Diaries and Journals

A diary is generally understood to be something like a daily record, especially a personal record of events, experiences, and observations, which in many cases can also be a journal.  However, for our convenience here, a journal has a much broader scope.  It is flexible beyond the diary, and can be used to record more than just daily events, happenings, or opinions.  Of course, diaries can do that too - but it's more convenient to know the distinctions we are using for later consistency.  

With this in mind, then, there can be all kinds of journals, according to the needs of the journalist.  It rather depends on the interest of the person keeping the journal.  If, for example, the person is an avid gardener, she might keep a gardening journal (and many people do).  Someone may be interested in cooking and recipes, so they keep a cooking journal with favorite recipes.  I keep a dream journal.  A musician or actor might maintain a career journal, which would be more that a memory scrapbook, as it might be a record of how the creative process unfolded from beginning through the rehearsal process, to the end, including the problems encountered and how they were (or were not) resolved.  I know a man who is an enthusiastic hunter, and has kept a detailed journal of his winter hunting trips.  In it, he records the date, time, place, weather conditions, equipment, and comments about that experience.  (He also fishes and keeps a summer fishing journal!)  An artist may keep an art journal, and it can include all kinds of possibilities, such as sketches, drawings, designs, field trips, info on favorite or experimental materials, etc.  My mother-in-law was an experienced weaver and she maintained weaving journals which contained a drawing of a weaving pattern, a process description of how to do it, samples attached of the the threads or yarn she used, and a woven 3"-5" sample of the result.  Though she has died, it is an invaluable family lifetime record of her creative work.  Other crafts come to mind for such a journal, such as quilting, ceramics, etc.  Or suppose someone has recently bought a house which needs considerable repair work.  A journal of the progress on the house, with photographs, paint samples (including names and numbers of the sample in case it is needed in future) would be a wonderful journal.

The use of such journals is not limited to the individual and interests of one person.  In a larger sense, it is a contribution to history.  Rare crafts and techniques can be handed down to the future.  Families and communities treasure the unique contributions of their ancestors.  Below, I've included ideas for journals which might trigger some inspiration to start a journal, though this is definitely not all the possibilities open to be explored.

Just Some Examples to Think About:

Geneology and Family Stories                                    
Sewing, Fashion, Projects
History and Family Events                                          
Holidays
Sketches, Art and Designs                                         
Writing, Poetry, Creative Writing
Dreams                                                                      
Political Cartoons
Gardening                                                                  
Journal as a Gift to Give Away to Someone
Cooking and Recipes                                                 
Bird-Watching Trips
House Renovation and Projects                                  
Children's Games
Travel Journal                                                             
Trains, Planes, etc.
Music                                                                         
Collections (Dolls?  Antiques?  Netsukes?)
Sports (Baseball?  Fishing?  Sky-diving?)                    
How-To-Do-It Projects

Book Lists and Book Notes
Self-Improvement

History and Research
Nature Study

Words of Encouragement:

• "If you are at all interested in immortality, then keep a [journal]."  [David McCullough]
• "Time is at once the most valuable and the most perishable of all our posessions." [John Randolph of Roanoke]
• "The function of grandparents is to help children to understand that there was life before them."  [Margaret Mead]
• So much of our lives is lost: our experiences, our wisdoms, our memories, what we have learned during our lives, our choices, our ways of thinking and solving life's problems, our triumphs and despairs . . . unless we write them down.  Journals are the real legacy passed from one generation to the next, and beyond.  [A Cornerhouse Rule, aka CR]
• Write about your life and what is important to you.  Then, re-visit your old thoughts when you want new ideas.  Often, you are your own best resource  Writing it down means it won't be forgotten, even by you.  [CR]