I started handwriting journal entries in mid-August as a way to relieve stress and really jot down my thoughts in a way that I wouldn’t be able to by typing. These entries can be repetitive and they don’t really flow like a blog post or other forms of “normal” writing do – likely because I write in blocks, several times a day. Much of it is just recalling the day, but some of it can also be rants. I guess it’s kind of like visiting a therapist, only there isn’t a second person taking notes and giving me advice.
The journaling has been good for me not only from a mental health perspective but my health overall. I think it not only has to do with me actually putting some of my innermost thoughts out in writing, but because I’m actually writing the so-called “old fashioned” way. It helps my brain, mechanically speaking, and thus, better helps me feel better physically. Things were getting a little stressful over the past few months, but I’ve felt much better since I started writing. I feel a lot happier – not that I was UNHAPPY before everything started – but something just felt…relieving. Of course, an event I organized last month, one which was successful (and something I”ll discuss in another post in the coming weeks), also helped.
My journal is a plain, 5 x 8.5 (or so) Moleskine notebook and I’m currently on my third one (I went through my first in a month). I typically write about six or seven pages a day. Would I eventually publish my entries? Perhaps, but it will need to be heavily edited to protect people’s privacy.
Whether it WILL be published is another issue. Everyone says the literary and publishing world needs more diverse voices, but the “diversity” they currently have and is willing to publish isn’t necessarily the kind of “diverse” voice I have. Of course, my rant about that is a whole other post as I do not want to get off topic! Another time.
