There are many ways to keep memories. There are digital means and methods that allow you to collate materials, such as photos and recordings. There are also videos that you can keep in your hard drive. But nothing beats the old-fashioned way—journaling. For starters, journaling is an act of putting things together that will remind you of a certain day or memory. It is a mix of actions, which may include collecting clippings, pictures, trivial things, and writing a short text to describe them. For some, it is an art of keepsakes that may lose its essence and relevance as time goes by.
Memories feel real when they are tangible. The candy wrapper that you have kept over the years is put into your journal will bring a gush of memories. This mere thing reminds you that happened in the past is all real. So, if you want to get started on journaling, here are some of the pointers you may want to keep in mind.
Prepare your paraphernalia
If you want to start journaling, you need to have the things that you will use for it. Invest in high-quality ones; buying such may be a reminder that you need to splurge yourself occasionally. Instead of using a regular ballpoint pen, you may want to go for fountain pens. Regular notebooks may not last longer than it is supposed to, so you should go for the likes of Moleskine. Other than these items, you should get yourself the smaller things that will make the entire effort possible: glue, gold binder clips, stickers, and tapes.
Do not just stick to one format; be spontaneous
You may be tempted to stick to one format, as single formats are often easy to execute. But journaling is not all about uniformity. This is where you can be spontaneous. For one, if you are planning to just write down your thoughts and create photo essays, you may ditch the plan and go for random treatments. You can treat one entry as written material. The next entry can be a sample of mixed media where you create a collage of pictures and stickers.
Bring it wherever you go
You will never know when the next great memory will happen. And when that happens, you need to record it as soon as possible. This is something that you can only do when you have your journal wherever you go. If you have a big journal, and it is not possible to bring them, you should have a smaller notebook where you can keep the items you want to journal. Do not forget to take pictures.
Make it a ritual
If you want to make journaling truly consistent, you need to make it a ritual. If you keep forgetting it initially, you can use a timer or a scheduler that will remind you that you need to do it.
These are just some of the things to keep in mind if you want to start journaling. Keep it consistent and always make new memories.
