Does anyone else here Journal???

[Bisquitlips]

So I must now admit that I am a hopeless Journalphile!!!

I am one who inks their thoughts on ivory pages almost daily and I even break up my thoughts according to work weeks and weekends.

I will say that one of the simple pleasures of life is to be able to read back through my own thoughts.

Every trip we have made abroad I have journaled and to be able to recount those moments as I have lived them is sublime.

When I went to Iraq in 2005, I spent many hours journaling my adventures and when my lovely wife Leah and I have traveled, one of the best parts of our journeys to me was to sit out on our balconies or on the beach and journal our experiences.

So my question is: How many others here write down your daily lives?

I sincerely hope that I am not the only one.

Journaling in London in September.

[Ed Rooney]

I don't journal, but anything that keeps another blogger off the internet is A-OK with me.

[shandy]

Hello Fellow journaler!
I am a rabid journal person, around 10 pages a day. I find it hard to go a day without writing down my thoughts and I recommend it to my clients as an exercise.
I know you have the wonderful MB Agatha, I really find the best way to journal is with a Fountain Pen. I have been using my 83 year old Duofold special for months now, it has an original stub flexi nib and makes my scrawl look good!

What journal do you use out of interest, I switch between Moleskin and Clairefontain.

[dalip]

Hi Richard
I don't - but looking at you and thinking of all those wonderful insights you must still be able to reflect on....I am seriously encouraged to begin. What a wonderful discipline.

By the way I think the guy sitting behind you in the photo would have benefited from less time spent in his head and more on the page (ps I hope you're not connected!!)

By the way is that South Kensington way?????

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by dalip

Hi Richard
I don't - but looking at you and thinking of all those wonderful insights you must still be able to reflect on....I am seriously encouraged to begin. What a wonderful discipline.

By the way I think the guy sitting behind you in the photo would have benefited from less time spent in his head and more on the page (ps I hope you're not connected!!)

By the way is that South Kensington way?????

Dalip,

That photo is just down the street from Paddington Station. Not 4 blocks.

I never really noticed the guy behind me in the photo, but this is a fairly nice part of London and so I can say he wasn't as bad as he appears to be.

As far as journaling goes I would recommend it completely. It is such a profound and peaceful daily discipline and as life is a once around experience, you would be surprised how much is lost unless it is recorded. Not to mention it will be one day read by those who love you when you are gone.

[kcmo]

Richard, I've never kept a journal but I really think it's a wonderful 'habit', for lack of a better word.

Maybe I should start....

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by kcmo

Richard, I've never kept a journal but I really think it's a wonderful 'habit', for lack of a better word.

Maybe I should start....

Karis,

I highly recommend it. At least give it a try.

Get yourself a nice fountain pen and perhaps a Moleskine journal and for a small investment you can begin. I think you will find it brings you to places in your own mind that are otherwise missed.

[Mike B]

Its weird you've mentioned keeping a journal. Just recently I've been thinking a LOT to myself, and was thinking that it would be great if I could actually jot the entire day, and remember everything I am supposed to do. What a solution, just jot down what I have to do/expereinces on a day per day basis. I like that idea. In fact, I may start as soon as tomorrow.

[JBat]

Richard, I do, but sporadically. My wife (then my girlfriend) bought me a beautiful journal back when we first started dating. We both love to write and she knows this about me, so she purchased me a lovely leather-bound journal from Papyrus. I used it for a few months, but it's been hit and miss since then.

I need to get back into it, because you are right, it's a great outlet. Since I also have a nice Mont Blanc pen (also courtesy of my wife), I really have no excuses. Thanks for reminding me of that.

Nice GMT by the way.

[JBat]

Richard, I'd be interested to hear how you break down your entries. You mentioned you do it by work week and weekend, but I'd like to hear specifics. I was just doing it by date and kind of writing down what was on my mind, willy nilly.

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by JBat

Richard, I do, but sporadically. My wife (then my girlfriend) bought me a beautiful journal back when we first started dating. We both love to write and she knows this about me, so she purchased me a lovely leather-bound journal from Papyrus. I used it for a few months, but it's been hit and miss since then.

I need to get back into it, because you are right, it's a great outlet. Since I also have a nice Mont Blanc pen (also courtesy of my wife), I really have no excuses. Thanks for reminding me of that.

Nice GMT by the way.

Thanks John for the compliment on the GMT. This beautiful timepiece was courtesy of John (Springer) and I also purchased a jubilee for it from Steve Mulholland as well as the coke bezel (it came with the Pepsi). I have enjoyed it in the extreme.

For those who would like to begin journaling I would recommend The Fountain Pen Network forums. A perfect compliment to TRF in my opinion as there are many FP connoisseurs there that are also timepiece collectors. Just a great bunch of people to rub elbows with.

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/fo...ex.php?act=idx

[JBat]

^^Thanks, I'll check it out.

[Art 1]

I did years ago and should start back up again.

It never even thought of using a good pen or even special paper. What the need?

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by JBat

Richard, I'd be interested to hear how you break down your entries. You mentioned you do it by work week and weekend, but I'd like to hear specifics. I was just doing it by date and kind of writing down what was on my mind, willy nilly.

There are many ways that I have tried to journal over the years, but I have found that work weeks are typically less interesting than weekends and special seasons such as vacations.

What I do now is keep a journal for work weeks, one for the weekends, one for vacations (these are kept by regions such as Europe, the Caribbean, the Orient, and so on). When I went to Iraq to work for CENTAF, I kept as separate one for that experience as well. The point of journaling is to be able to go back and re-read your thoughts and experiences at particular times. If you can't find the writings you are looking for, it can be frustrating.

Breaking down my journaling this way keeps things organized from those standpoints. But you need to find what works best for you.

I generally use the Moleskine journals on trips as their 3x5 inch journals are easily slipped into my pocket. I also use a leather cover on them from Renaissance Art that keeps them from being damaged if I carry them in my back pocket. If you look closely you can see it on the journal I am writing in below in the photo.



You can get them here and they are extremely well made. http://renaissance-art.com/catg109/category.aspx I use the traditional cover. The one without the tie or snap. Again, all their leather products are the best I have come across.

Just one more hint. When journaling I also draw maps and sketches of what I am seeing or the places I go. For example in York, UK last month I drew a map to the B&B where we stayed so that should be go back many years from know, we can find it.

The sketches and maps don't have to be good, just adequate. They also make the journals more interesting to others when they read them.

One more thing. I collect the diaries and journals of others. I have a fairly extensive collection. One of the most interesting of them is the journal kept of a woman looking for her son whom she gave up for adoption when she was a young teenager. Engrossing stuff and enlightening. Another is from a teen girl from the 40's. This young lady "tells all"! Very amusing reading. The others I have are a mix of travel journals and personal diaries. The travel journals are great as they give many details of the places people have traveled to and if you are a world traveler that can be very helpful when you visit those places.

When I purchase a journal or diary, I always try to find the original owner if I have enough information to do so. That in itself is a remarkable experience, but I will save that for another post.

Richard

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by Art 1

I did years ago and should start back up again.

It never even thought of using a good pen or even special paper. What the need?

Just all a part of the experience. Kinda like drinking a great cup of coffee when doing so.

[shandy]

Originally Posted by Bisquitlips

Thanks John for the compliment on the GMT. This beautiful timepiece was courtesy of John (Springer) and I also purchased a jubilee for it from Steve Mulholland as well as the coke bezel (it came with the Pepsi). I have enjoyed it in the extreme.

For those who would like to begin journaling I would recommend The Fountain Pen Network forums. A perfect compliment to TRF in my opinion as there are many FP connoisseurs there that are also timepiece collectors. Just a great bunch of people to rub elbows with.

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/fo...ex.php?act=idx

Here here to FPN! A great bunch of really informed folks who are very generous with their time and knowledge!

[JBat]

Richard, thank you for the detailed information! I have to say your method of journaling is remarkable. I never would have thought to take it to that extent, but I really like what you said, particularly the part about not being afraid to add drawings and maps. What a great idea.

As a photographer, I can relate to how difficult it can be to find specific photos among thousands of others, much like finding journal entries. Your technique of using different journals for different parts of your life is great.

Thanks! BTW, I did check out the FP site, and it's very good. Thanks for that also.

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by JBat

Richard, thank you for the detailed information! I have to say your method of journaling is remarkable. I never would have thought to take it to that extent, but I really like what you said, particularly the part about not being afraid to add drawings and maps. What a great idea.

As a photographer, I can relate to how difficult it can be to find specific photos among thousands of others, much like finding journal entries. Your technique of using different journals for different parts of your life is great.

Thanks! BTW, I did check out the FP site, and it's very good. Thanks for that also.

No problem at all John. If you would like, PM me and I will send you a brand new pocket size Moleskine journal to get you started. I use these as they are timeless and after all, these were the ones that Hemingway and van Gogh used!! Just makes me feel creative using them!

http://www.moleskineus.com/moleskine-about.html

Just send my your address and I will get it out this week!

Richard

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by Bisquitlips

Karis,

I highly recommend it. At least give it a try.

Get yourself a nice fountain pen and perhaps a Moleskine journal and for a small investment you can begin. I think you will find it brings you to places in your own mind that are otherwise missed.

Richard, you are really so passionate about this and I love it!

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by kcmo

Richard, you are really so passionate about this and I love it!

Yep, guess I am. And I don't know why except that it is beneficial, at least to me, in many ways. Therapeutic when going through hard times, satisfying when jotting down daily experiences and thoughts, and a caching of memories when traveling the world.

Also, someday my children will have these journals as I now have my father's. My dad kept journals in regular spiral notebooks and after his death they are priceless. I actually never knew he kept journals until after his death when I discovered them accidentally while going through his apartment.

Just reading about his daily routines are moving to me. He writes things like "Went to the Pig today..." Meaning he went to Piggly Wiggly to get some groceries. "Rick called today..." Meaning I had called him. He kept records of the weather, other family members, his financial struggles, his friends, and so on. Just very good stuff!

[Bisquitlips]

Just another thing I forgot to mention is that I keep other things in my journal besides written words.

If you open my Europe 2006 journal there you will find a Swiss 10 Franc note, 2 or 3 strange and lovely small flowers picked on the alpine summits above Innsbruck and pressed in the back pages, the wrapper of a small Swiss chocolate that was served with our coffee at a sidewalk cafe in Paris, a piece of clover picked from the grass at the Tower of London just next to the scaffold area where so many lives were ended, a 5 Euro note collected somewhere in Europe as a 5 pound note from the UK, a leaf from the Linden tree that Martin Borman planted at the Berghof at Berchtesgaden in Bavaria (yes its remnants are still growing there), and lots of other 'flat memories' or things that will press flat.

So that is one of the reasons for the Moleskine. The elastic band keeps everything snugly together and from falling out. They also have a pocket in the back for slipping things into as well as a ribbon bookmark. A well thought out tool for any journalist.



Actually my journal looks more like this than the photo above.





In case you missed it in one of my posts, this photo was from yesterday morning as I was preparing for some entries. I picked this journal up from a young man in Austria that makes them by hand. Very nice!!

[BarkMaster]

I get the Levenger catalog. What other similar outlet that has pens / notebooks do y'all recommend?

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by 777

I get the Levenger catalog. What other similar outlet that has pens / notebooks do y'all recommend?

I also get the Levenger catalogs, but don't find much there that I want to spend that much $$$ on.

I get lots of pen catalogs from the likes of Colorado Pen company and Fountain Pen hospital, but not much with journals in them. And also have a lot of online catalog bookmarks.

I am also interested to see what other outlets others get their journals and pens from.

[Deep Sea]

I kept one for about six months, right after I left my first job, and was apart from my wife. She was living in MD and I was KY, and we were apart for about 5 months while we were trying to sell the house in MD. It sucked bigtime, and looking back on what I wrote in there, the pictures I drew, and the thoughts I had at the time regarding being apart, family (we didn't have any kids at the time)...it is very interesting.

I keep telling myself I want to start again, along with starting to make more collages of pictures of my kids & wife.

Maybe this will be the kick in the arse I need to finally get started. I'm heading back to the US in a few weeks, and maybe I'll look for a nice leather-bound journal.

Thanks for the insight, Richard!

mk

[BLSampson]

Hi Richard,
So where do you get the moleskins at? I may try journaling again. I did it in class recently and was able to capture a number of insights that served me well since they would have been lost had I not wrote them down. Also, how about another KC GTG?

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by BLSampson

Hi Richard,
So where do you get the moleskins at? I may try journaling again. I did it in class recently and was able to capture a number of insights that served me well since they would have been lost had I not wrote them down. Also, how about another KC GTG?

Bill,


I purchase my journals off eBay a dozen at a time, but you can get them at just about any bookstore.

I am ready for another GTG. There is actually a couple of us meeting next Thursday evening over in Overland Park at Tivol I am planning on attending. They are having their Boys Night Out night.

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=97898

We are going to meet at the bar area of Sullivan's Steak house at 6PM. You are invited of course.


4501 W 119th St
Leawood, KS 66209-1503
(913) 345-0800

[R.mojo]

Yes i do, but only for work, since im responsible for all electronic orders etc in our company it is mutch to remember : ) Specially if your name is Rasmus



Now the time is 01:00 in Sweden and i should go to sleep 4 hours ago :) :)

Night Night ! Sleeptight

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by Deep Sea

I kept one for about six months, right after I left my first job, and was apart from my wife. She was living in MD and I was KY, and we were apart for about 5 months while we were trying to sell the house in MD. It sucked bigtime, and looking back on what I wrote in there, the pictures I drew, and the thoughts I had at the time regarding being apart, family (we didn't have any kids at the time)...it is very interesting.

I keep telling myself I want to start again, along with starting to make more collages of pictures of my kids & wife.

Maybe this will be the kick in the arse I need to finally get started. I'm heading back to the US in a few weeks, and maybe I'll look for a nice leather-bound journal.

Thanks for the insight, Richard!

mk

Yeah Martin, these solitary times are great times for reflecting and journaling. I can relate!

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by R.mojo

Yes i do, but only for work, since im responsible for all electronic orders etc in our company it is mutch to remember : ) Specially if your name is Rasmus



Now the time is 01:00 in Sweden and i should go to sleep 4 hours ago :) :)

Night Night ! Sleeptight

Night buddy!

And I guess any reason is a good one.

[Deep Sea]

Here's what I use at work for all my notes & meeting minutes. I've been using these notebooks for almost 10 years, and have referenced them numerous times to see when a particular meeting happened, or see who said what (or agreed to do what). These notebooks, and their contents, have numerous times saved my butt, and more than once proved me wrong in my own assumptions. Either way, they are great for work purposes.

I often will print out email messages and tape them into the notebook, using a highlighter to trace the edge of the email, then tape over it, to show the email was put there chronologically in time. I also use the notebook to capture original ideas, again taping over the notes or drawings, along with the signatures & date of those who were involved, to use in the future. This practice has also helped significantly when somebody else has wrongfully tried to take credit for something they were not part of, or did not do themselves.

This company (Scientific Notebook Company.... www.snco.com ) also has a pocket notebook, which might be a good travel size. For work, I use the 1201, 1301, and 3001 model numbers.

Here's what my work notebooks look like (stock photo, not my actual notebook full of notes):