My best friend and I used to have journal picnics. We’d hit the corner market and get a bunch of food, then spend the day just eating and writing together. We’d make up prompts and then have fun seeing how we each interpreted it, we’d pass our notebooks back and forth and write messages to each other to be read later. It doesn’t have to be so solitary and serious all the time! Loved this post.
Literally obsessed with everything you’ve said here, especially at journalling being like going to the gym!! It’s a routine that can feel really awkward and be discouraging if done with an intimidating end goal in mind. Love love loved this article!
Thank you! 🫶 Yeah, I think at first it can be nice to just show up and feel things out/get used to being there, and then it’s easier to come up with a more regimented system if that’s what you even want!
Point 2 sits a bit oddly against the rest for me. You warn people off systems and multicoloured headers, then the one thing to commit to is consistency, and by point 6 it's a gym comparison. I always put the notebook down when it started feeling like that.
Inconsistent was the wrong word, sorry about that. Your advice holds together just fine, the word that snagged me was "results". When I journaled to looking to see results the entries went flat, felt like upkeep. It got good again once I let myself skip weeks and just went when something needed writing.
Ah, I understand what you mean! Yeah, focusing too hard on the outcome can make a thing less pleasurable for sure. I think I assume that anyone who journals is doing it for SOME reason, whether it’s catharsis or understanding or just a new screen-free activity, which is more what I was referring to. And sometimes showing up multiple times is what helps the brain remember it’s an option at all, when it’s really needed (IMO)
My best friend and I used to have journal picnics. We’d hit the corner market and get a bunch of food, then spend the day just eating and writing together. We’d make up prompts and then have fun seeing how we each interpreted it, we’d pass our notebooks back and forth and write messages to each other to be read later. It doesn’t have to be so solitary and serious all the time! Loved this post.
This sounds SO CUTE! I’d love to do this sometime, thanks for the idea 🥹
Inspiring!!!
Literally obsessed with everything you’ve said here, especially at journalling being like going to the gym!! It’s a routine that can feel really awkward and be discouraging if done with an intimidating end goal in mind. Love love loved this article!
Thank you! 🫶 Yeah, I think at first it can be nice to just show up and feel things out/get used to being there, and then it’s easier to come up with a more regimented system if that’s what you even want!
Point 2 sits a bit oddly against the rest for me. You warn people off systems and multicoloured headers, then the one thing to commit to is consistency, and by point 6 it's a gym comparison. I always put the notebook down when it started feeling like that.
Hmm, I think I’m having trouble following. Where is my advice inconsistent?
Inconsistent was the wrong word, sorry about that. Your advice holds together just fine, the word that snagged me was "results". When I journaled to looking to see results the entries went flat, felt like upkeep. It got good again once I let myself skip weeks and just went when something needed writing.
Ah, I understand what you mean! Yeah, focusing too hard on the outcome can make a thing less pleasurable for sure. I think I assume that anyone who journals is doing it for SOME reason, whether it’s catharsis or understanding or just a new screen-free activity, which is more what I was referring to. And sometimes showing up multiple times is what helps the brain remember it’s an option at all, when it’s really needed (IMO)