I decided to start journaling during lockdown as a way of documenting my experiences and memories of the past year. I have found writing to be incredibly therapeutic; it was one of the reasons why I decided to start blogging. I thought I would share some tips and ideas for anyone wanting to start it as a hobby!
Things I have been writing in my journal
My friend gifted me this beautiful journal a few years ago, you can make your own journal from scratch, start writing in a plain notebook or create one digitally. Last summer, I spent a lot of time writing letters to my friends and it was a really nice way of keeping in touch with people. Alongside my letters, I have a few random things that I have kept as keepsakes. Here are some of the things that I write/keep in my journal.
Dried/Pressed Flowers- I love collecting and drying flowers as a keepsake, so last June I pressed a few flowers from the garden and stuck them in my journal alongside my diary entries. It's a really nice way to keep those memories of lockdown, and it makes it so nostalgic to look back through the entries!
Lockdown Playlist- I started to write down songs that I was loving during lockdown and this was where the initial idea for my blog originated. I wanted to share the artists I love and help promote indie artists who were affected by the pandemic. Music has provided moments of escapism and helped me through the toughest days of lockdown.
Films- Lockdown meant spending a lot of time indoors, and of course that meant I spent a lot of time catching up on tv series and re-watching some of my favourite films. I created a list of the films I watched during the summer and I hope to review them in the future!
General Thoughts/Feelings- You can regularly write in your journal and keep it as a diary, a place where you can document your thoughts and anything that is worrying you. I usually write in my journal whenever I have free time, but some people like to have a set routine for when they journal (eg- write something every morning or evening)
Lyrics- If you are a musician, it may be useful to use your journal as a song writing book! I tend to write short lyrics/ideas in my journal and revisit them from time to time so I can get inspired to write new music.
Photos- I have some photos of my favourite memories from university in my journal, instead of permanently sticking the photo into the book, I recommend using tape that can easily be removed. This will allow you to change the photos and remove them in the future. You can treat your journal as a photobook, and it's a simple way of using up those extra pages! You can also add decoration or notes around the edges!
Do you journal? Let me know by leaving a comment under my Instagram post, I would love to hear what you put in your journal! (Remember...your journal doesn't have to be perfect or aesthetic, it is for you and nobody else!)
Commentaires