I tried Virginia Woolf's journaling routine for a MONTH 📖

"Yes, I have notebooks but I feel like this requires a journal" is the most writerly thing to say

Writing a letter to someone can be one of the most intimate, thoughtful things you can do for another person.

I started journaling in 2020 when we were in lockdown, and I stuck to it. I had no one to talk to, even when lockdown was over, and having somewhere to share my thoughts and feelings really helped. But I do get a little sad when I reread old entries, because we change so much as people 🥲 and it hurts when we don’t achieve what we want to-or when things don’t go to plan 💔♥️

I've been keeping a journal for about 25 years - sometimes months between entries- but it's sooo nice to look back on at what I was like at different times in my life! I also keep one each for my children where I write entries for them that they can keep when they're grown up 💛

Your page that said "I didn't feel like doing this today" reminds me of that page in (I thought) Darwin's page that simply said something along the lines of "I'm very shit today. The world today is horrible and everybody is too".

When you said you feel like this requires a journal of its own, I thought, this video needs to be called "A Journal of One's Own" :)

No! Do not give me an excuse to buy more stationary! Do not! It is my one weakness! No! So I bought three new journals: how many routines were we testing?

As someone who finally got journaling to stick 2 years ago now, I find the best thing for me is to write when I need it and to fill my journal with whatever I need at that moment. To write letters that will never be sent, to feel feelings when my mind is going round in circles. To understand my own voice and the voice of the universe or my guides. To have feelings and ask for solutions and how they stream out of me when tapped into the creative space. The thing with journaling is it’s personal. Never go into it with the aim of getting the same result as someone else, especially not straight away. Journaling is a messy exploration of the self and a record of who you are. Something you read back when you are struggling to see who you are or find hope. I am on my third journal now. I do not write in it everyday but I think that better reflects the flow of life and time and creative thinking. Like waves that go in and out. There are times you ride the wave in and write pages on pages and other times you just float to survive and do nothing else. Journaling is a joy and so healing for the soul.

comparing journal writing routine to an Artist sketchbook has thought me the importance owning a journal. Thank you for sharing this.🙏

After many years of attending workshops, I read Julia Cameron's book THE RIGHT TO WRITE. She advocated 'Morning Pages' and keeping a notebook. The title alone gave me confidence. I co-ran a poet's guild, which developed into 'spoken word' events. I've scribbled in many notebooks since, 'harvesting' ideas, overheard conversations, reflections, observations, words and phrases I've noticed or thought of, made notes in art galleries about pictures which i later developed into poetry, short stories or a play. Writing is not so much scribbling, it's more a way of life.

I like the way you described a narrators mentality based on the words they use to describe something. Daisy yellow - corn yellow - crime scene tape yellow. That helps bring that awareness to my own writing.

I am a daily journaler and have done so for about 40 years. And the brain reacts much differently to the action of hand writing. I also love reading journals, letters, and diaries of famous writers. So many writers practice the art of journaling.

I’ve journaled daily for…forever, decades at this point! I love it so much. Once it’s a habit your golden and you start to rely on it to sort your thoughts out. Life saver, literally

You’ve exactly nailed her literally purpose in journalling - she wrote very differently about Ulysses for public consumption than she did there.

I started journaling during the lockdown of 2020. I'd journal every night before falling asleep. Initially I was writing my emotions, then I started tracking my sleep, food I ate, things I got done. Now I write a small recap of each day - it exhausts my mind and prevents me from overthinking, which results in better sleep. It has been over 2 years and I still journal every night. I then bought a planner this year. I use my planner to track my sleep, meals, habits, books I read, things I purchased, etc. I find all this really therapeutic. It gives me a perspective about small things that add to my progress. I also have a writer's journal and a milestone journal. A writer's journal is for my creative outbursts and my milestones journal is where I record any big highlights of my year. I am also gonna now start this word association exercise you showed and I will try writing descriptions of my surroundings too!

Lol I accidently did the challenge for 32 days instead of 30 but REGARDLESS I did a journaling challenge for a whole month and I hope you all enjoy it! 😄💛 P.S. Don't forget we're going on a group trip to Japan in May 2023! More info: bit.ly/3NoyR5G

I want to try journaling but I feel like I always forget or get too tired to do it. Props to you for being consistent throughout the month :D it's inspiring me to try it out!!

“This is just an excuse to buy a nice journal really, it’s the whole reason I’m doing this video” is too real 😂😂📓📒🖋

In 2018 I took a trip by myself to London for what I called an “Eat, Paint, Love” trip. I found a great “experience” on AirBNB - it was a Journal Writing class. It was a private class and we read some of Virginia Woolf’s diaries for inspiration. It was really well done - almost like a class I’d taken at University. Best part was that it was hosted in a shepherd’s hut - and they served a cream tea. Loved it. Went back home a week later and ordered a bunch of Virginia Woolf’s books!

I fill three pages of my journal (A4) in half an hour. If I had to go that slow I just wouldn't do it. The thing is to not think so much, just express yourself without censoring yourself. It may be embarrassing or shameful later, but then you never have to look at it again. That's the whole point, to get it out of your head and onto the page.