I have always loved notebooks. I’m the kind of person to get a notebook, fill up five pages, and then subsequently forget about it and buy a new one. After a while, I accumulated quite a large stack of empty journals with no real reason for owning them. So, I gave myself a reason. I made one a journal, dedicated one to taking notes, made one into a journal-share (more on that later), and filled one with poetry. I still have more waiting to be used, but I’m planning on finishing these before I move on. Journaling is one of the most relaxing activities I’ve ever taken part in, and I’m honestly frustrated I haven’t stuck with it previously. Not only is it therapeutic, it’s hilarious. My eighth grade self is whiny and angsty, and re-reading all of those teenage thoughts is like watching a comedy show featuring the world’s most dramatic emo kid. I highly recommend it. Even if you have some sort of grudge against paper, there are other options. Without further ado, here are my tops journaling preferences (and the pros and cons of each one):
Good Old Fashioned Paper
Paper is great, because it doesn’t crash and there are copious amounts of it. Notebooks can be secured better than any webpage and I personally value that privacy. Not only that, but there’s something so personal about etching my own thoughts onto a blank sheet that I almost prefer it to speaking. It’s as if I know I have the power to easily share these thoughts with the world, but if I don’t want to, I’ll always have them inside this little book.
PROS
Easy to organize
Won’t crash or get deleted
Can’t be hacked
CONS
Can get stolen by friends at a sleepover
May get lost
If it’s destroyed, it’s gone forever
The Walls
DISCLAIMER: Do not go home and start writing on your walls and then blame me when your parents get mad. Also, don’t write on walls you don’t own. I’m just a hypocrite.
I write on my walls. Just little thoughts, mostly half-developed and very vague, but helpful when it’s late at night and my journal is out of reach. I only write in pencil, because I live in an apartment and I’m not trying to get evicted, but depending on your living situation, you can paint or write in pen or do all kinds of crazy things.
PROS
Can’t get stolen
Can’t get lost
Very convenient
Eco-friendly
Free (except for cost of house)
CONS
Is out in the open
Can be smudged
May get you in trouble
Generally only allows for short passages
Bumpy or unfavourable surface
Journal Share
This is something I started very recently. My friend Izzy and I decided to try it out, so we got one of my old notebooks, painted it, covered it in glitter, rainbows and gears, and doled out the pages. Basically, we pass it back to each other every week, each doing one or two entries each time. We can read each other’s writing and spill our guts out, knowing that someone will be listening and responding.
PROS
Great way to improve relationship
Easy to share information/emotions
Therapeutic
CONS
Easy to lose
Secrets are always shared with someone else
Blogging
I, like every good 21st century teenager, have a Tumblr blog. I know there’s a certain stigma surrounding Tumblr, but hear me out. It’s a great way to share feelings in a public domain, and it can even draw interest from some other users. Almost no one I know personally knows how to find my blog, and I intend to keep it that way. I can just write without concern of being discovered.
PROS
Easy to share or keep secret
Accessible almost everywhere you go
It’s blogging!
CONS
May get deleted
Can be accessed by anyone with a computer and half a brain
It’s blogging…
I hope you find a form of journaling that works for you, because it is a very beneficial activity. Don’t be afraid to try different options before settling on one, either! Different people like different things, and you may prefer something completely obscure and new.