Journaling (or Rambling On about Rambling On)
Aug 3rd, 2009 by lapazfarm
I’ve been thinking about some things lately (oh, no. Here she goes again.)
The ever-inspiring Karen Edmisten has got me thinking about the purpose of my blog. Does it, or even should it have a single purpose? I’m not sure. As Karen so wisely points out, homeschooling moms tend to be a bit more multifaceted than the general public realizes. Though we tend to be hyper-focused on our kids’ educations, we do have lives outside of all that. We also write, play sports, knit, volunteer, sew, hike, make art, run marathons, work part-time, collect vintage whatevers…We are not one-dimensional beings so it is only natural that our blogs not be confined to a single topic.
(page from my art journal)
This “multi-dimentionality” is true of everyone I suppose, so it rarely surprises me to see craft ideas on cooking blogs, recipes on art blogs, book reviews on mommy blogs, and parenting tidbits on craft blogs, etc. Why not? I ramble on here about any old thing, so why shouldn’t others?
(page from my nature journal)
This is a homeschooling blog. But that isn’t all it is. I think of my blog as a journal– a record of the things our family does, mostly including homeschooling, but also encompassing some of the other bits and pieces that make up the big picture of what a homeschooling lifestyle is all about. After all, if I wanted to give a true picture of what homeschooling is, I’d have to include all that, wouldn’t I? Homeschooling’s not just sitting around the kitchen table doing workbooks, now is it? At least I hope folks will pick up on that from visiting here.
(page from my art journal)
But really, this post is not about any of that. This isn’t a blog post about blogging. And it’s not even about homeschooling, really. It’s about journaling. Not blogging, but other forms of journaling.
(page from my craft ideas journal)
A little history. Before blogging came along, I was never one to keep a journal. (Well, except my nature journal, but even that is spotty at best.)
(page from my nature journal)
It’s not as if I didn’t try. I cannot count how many diaries as a child or blank books as an adult that I started with good intentions but abandoned after a only a few days sporadic scribblings. The problem was that first of all I am not a writer (as is quite obvious), and secondly I just did not often have much to say( a little harder to believe, I know. Very funny). So days and days wore on and eventually blank pages became the norm. Eventually I had to accept it and had given up on ever journaling. And then I found blogging and found I did have something to say after all, and a great medium for it as well. So I took off with it and several years later here we are.
(page from my personal learning journal)
But still…remember that whole “multi-dimentional” thing I wrote about up there in the first paragraph?
Yea, that.
Thanks to the internet and other sources of inspiration I have found that my journaling does not have to be confined to one subject (or even one medium) any more than my life does! I’ve quite happily discovered the wonderful world of art journaling (I am currently getting a lot of ideas from this wonderful site), I keep a “personal learning journal” for whatever subject I am currently immersed in, I have a notebook to scribble in craft and sewing ideas, and I still treasure my nature journal for outdoors and my blog for recording the goings on of everyday life and our homeschool.
(page from my art journal)
That’s a lot of journals, but I’ve grown to learn that I need them all to contain all of my thoughts, ideas, etc. and express what I want to say in my own multi-dimentional, multi-faceted way. I’ve gone from a journaling failure to somewhat of a journal junkie!LOL! It’s addictive once you get going!
In fact, I’m getting these for both Superboy and myself, hoping to get him hooked and incorporate some regular journaling time into our routine this school year.
So, tell me..how do YOU journal??? I’d love to hear about it!!!
Great post, Theresa! I love all your journals. I used to journal obsessively (pre-children, that is) and that all slowed down when I was busy with little ones. Then blogging came along, and I kept much less of a paper trail. I still like to keep booklists, and a spiritual journal, but there’s nothing like a good paper trail, so you’re inspiring me to keep more notebooks and journals.
Hi Theresa!
I have just finished Wreck this Journal and what an adventure my kids and I had, we even included the kids from the neighborhood! Lots of fun and creativity.
WTJ has kickstarted my habit of journaling again, and I am looking forward to doing more art journal entries.
This blog is inspiring to me, http://daisyyellow.squarespace.com/vividlife/kick-start-your-art-journal-part-i.html. I really enjoy visiting the art projects for kids too.
Great post!
Theresa,
I think I’m very much like you, though moderately more successful at keeping a journal in my pre-blogging days. Still, I think no paper journal could compare to my blog. I think in part having an audience keeps me accountable for writing frequently. Even more though is the positive reinforcement. Knowing I’ll get comments, getting into a conversation, it makes me want to write when my own natural laziness might make it not seem worth it to record the moment just for myself.
I have been studying all the art journal ideas from artprojectsforkids as well. They are intriguing and I think they would make great family art projects. I am going to look for the sketch books she suggests and get started in a few weeks.
We all keep commonplace books which have been a great way to record all kinds of thoughts as well.
http://harmonyartmom.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-is-commonplace-book-or-another-way.html
Loved this post.
Barb-Harmony Art Mom
My journaling start sounds much the same as yours. I try, but really I’m not a writer and never get more than a couple pages. Blogging has become my journal just this year. I love it. I’m addicted. Words and ideas come out and people who know me can’t believe I have something to say (I don’t talk much.) Right now, I’m really, really wanting to start a nature journal – so hopefully soon I’ll have that going. And I just want to say (being totally honest – not just flattering) your blog has been my number one inspiration. I started blogging because I love yours. And I love that it’s multi-faceted.
Thank you, Sarah. That is very kind of you to say!I look forward to seeing some pages from your nature journal once you get it going!
I do not currently journal. It has been a very long time since I did. I love the idea of keeping a running journal with craft ideas!
I too have had on-again, off-again journals, and the blogging is really what seems to stick for me. I really try and do nature journalling along with the kids, but also a sort of grab and go journal/spiral notebook for my own notes, lists, ideas, writing etc. The computer is really where I hash it all out though, sometimes on the blog, but mostly in word docs or personal pages. Love all your artsy pages in your journals
I like this post, thank you! Yes, I have often discussed with myselve whether I should blog only about Homeschooling, or also about the other things. And yes, everything hangs together somehow, I can not disconnect homeschooling from the things that we do as a family. But my mentality that I need for our Homeschooling, hangs together with the other things that I do: politics, art, love to nature, etc. So I always write what seems important to me at this moment. But I also have a diary in the traditional manner for my sketches and poems:))
[I hope it is understandable what I wrote here, I'm not so good in English, sorry]
Your art journals are beautiful! I am a random journaler, having many for my different facets. I’ve got no rhyme or reason to it though. Many are just notes of ideas or learning notes. I’ve morphed into a file folder junkie, keeping ideas visually sorted in an overstuffed idea cabinet.
Absolutely!
(as I’m sure you know.)
Especially since home education is a family lifestyle… not just a decision to take kids out of school.
I figure the blog is there to tell the story of the family.
At least… mine is!!
i keep so many journals … written journal, journal on the computer, travel journals, pregnancy and baby journals, writing and work journals! and then there are the sketchbooks and notebooks…
I love your journals – I journal less now I blog and faebook. I blog to thonk, to keep in touch with friends, because I like to write, to meet new fr9ends. I mostly journal now on holudays, on wild days out…
Hi, I have been reading your blog for about 3 months and thought it was about time I popped by to say ‘Hi’.
I am new to journalling, art, and nature; this is my first year! I am just getting the hang of how to document and do all these things, so it a learning curve for me. I have been looking at this and other blogs for ideas, inspiration and encouragement.