Sunday, January 6, 2008

My Favorite Journal

Okay, I admit it I've never been a proponent of journaling. And you are saying to yourself, "So you started a blog?" (Now you understand how much of a personal challenge this endeavor is for me.) I've admired other's journals. Most people I know are excellent writers, poets, artists etc. Their journals become these beautiful places to capture ideas, thoughts, sketches etc. I am envious. I am not a poet, nor a great writer. My journals start off with great intentions for well formulated thoughts, but so often they fall short. Mostly they become a place for me to jot down a good quote, make schedules and "to do" lists for myself. Books that I think I'd like to read, and songs I hear on the radio all find homes on the random pages of my journal. Functional and useful...yes. Artistic and expressive...no.



Many of my friends have given me beautiful journals as gifts. These books are so beautiful that I'm afraid to use them. They should be used for beautiful things not my grocery lists or the cost of chain link fence from Home Depot. (This is an actual page from my current journal.) Basically what it all comes down to is that I'm intimated by a blank book. Could anything be sadder?



Well no more. A friend of mine sent me the best journal ever! Its called, Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith. This journal is intended to be useful and inspiring and best of all, it is supposed to get beat up in the process. Nearly every page gives you task, most of them end up degrading the book in some manner. One page asks you to write the same word over and over. Another instructs you cover the page with only white things. Another tells you to tear out a page and make a paper airplane. There are instructions in case you forgot how to make a paper airplane. My favorite page is one dedicated to collecting stickers off your fruit. I love this journal because doesn't take itself too seriously. I'm beginning to agree with the friend that sent this to me. Everyone should own this journal.

3 comments:

jafabrit said...

What a cool idea LOL!

Ps, I will add your link to my blog and the ys arts blog next week.

check out sitemeter for stats.

Robin said...

Hey Crys,
Remember when we read Grandpa's journals from his time in Europe during WWII? One would think it would be filled with compelling first-person perspectives on world history, but no! Most of the entries were about him chopping wood. Sixty-five years later, even the mundane seems humorous and memorable...and it's real, unedited history. On that note, don't discount any of your entries, from the shopping lists, to the scattered thoughts. I'm sure Agatha Christie, Daphne DuMaurier, and today's Maya Angelou had (or now have) sloppy pages around their houses too.

eek said...

I love journals (the actual books) and always want to buy them, but when I do I'm totally lost! Can't write anything! I can spend hours looking at them and feeling them and picking out which would be best -- and I just love really cool paper too -- but when it comes to actually using them I'm lost. And now because so few people I know use them I can't even buy them as gifts. Woe is me. :-(