Themes/discussions: Starting off

[snowsurrounded]

A while ago it was suggested that we could try having themes or discussion topics in this community, and since I'm trying to generate a bit of content for three_weeks_for_dw, now seemed a good time to start:

So, first theme: how did you start journalling? Have you been writing paper diaries since you were a kid, or is it something you began fairly recently? Was it difficult to get started, or did it come completely naturally? What are your first memories of expressing yourself on paper, in a journal of your own? And does anyone have any photos they're willing to share of their early journals?

Comments

[valley]

I wrote a couple of times in journals (here and there) until about seventh grade, when I almost filled this beautiful floral-y spiral notebook, that I absolutely LOVED. I've still got it around someplace. A couple of months in, I realized that I had begun to keep it because I felt obligated to; it wasn't fun anymore, so I stopped.

Freshman year of high school I began to become more and more inspired by all the pretty, blank journals I'd see at Barnes & Noble or art shops, so I started up again, and recently passed my anniversary of that... Since then I've only filled a handful of journals (but one of them was a PaperChase, which are awesome and huge). I'm getting to the point again where I feel almost as if writing is work, but I know I can't stop because when I DO get around to writing it's a big stress-reliever. Also, I can paste in dozens of pictures of hot guys, and have them all to my self.

I keep a journal now to 1) help me remember things, because my memory is atrocious--and as much as I hate my situation now, I know I can't look back and pretend that it's a dream, I have to know it's all real; and 2) to relieve stress. I have several weeks I have to catch up on, and now instead of just stopping because I don't want to face my every-day life, I can be more honest with myself. I usually use Peter Pauper and PaperBlanks, though I also like PaperChase; Moleskines have too thin of pages and their lines are too narrow...I'm very picky, I guess. :)

[orbitaldiamonds]

I have a crappy memory too, especially long-term memory. In previous journals I've written to myself as if I were explaining things to me-with-amnesia. (If me-with-amnesia tried to make sense of the past few years, she'd be lost because I've mostly written bits and pieces lately.)

I like Moleskines for writing as far as the paper itself, but I can't stand narrow-ruled pages, especially for journaling. For about ten years (mid-90's until '07-ish) I wrote in decorated composition books because the lines were just right. Though one of these days, if I really get back to hand-written journaling, I'll get a nice wide-ruled big journal to write in (and a smaller one to keep in my handbag). :)