Journaling the fun way

I can across these wonderful journal pages when I just began my journey into blogdom. In my usual internet hoarding manner I popped them into a folder in what I like to call the 'Katemuda Triangle' which resides on my computer and forgot about them until I was creating my 101 challenge list around this time last year. And so #79 was born.

There are around 50 of them and I've completed one or two here and there over the last year, just squirreling away at them. Now they're all done I have a colourful pile of memories from the last year which I think I'll bind into a book in the near future - cool!

I hope to read them in a few years, like a do now and again with my journals from when I was a kid and giggle.

Here are some of my favourite ones in terms of decoration. 

"Memory is the diary we all carry around with us"

When I was a teenager I was amazing at keeping a diary. I have 4 notebooks that I kept between the ages of 12 and 17 that are chocka block full of my (often ridiculous) thoughts, feelings, happy times and sad times from these years.

I often used it as a way to vent feelings. I never really had a 'best' friend during high school and writing in my journal enabled me to write my feelings down rather than talk to anyone about it. Around the age of 18 I got far too busy with clubbing and wot not to write. Between 18 - 21 I tried to revive the journal writing time but alas it seemed dead. Even when I met Damien I would write sporadically, really good for a couple of weeks and then nothing for months. It was always when I was feeling a bit yuck that I would write, and then when things would resolve themselves and I would be out of my funk that I got busy living life.

Another thing that was really painful (literally) is that I just can write with a pen and paper for long periods of time anymore. 1) it takes too long, 2) it truly is painful and 3) I don't have room to store all of these books of amazing (not) memories. So when I made this challenge...

...I thought it would be a really good idea to do something where I can type. Enter blogging! I made a private blog and began writing there. I think I've done OK. I've come to the conclusion now that I will never be one of these amazing people that journals everything, I wish I could be, but it's just not me.

I love that I can type something out real quick that would take me a good half hour using pen and paper. I love that I can make it pretty with banners, fonts, graphics and links if I need/want to. I love that I have somewhere to write when I need it.

I made it right at the end of December last year and as you can see, used it with a hiss and a roar to begin with. In April/May was when I was writing my life circle stuff and I can tell you now some of those entries are up to 3000 words in total, so biggies. I write more in the holidays (when I have time) and I'm OK with that - can't be superwoman blah blah. I average about 3 entries a month (remembering that some of these are an entry where I will go back and add to or expand on).

I don't feel like I've done an amazing job. I wish I had done better. But I think it's the best I could do, with what I have (mostly in the way of time!).