Hobbies and Habits: Make Journaling Your New Hobby
written by: Renate engelbrecht
We’ve been looking for a hobby that will allow us to slow down during the festive season and we thought we might attempt journaling. But, getting started might not be as easy as you think… The first lesson we learned when we started researching the topic, was that there is a difference between keeping a diary and journaling.
It's Not Just Keeping a Diary
A journal is more than just keeping a diary. It’s about painting the full picture of your experiences. A good way to kick off your journaling hobby, is to start with a travel journal. That way, you can use it as a canvas to draw a picture of where you were, with words.
Painting Pictures with Words
Speaking of painting pictures, you can also do that by means of adjectives and metaphors, detailing the tastes of exotic food, the sounds of bustling markets, the interesting conversations you had with locals, the feel of the beach’s sand under your feet..
Journaling About What You've Learned
A journal can also serve as a repository for what you’ve learned – whether it’s tips and tricks from a recent trip or lessons from a challenging time in your life.
Start a Reading Journal
A reading journal can be just as transformative! Jot down quotes, key points and takeaways, or write about how the book you’re currently reading, makes you feel, which characters you are drawn to or how you can relate.
Journaling Through Crafts
Who said journals are only for words? You can also have a creativity journal. In essence, it’s a treasure trove of inspiration and reflection. In an article on duncanandstone.com Garrett Peters says: “Whether you knit, scrapbook, or woodwork, journaling can enrich your crafting experience.”
Don’t let these limit you. You can also take up fitness journaling, jot down reflections around mindfulness and motivation, set goals and track progress, create visual collections and plan new projects. There are also many journalling tools online, with various journalling prompts to get you started
