“i don’t like writing about my day, but i want to keep a journal”:
quotes and copywork. when reading, if you find something you enjoy, just copy it into the notebook. you can copy a whole chapter if you wish, highlighting what caught your attention the most.
definitions. look up on a dictionary and copy it. you could write your own dictionary as well, making up definitions for words.
lists. a classic, write movies to watch, books to read, the playlist of the month or just the groceries you have to buy.
maps. when going somewhere, you could draw the route you took or just a map of the place itself. just look up the place on google maps and copy it. you can draw a little map of all the places you have lived or the schools you have attended as well.
photos
take “notes” as you watch movies / documentaries. write down phrases that caught your attention or doodle.
illustrations and clippings. if you see an image or piece of art that you liked, put it in your journal. if it’s from a book or from a magazine I would recommend scanning it, tho’. it will serve as a record of what kind of art you enjoy through the years.
newspaper clippings from the day.
tickets and pamphlets. from movies, museums, transportation.
postcards
records. you could record for a month what the temperature was when you woke up and when you went to sleep. if you do that for a year, it gives you a better notion of the passing of seasons. you could record rainfall and other seasonal changes as well. you could choose something (an animal, a plant, an item or object) and write down every time you see it.
rubbings of leaves, coins, landmarks.
count. there’s a scene in the movie Coraline (2009) where Coraline’s dad tells her to go count the windows. you could do the same type of counting game if you are bored and write down.
mindmaps/sketchnotes + timelines of books, movies, music albums.
collages
pressed leafs and flowers
your collections. if you collect anything you could write down an inventory or maybe try to draw the items.
recipes. write down recipes and give it a score every time you try it. you could do the same for drinks you try out.
stickers
comic strips. you can find a bunch of it online, glue your favorites in your notebook.
T.H. White, in his 1958 retelling of the Arthurian legend in Once and Future King
Orca wants you to know it's ok to be tired 😴
sadness, grief, anger, etc. might feel comfortable because they’re familiar, but that doesn’t make them good for you. feel them, but don’t let them overtake you.
🩷 Digital illustration of a black woman with curly hair holding up a sheet. There is a star garland and there’s text across the sheet that reads, “the tools you needed to survive are not the tools you need to thrive”
It’s really easy to think that our friends and other loved ones think negative things of us when we’re not around but I have to say that it’s much more likely they’re thinking positive things.
I think about my best friend, and how beautiful she is and how I miss her and hope she’s doing okay.
I think about my partner at work and how much I love him and can’t wait for him to get home.
I think about my online friend and how amazing it was to meet her this year. I wonder how she’s doing and I feel so thankful she’s been a part of my life for so long.
I think about my cousins and how wonderful they are and how even though we don’t talk much anymore, they were a huge part of my growing up and I’ll always love them.
We often think positive things about our loved ones, and it’s likely they do the same for us as well.
and is your shame helpful? is it inspiring goodness and change? or is it keeping you frozen in time unable to move on and be everything you have expanded to be?