoughts or something.
You most certainly aren't alone. My journal collection is well over a hundred, many of them blank out of the same fear as you. And I've been known to tear pages out if the purpose should change later. It's a sickness really. Maybe someone should form Journal Addicts Anonymous. 0__o
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