About 4 years ago, my aunt suggested I keep a journal about all the interesting journeys I was experiencing — this was during my vanlife phase, and while I think she was genuinely trying to be encouraging, I mostly just rolled my eyes (not in front of her, at least).
Two days later I started journaling and I haven’t stopped since. I wish I had started at age 9!
The biggest benefit to me is something you mentioned as well— that I have become an archivist of my life. And further, I truly believe that journaling allows me to live my life twice over, thrice if I reread the entries later. It’s just so much richer when I take a chance to reflect on what happened, what I feel, etc.
Which brings me to the second main benefit: understanding myself better, especially in hindsight. Many times I will wonder why I made a decision and I have to go back to the journal and see what I was thinking/feeling at the time in order to understand why I did what I did. Sometimes it’s justified and sometimes I’m just nuts, but in either case at least I know why I chose what I chose.
It’s funny how many authors or other celebrities kept a journal that unintentionally became a best seller. For example, one of the most popular books on philosophy is Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations, which definitely has some profound dissertations, but it was never meant to be published, and it’s mostly just filled with his anxious worries and reminders to himself.
My personal favorite Thoreau’s journals, which are extensive, and explain why he was able to create such a masterpiece without ever having really published much else. He was writing the whole time.
I appreciated your story and how personal it was, and how fun and playful you make the entire thing seem. It’s cool to see so many of the influences in your life and writing. I think it would be interesting to hear about some of the artist dates that you have taken yourself on, and what happened as a result.
Writing often does feel totally meaningless sometimes, like that final Anne Frank quote, but I think it always has to come back to the love of the thing, self expression, self exploration, and playing with words. Thanks for the reminder.
Thank you so much for this reflection. I haven't read Marcus Aurelius's Meditations yet, but I have heard that it has inspired a lot of people. It's on my list, along with Thoreau's journals. I think I like to read journals because they expose what is in people's hearts moreso than in their minds, and stream-of-consciousness writing is so revelatory in that way.
I'm so glad you liked the flow of the article - I tried to frame it in a way that made sense. And I agree exactly with what you say regarding Anne Frank's quote - because being result-oriented in your work, even if it is journaling, kills the creativity - it is the pursuit of the craft that sustains the creativity and makes it all worthwhile.
About 4 years ago, my aunt suggested I keep a journal about all the interesting journeys I was experiencing — this was during my vanlife phase, and while I think she was genuinely trying to be encouraging, I mostly just rolled my eyes (not in front of her, at least).
Two days later I started journaling and I haven’t stopped since. I wish I had started at age 9!
The biggest benefit to me is something you mentioned as well— that I have become an archivist of my life. And further, I truly believe that journaling allows me to live my life twice over, thrice if I reread the entries later. It’s just so much richer when I take a chance to reflect on what happened, what I feel, etc.
Which brings me to the second main benefit: understanding myself better, especially in hindsight. Many times I will wonder why I made a decision and I have to go back to the journal and see what I was thinking/feeling at the time in order to understand why I did what I did. Sometimes it’s justified and sometimes I’m just nuts, but in either case at least I know why I chose what I chose.
It’s funny how many authors or other celebrities kept a journal that unintentionally became a best seller. For example, one of the most popular books on philosophy is Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations, which definitely has some profound dissertations, but it was never meant to be published, and it’s mostly just filled with his anxious worries and reminders to himself.
My personal favorite Thoreau’s journals, which are extensive, and explain why he was able to create such a masterpiece without ever having really published much else. He was writing the whole time.
I appreciated your story and how personal it was, and how fun and playful you make the entire thing seem. It’s cool to see so many of the influences in your life and writing. I think it would be interesting to hear about some of the artist dates that you have taken yourself on, and what happened as a result.
Writing often does feel totally meaningless sometimes, like that final Anne Frank quote, but I think it always has to come back to the love of the thing, self expression, self exploration, and playing with words. Thanks for the reminder.
Thank you so much for this reflection. I haven't read Marcus Aurelius's Meditations yet, but I have heard that it has inspired a lot of people. It's on my list, along with Thoreau's journals. I think I like to read journals because they expose what is in people's hearts moreso than in their minds, and stream-of-consciousness writing is so revelatory in that way.
I'm so glad you liked the flow of the article - I tried to frame it in a way that made sense. And I agree exactly with what you say regarding Anne Frank's quote - because being result-oriented in your work, even if it is journaling, kills the creativity - it is the pursuit of the craft that sustains the creativity and makes it all worthwhile.