Journaling Habit, a good companion that listens.

 

I have been journaling for as long as I can remember, and I am still now, especially with my Tarot and Oracle Readings.

    I never thought that what I was doing was already " Journaling " itself. It dated back when I was not going to school yet. I have these collections of old papers from my mother's work. I collect test papers that have a blank back page. I then bind, cut them in different sizes for my purpose, and then bind them with glue, and so I will then have memo pads. Some of them I clip with decorated paperclips that I make. The papers that were not cut, I staple with a folder, and then I decorate the folder itself.

    I also collect ballpoint pens and pencils. My mother used to collect pencils from different countries where her penpals live. I also have fun doing the same but with pencils that have different textures, decorations, and colors too. I also do that with ballpoint pens. My first colors were red, black, and blue. These were the basic colors that were also required from us in school that we should bring every day. Red is for checking and marking, black is for writing. Blue is sometimes extra but I use it for highlighting words that are important. ( Never would have thought that in the computer, highlighting with a blue color means a link and red would mean error... )

    Writing on a paper is my hobby. It is not that writing my lessons on a notebook is one of them, but it was a training ground for my writing and making it straight. The strokes and the styles in my letters were very much explored to the extent that my notes became so artistic that my mother would not understand it anymore, though it looks nice.

    The love for paper and pens led me to colors like crayons for most of the time. My mother would buy me crayons every time instead of watercolors because they are so expensive those days. So I would color my memo paper with crayons and make beautiful borders. That looks nice when I put my paper pads on my study table. Experimenting with my mother's Pentel ink in her room, led me to diluting it with water, and then submerging some bond papers in it, and then they became colored paper. Well, it would be easier if my mom would buy me some watercolors.

    I write in these personally homemade papers of mine because it is expensive to buy. My mom would also collect old used netbooks at the end of each year in school, and then unbind the paper from the spring binder. Then gather the pages and sew them together with yarn or embroidery thread. Maybe I got this idea from my mom unconsciously.

    Writing on my homemade notepads and notebooks makes me feel so attached to my writing and I like the feel of that rolling ballpoint from my pen to the texture of my paper. The grounding feeling makes it more like there is emotion in every stroke I make, and so my style of writing developed the more.

    Since writing my lessons on my notebook seems to be unappreciated in terms of style, I always regretted that feeling of writing down notes my way. Instead, I just followed the protocol of writing with a regular boring penmanship. I tried to not put my feelings in my school notebook notes. I detached from it so I can write like others do.\

    Then I noticed that I still have that urge to write like how I want to write. So I wrote some at the back of my notebooks. Even draw some images that strike the definition of my message... well, that would be like doodling.

    I continued this, and the same with my homemade pads. My mother then introduced me to a " Diary ". Then she bought me my first diary notebook that looked like a stationary. Oh, it was so beautiful that I would rather keep it and look at it rather than write on it. Until now I still have that inclination. But yes, I wrote on it eventually because my mom will use it if I don't.

    Since then I have that hobby of writing and journaling my feelings, hopes, dreams, and wishes. I never go anywhere without a piece of paper or mini-journal that I make. I love to write with style. I usually read my journal when I write them with style. If they are written like school writing, well, honestly, I get sleepy reading them, and eventually I would really go to deep sleep. I am more attuned in an artistic way of writing... with style. Maybe it is called "Calligraphy" but for me it is simply writing with feelings.

    My adventure in journaling went a long way and I have experienced a lot of benefits and transformations in my life. My journals may have been there or lost along the way because they were just made of vulnerable paper, but the experience will never be lost. The feeling that there is one thing in this world that could help me with my thoughts and with my feelings, that even in my journey itself, journaling became a part of my life. Regardless of what kind of notebook I write on or how these would ever be, I will still have this journaling as a good means of having some companion every day. 

    What I would be writing on them and how I choose the right journal notebook for my personal use will be another blog. Making my own journal can also be fun, but it also has its style that would fit the purpose, just like journaling with my Tarot and Oracle Reading. I enjoyed the moments when I write reflections on my readings and I also record some of my meaningful tarot readings. Since Tarot Reading in a Personal basis is very meaningful to me, so as Journaling for it can both exist in my life.

    Writing is not just jotting down notes, it is more than the. Journaling may begin as a task or an implemented work, but that is just the basic. Journaling can be something beyond these mundane needs for them. Notebook, paper pad, mini-journal, assignment notebook or scratch notebook... it is all the same. They are all made for the purpose of writing down, copying things, and putting our essays in them. However, one or all might call it, it is still Journaling. It is logging or documenting information of whatever on a piece of paper.

    So you see, Journaling is not only for a few who can afford to buy expensive notebooks, but It is for all of us. How we do it for whatever purpose we have will make the difference between making it our daily work task or mainly a personal companion in life.

    Enjoy the gift of journaling. It is not only writing but it is more personal than that.

    Have a Nice Day.