Journal Progress

    It's the 1st December Saturday of the decade so I thought I'd spend a few hours trying to come up with something productive that involves journaling and writing.  Hence, here's an update of my journal progress since October 2020.

    Around 3 months ago, I had the interest to give my traveler's notebook refill a second chance. I got it last year but I stopped using it for almost 6 months. Back then, I had difficulty of adjusting to the notebook's size, particularly, how to maximise the space of every page- a total struggle. Looking back, I'm glad I spent time not using it because forcing myself to use the notebook could've soured my "relationship" with journaling. Lesson learned from notebooks : Allow yourself to have some space, some time to cool down before making life-altering decisions. 

    Fast forward to three months ago, I was listening to this album called "The Freewheelin Bob Dylan" when I thought of the album cover's color palette. I've been into album covers since forever, but this particular cover brought back memories and longings for a time period I wasn't even part of. Looking at this album reminds me of a time when life was waayy too far from the ones we live in right now. Even the image of the couple brazing the cold New York street makes me sad about something I can't even explain.

    In other words, looking at this album cover, particularly the color of Bob's jacket, his girlfriend's trench coat, and the blue Volkswagen inspired me to look for my Traveler's Notebook refill and translate the feelings I got from this album cover. I don't know why I thought of my Traveler's Notebook refill when I could use my other journal notebook. It's a question I dare not to search for answers because some questions are better left unanswered. 

Young and innocent, unaware of what's to come.

    After locating my Traveler's Notebook refill somewhere inside my cabinet, I began making my first journal entry using the album's color palette. I considered the journal spread as the beginning of the notebook's new chapter. It was, in some sort of way, an ultimatum. I knew that doing this journal spread meant no turning back- either I'll commit myself into using this notebook or part ways with this notebook forever. 

The beginning of a new chapter.

    I know it sounds weird to speak of a journal notebook like it's the biggest concern in the world. I sometimes think that it is indeed weird to put so much emphasis on a journal notebook when all it does is to document bits of my life. It doesn't entirely capture the entirety of my day, but I realised, after spending most of my time this 2020 journaling, that although journaling captures a small portion of my life, what matters is the whole process of attempting to get into the abstractness of my inner-self and translate it into something sensible or concrete. You can even call it an introspective adventure- you strip away layers of covers to get into the innermost / realest version of yourself. 

    Anyway, I know it's obvious by now that the do-or-die journal spread was a success. In fact, it began my attempt to make vintage-inspired journal entries as much as I can. There were days when I didn't make journal spreads and I was surprised to feel not-so-bad about it. My renewed interest with this particular notebook also taught me not to force myself to do things I don't like doing and not to share things I'm not comfortable of. Thank goodness for the blur option on my phone because that allowed me to conceal parts of my journal I prefer to keep to myself. 

    I guess that's all for this journal post. I don't mean to tell every detail of my journal progress because that'll surely take hours given that I have the tendency to overshare. To end this post, I'd just share this video I filmed last month featuring all the journal spreads I made on my Traveler's Notebook Refills. a bientôt