Journalling

[NewEnthusiast]

Hi All

I've read several people on this thread talking about the pleasures of writing a journal with a good fountain pen. My question is; what sort of things do you write about?

The backstory... my wife gave me a MB fountain pen as an engagement present. While I'm not generally a fan of babying things, I'm reluctant to take it into work for fear it will get damaged or lost. I also don't want to wear the nib into my standard scrawl. However, I realized the other day that, in nearly three years, I have barely used the pen apart from to sign greetings cards. This seems a terrible waste so I'm seeking inspiration for a project involving hand-writing that I can use it for.

Cheers

James

[Bisquitlips]

I have kept a journal for years and most of the time I keep more than one. It is one of the greatest of simple pleasures. Nothing like a quiet Saturday morning with a good cup of coffee, your favorite journal, and a fine writing instrument!

Do a quick Google search on this and you will come up with a lot of ideas to get you started, but the truth is that journaling is 100% malleable to your whims.

One of the journals that I am working on now is for our next trip to Paris. I keep travel journals as I am traveling, but recently I decided to put a Midori together that I am using as inspiration for the trip. In it I have a list of books to read. Places to visit. For example the footsteps of Hemingway when he was there as well as Picasso and others of the Lost Generation. Just all kinds of thoughts and plans that I am letting bleed onto paper. No structure. Lots of fun and it does get you inspired.

I have put some links below that hopefully will help. Good luck and if you have more questions please reach out here. I know there are others that will chime in.

If you don't know what a Midori is, look here: https://www.pinterest.com/angela_mcs...dori-obsession

The best thing about journaling is that there are no rules. You mind is the limit!





https://www.google.com/search?q=mido...rnaling+travel

https://www.google.com/search?q=trav...w=1366&bih=620

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+...w=1366&bih=620

[NewEnthusiast]

Hi Richard

Thanks for the great ideas and the fantastic photos.

My wife is pregnant with our first child so I have been keeping a record of our journey through the pregnancy and intend to continue that after our son is born so we can look back and prompt our memories for the details. However for this I'm using a pen my dad gave me.

Currently I'm thinking I will use the MB to try something a bit more creative. Just as Ian Fleming was provoked into writing Bond as a reaction to getting married, I too will see if a major life event will get the creative juices flowing.

J

[Formulansx]

I started keeping a daily journal of my fountain pen exploits about 6 months ago, mostly as an excuse to get a good amount of writing in. I take my pens to work but, as an engineer, I'm mostly writing down numbers and work instructions so not very creative writing. I've found keeping a journal of each pens individual characteristics and issues over time has been more rewarding than it sounds. God help us on days I receive a new color ink in the mail! Some days I just do head to head comparisons of pens that I feel are close in character. This was inspired by the SBRE Brown showdowns on youtube. So far I've found I have more than enough to write about just journaling about pens and the hobby in general to keep me busy. Sometimes just a log of pens I'm considering or what inks would match a certain pen the best. On off days, just a lot of scribble with about 20 different pens just because I want an excuse to use them all One of these days I'm hoping to go down the calligraphy road so I'm sure there will be a lot of discussion in my journals about that.

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by NewEnthusiast

Hi Richard

Thanks for the great ideas and the fantastic photos.

My wife is pregnant with our first child so I have been keeping a record of our journey through the pregnancy and intend to continue that after our son is born so we can look back and prompt our memories for the details. However for this I'm using a pen my dad gave me.

Currently I'm thinking I will use the MB to try something a bit more creative. Just as Ian Fleming was provoked into writing Bond as a reaction to getting married, I too will see if a major life event will get the creative juices flowing.

J

There is no better reason to journal than the experience of having a new son or daughter!

Just think of your son or daughter reading this about 30 years hence. I would jot down every experience, emotion, thought, and action if it were me.

The MB pen makes it just that much more pleasurable! And perhaps you could give it to them along with the journal. Just a thought!

[rkot07]

Originally Posted by Bisquitlips

There is no better reason to journal than the experience of having a new son or daughter!



Just think of your son or daughter reading this about 30 years hence. I would jot down every experience, emotion, thought, and action if it were me.



The MB pen makes it just that much more pleasurable! And perhaps you could give it to them along with the journal. Just a thought!

Yup agreed write a journal for your son or daughter.
I keep a journal as a set of letters to my daughter. I also signed her birth certificate with a MB pen which I plan to give to her along with the Rolex I was wearing when I first held her.
I have a second daughter on the way and have already bought her a MB pen that I will use for her birth certificate and a Rolex I plan to wear when she is born.
I will start a journal for her as well.
Besides something to hand down it gave me a excuse to buy more cool stuff...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bisquitlips]

They actually have questioned /dialoged journals on Amazon that become heirlooms when filled out.

These journals ask questions and you simply answer the questions. They are meant to jar your memories and perhaps would cover things that you may not think about when writing free thought.

Here is an example:

https://smile.amazon.com/Story-Lifet...tions+heirloom

[NewEnthusiast]

Thanks all for your input.

I love the idea of a set of letters to go with the journal.

The pregnancy journal was started after a) an amusing incident at a scan where I got thoroughly owned by the midwife and b) after a conversation with my dad about my grandparents where I realised I was very curious about them. Even if sprog isn't too too interested in the contents of the journal I thought it might be quite interesting for any grandkids to read. Currently I'm writing it with a Cross townsend my dad gave me when I was 16. That might change to the MB after the birth. Sprog will doubless fall heir to both (along with my watches) but not for a few years yet.

The big problem will be anyone but advanced code-breakers being able to read my handwriting!

[Bisquitlips]

LOL!!!!! Heheheehe!

Love your thoughts on this!

Very good my friend!