Journal Ecosystem
I realized I’ve never posted one of these. Journaling has been a big hobby of mine for about a year now. I started shortly after quitting the first ‘real’ job I’ve had. I felt an urge to write again, the first time I’ve felt that way since high school. In school I was always happy to analyze things and write essays. After graduating, because I was never forced to write anything, I simply didn’t. I feel like most people just go on that way for most of their lives. However the amount of movement in my life really pushed me to write again. So I started journaling in what I had just learned at that time could be considered my commonplace notebook. (Pictured below)
I’ve been using this notebook for various things, my interests, school work (highschool then trade school), lists, etc. I used it as a memory tool, as well as a tool to write down my interests and keep track of things. Then I started slowly adding entries. Things about my life, essays and personal analysis. As I filled it out and neared the end I was excited to buy another and really develop this hobby. Journaling brought me a joy that I hadn’t felt for about a year at that point.
In searching for a new journal to replace the old one, I discovered journaling ecosystems. My first thought being, ‘well there goes my paycheck.’ The bookstores around my area, and in most I find, charge so much for any notebook, I felt it unrealistic for me to buy more than two. So I didn’t, especially because most people carried theirs in leather bound covers. If the price of those didn’t burn a hole in my pockets, then the shipping would.
However, when taking my brother shopping for art supplies, I realized something. I am a man that likes to work with his hands, as well as learn new skills. So I wandered to the leather working isle. I picked up a small sheet of leather and braided leather cord. I used the notebook I had to measure the height, then cut a long strip, then trimmed it down until I was satisfied. I now had a leather trifold cover for the single journal I had bought, and my intentions for more. As the months when by I added a few more journals, then another, until I was satisfied. Now I have a system to organize my hobbies and writings in a way that in completely personalized to me.
Here it is, all bundled up. As you can see I’ve got a pen sticking out from the top. It’s nothing special just a ballpoint pen I had laying around and used for my schoolwork. Attached to the leather cord, via jump ring, is a good luck charm from the 1978 Olympic Lottery to support the games, as well as a ring from my ex-girlfriend. Who supported me when I came out to her as gay, with more understanding then I thought she would.
Behind it, my new travellers weekly planner. I bought it for myself as a Christmas present and I’m glad I did, it’s already full of goals, my friends birthdays, plans for the year and manifestations. The two stickers are just some that came with the planner. A beaver cigarette card joins them on the cover. Beavers are a representative of my country (Canada) and are a good symbol of persistence and hard work.
Inside I have four notebooks, two small ones, and two larger notebooks.
The first notebook is a list of things I love, and things I hate. The list was inspired by the song, Doesn’t Remind Me by Audioslave. Some of the things listed are on my bio. But they aren’t organized in alphabetically like I have them on this app. Some of favourites include; Canadian Music, strangers cheering other strangers on, the feeling in cold tiles on bare feet in the morning, and orange. On my list of dislikes I have only listed three things (so far); making out while I’m high, when you tell someone’s being insincere, and one way conversation with my dad.
Beside it is my commonplace and personal journal. I use it primarily as a brain dump. I wrote down poems I like, entries about my life, drawings, notes for my sister’s dungeons and dragons campaign and processing things that are happening in my life. It’s already halfway full and I started this one at the end of September… lots of things happening. Additionally I use it as a small sketch pad to add some drawings to my personal journal.
Third is my notebook that I use for playlists. I love music, and I like relating music to other music. My playlists range from simple things to very personal things. Things like; music that mentions trains, songs with street names, songs with stuttering. On the more personal side; tapes I make for people, songs that remind me of friends and family, and songs about my home. I’ve always believed that music is something that can’t be stopped through borders, genre and laws. No matter what, humans will find a way to make music. It’s the most human thing we can do, sing, dance, create art. Speaking of art, the cover is a sketch by a popular, but also my favourite, artist, Vincent Van Gogh. His work has always been some of my favourite since I was able to think about that sort of stuff. As I grew older and learned more about him the more I saw a man who thought similarly to myself. He struggled with much of the similar mental health problems I’ve been seeing myself have more and more frequently. I believe that when I saw the small notebook that he deserved a place in my ecosystem. Especially since journaling regularly started as a way to track my mental health.
Tucked inside the last journal is another small journal. This one keeps track of quotes. Things I hear in movies, books, lyrics, friends, coworkers, and essays. I found it hard to find specific quotes when they were buried in obsessive ramblings so I needed a way to put them all in one place. The clip that holds it in is just a clip I found at work that held a label onto pipe, nothing fancy.
So that’s the set up. I definitely didn’t need to go so in-depth but it felt necessary. I don’t get to talk about this hobby to many people, so it’s nice to talk about it when I get a chance to.
