Article 1: Journaling/Blogging: The Art of Remembering
Article 1: Journaling/Blogging: The Art of Being Remembered
When I was in elementary and middle school journaling was the ‘cool’ thing to do; if you did not have your own Lisa Frank journal, complete with lock and key, you were not a ‘real’ girl. I grew up and the technology changed; my sister wanted a journal for Christmas which had a fancy electronic lock which promised to keep pesky little brothers away. Now we live in an age where blogging is the new journaling; to blog one simply writes whatever they feel like and post it on a blogging site or their own website. Blogging is such a huge trend that lots of people are making money for posting their thoughts on the web. Writing is the best way to express opinions, thoughts, feelings, and divulge secrets because you are not directly speaking to another person and for those of us who are introverts, writing is the best way to communicate and show your true self.
For some of us journaling is a way to remember important life events and for others it is simply an outlet for anger and frustration. Journals are glimpses into the past, a way to time travel without the machine; good journals should contain dates, names, specific places, opinions, thoughts, current events and/or the inclusion of present tech gadgets, movies, television, fashion, culture and music. When writing in a journal, thinking about who might be reading it might help guide your writing topics but never let it censor you. Be open and unbridled, daring and unrestricted, love your style and be passionate. If you get into a rut and have nothing more to write about than monotonous daily life, Google is an excellent resource for writing prompts. Prompts range from personal topics to more general questions about the world and life. Some people think you need to have an entry for each day of the year, I have found that to be the quickest and surest way to losing interest in journaling. Space out your entries, when you find yourself worked up about an issue or something you saw on television or in a movie, grab that journal and write out your feelings and opinions. A personal journal is more effective than a generic technical journal for leaving a footprint in history.
Imagine that fifteen years ago you wrote in a journal every week for a year and you recently discovered this long-lost relic of your past at the bottom of a pile of clothes in your closet. How would you feel finding that piece of history? On reading some of the entries did you realize how much you’ve grown? Did you write about movies you saw and admired? Was your emotional state any different than it is now? How much life have you lived since writing in that journal? These are the questions you can think about when you are writing in your journal. Whether you journal on paper or blog in cyberspace, writing is about remembering the past, yourself and who you really are.
When I was in elementary and middle school journaling was the ‘cool’ thing to do; if you did not have your own Lisa Frank journal, complete with lock and key, you were not a ‘real’ girl. I grew up and the technology changed; my sister wanted a journal for Christmas which had a fancy electronic lock which promised to keep pesky little brothers away. Now we live in an age where blogging is the new journaling; to blog one simply writes whatever they feel like and post it on a blogging site or their own website. Blogging is such a huge trend that lots of people are making money for posting their thoughts on the web. Writing is the best way to express opinions, thoughts, feelings, and divulge secrets because you are not directly speaking to another person and for those of us who are introverts, writing is the best way to communicate and show your true self.
For some of us journaling is a way to remember important life events and for others it is simply an outlet for anger and frustration. Journals are glimpses into the past, a way to time travel without the machine; good journals should contain dates, names, specific places, opinions, thoughts, current events and/or the inclusion of present tech gadgets, movies, television, fashion, culture and music. When writing in a journal, thinking about who might be reading it might help guide your writing topics but never let it censor you. Be open and unbridled, daring and unrestricted, love your style and be passionate. If you get into a rut and have nothing more to write about than monotonous daily life, Google is an excellent resource for writing prompts. Prompts range from personal topics to more general questions about the world and life. Some people think you need to have an entry for each day of the year, I have found that to be the quickest and surest way to losing interest in journaling. Space out your entries, when you find yourself worked up about an issue or something you saw on television or in a movie, grab that journal and write out your feelings and opinions. A personal journal is more effective than a generic technical journal for leaving a footprint in history.
Imagine that fifteen years ago you wrote in a journal every week for a year and you recently discovered this long-lost relic of your past at the bottom of a pile of clothes in your closet. How would you feel finding that piece of history? On reading some of the entries did you realize how much you’ve grown? Did you write about movies you saw and admired? Was your emotional state any different than it is now? How much life have you lived since writing in that journal? These are the questions you can think about when you are writing in your journal. Whether you journal on paper or blog in cyberspace, writing is about remembering the past, yourself and who you really are.