I still remember my first journal fondly -- a rainbow-colored palm-sized notebook with a soft cover. And most importantly a lock and key. Those were the days before password protected online journals and blogs. This tiny journal held my thoughts, dreams, secrets, and feelings of happiness, sadness and anger.
When I had a bad hair day I turned to the journal. When my best friend and I got into a fight I turned to the journal. When my parents grounded me for staying out too late I turned to the journal. The journal was a punching bag and also a best friend. There was nothing I couldn’t write about within these pages, and no one had access except me.
Keeping a journal was one of the best things that I’d done through secondary school. Writing is not simply about school assignments and coursework. It is a joy and can lift one’s spirits much like a cup of hot chocolate or trip to the beach. The journal is for your eyes only, no readers or editors to please, no secrets revealed.
Best thing, anyone can do it. Recently I went to the neighborhood bookstore and saw journals for sale -- some of them seemingly too fancy to write on and others plain vanilla notebooks with recycled paper. The bottom line: a journal whether it be HK$10 or HK$100 is yours to love.
Here are three ways to get started after you choose your journal.
1. Spend 10-15 minutes a day either in the morning or before you go to sleep writing in your journal
2. Free write in your journal. Write whatever comes to mind
3. Have fun!