Found your Substack through your YouTube video on this topic and I loved both! As someone who started taking journaling more seriously last year, I always thought I was doing it “wrong” by writing about what was happening in my day to day life rather than jumping straight into deep introspection. But the way you explained it really resonated and helped me understand my own process! By documenting my life, I naturally end up exploring those deeper inner topics over time. And in turn some of those journal entries turned into Substack essays too. Thank you for sharing
I started journaling like this last year and it made me more consistent with journaling. I approach as more of a memory/recordkeeping exercise. Some days my inner feelings tumble out and other days it’s just a record of the day but both feel productive and helpful.
Reading this almost feels like a permission has been granted to write about the early morning moonrise or the red robin I saw in the garden, the bland lunch I had - all mundane individually but that make up moments of my day to day living. My journal is never near me when I have profound thoughts and when I do have it close to hand those very thoughts elude me. But with this perspective I will be jotting down more of the physical and wait for the profound to drop:)
Excellent piece. I'm going to try this. I tend to be an emotional journal writer, going to the page when I have big feelings, but in retrospect these entries are not helpful in identifying patterns, etc. They're just testaments, not entirely unhelpful, but not doing the long term consistent work I've always wanted from my journaling. Thanks for sharing this!
Hmmm. True. You need to write the good, the bad and the ugly in your journal. In that way, you're reflecting. You're journaling to understand yourself.
Love this article (and I love Haruki Murakami's work, particularly his book 'about' running, too!) - for me, I usually start a journal entry with an interesting, often thought-provoking quote or article I've come across, either that day or towards the end of the day before. It's often a good way to get something started, to get my thoughts flowing and to avoid that blank page syndrome. Thought I'd share! ❤️
Thank you for sharing this today. I was struggling with a question about journaling—where,when, how as it applies to me and my life. I loved the gas station example—that is IT exactly. My how.
What I’ve been trying to figure out is WHEN to journal. If I use that energy in the morning, I can’t work on my book. I can’t go back -to -back like that. I’m winded. I need recovery time.
But working on my book in the evening lacks the spark that I have at the start of a new day, my mind cleared of debris, quiet, ready.
In the evening I am teeming with the day, exhaustion, thrumming with unspent emotion, and of course competing duties : dinner-kids-my homework-downtime.
Your example of H’s observance helps me see that I can combine two things. Wind down and doing my morning pages— but at night. This can also become an effective way to draw a line between me and my phone and the tv and the world. I can then slip into bed, spent and open to the book I’m reading.
As a lifetime morning journaler going through evolutionary pains, your comments on the morning/evening energy struggle mirrors mine. Thank you for putting it into words, and giving me a direction to ponder.
I enjoyed this post and I also enjoy reading Murakami. When I first started journaling- I treated it like I was supposed to have so many insights and so many interesting things to write and when I didn’t, it felt defeating. After a while, I realized I put too much meaning behind journaling and treated it just as an empty page. An empty parking lot. If I had something to write, great, if not. The date will suffice and just a word or sentence can be thrown in if there was one.
nicely said. i often struggle with the mundanity of journalling because i think i idealise it a lot. but i'm always happy to look back on what i've written. mostly i write when i'm sad or stressed so the happy events barely get mentioned.
Another insight I found about journaling is how my handwriting changes. That says so much more than what I’m actually writing. It expresses the emotion you I’m deeply feeling in the moment. If I’m in a hurry. If it’s the first thing I’ve written this morning. Even writing in sadness or writing in madness. Writing with a glass of wine. It says so much more…. Focus on your handwriting and you’ll be able to see so much more.
Your opening comments reminded me of a guy I had been dating for over a year who broke up with me while we were sitting in his car. It was 25 years ago and I still recall feeling both emotionally upset about the break up and somewhat safe in the confines of the vehicle. I hadn’t thought about the implications of sitting side by side rather than face to face. Thankfully I had driven myself to the event we had attended and drove myself home. I certainly appreciated that he was respectful to talk to me rather than sending an email, calling or ghosting me, which I have experienced from others.
I've been broken up with in a car too. I honestly found the experience to be much better because I was less self-conscious about being observed while being sad. I could process it and not have to worry about how I looked because they weren't looking at me.
So yeah, it really does help. Still hurts though (all breakups do). Anyway, thanks for reading and sharing your experience.
Beautifully written a really interesting insight into an author that is on my to read list this year.
I picked up journaling for the first time ever this year. It was weird at first, I felt a reluctance to put pen to paper as if someone was watching me over my shoulder. Part of me felt scared that I would write something that future me would read and feel sad about. It was a weird feeling. Instead I started writing about small things I noticed, an unseen flock of birds chirping in the trees as I left work. Pink sunsets. How the toes of my trainers get wet when I walk home across the grass instead of the footpath. Small things but it built from there.
Instantly subscribed to you! Looking forward to reading more :)
Ive been a writer all my life. I worked for many years as a story consultant and film journalist I’ve had fiction published in prestigious literary journals. I taught story structure for years. I wrote about dog training for the years I earned my living that way. I write songs and now I’m getting back into writing a couple of projects via the lens of my newly reborn identity as a lover of Kpop and Korea. I came across your version of this on YouTube. It was a casual click because it just showed up on my feed and Murakami is in my wheelhouse.
I stopped to come here and tell you of all the advice I’ve ever given or received or seen about writing, aside from reading and rereading, this is all a writer needs. You don’t have to subscribed back or any of that jazz. I just hope somebody takes your advice to heart. It will save them time and suffering and will, in fact, make them a writer whose work people will want to read.
That’s why I start by meditating into any pain, ache or tension in my body. Afterward I write about the feeling or the message I received. I always have so much to write about. Plus it is soothing. It has healed me.
Found your Substack through your YouTube video on this topic and I loved both! As someone who started taking journaling more seriously last year, I always thought I was doing it “wrong” by writing about what was happening in my day to day life rather than jumping straight into deep introspection. But the way you explained it really resonated and helped me understand my own process! By documenting my life, I naturally end up exploring those deeper inner topics over time. And in turn some of those journal entries turned into Substack essays too. Thank you for sharing
I started journaling like this last year and it made me more consistent with journaling. I approach as more of a memory/recordkeeping exercise. Some days my inner feelings tumble out and other days it’s just a record of the day but both feel productive and helpful.
Reading this almost feels like a permission has been granted to write about the early morning moonrise or the red robin I saw in the garden, the bland lunch I had - all mundane individually but that make up moments of my day to day living. My journal is never near me when I have profound thoughts and when I do have it close to hand those very thoughts elude me. But with this perspective I will be jotting down more of the physical and wait for the profound to drop:)
"Reading this almost feels like a permission has been granted to write about the early morning moonrise,,,"
What a beautiful image this sentence evokes!
Kudos for such a beautiful piece of writing.
Excellent piece. I'm going to try this. I tend to be an emotional journal writer, going to the page when I have big feelings, but in retrospect these entries are not helpful in identifying patterns, etc. They're just testaments, not entirely unhelpful, but not doing the long term consistent work I've always wanted from my journaling. Thanks for sharing this!
Hmmm. True. You need to write the good, the bad and the ugly in your journal. In that way, you're reflecting. You're journaling to understand yourself.
Love this article (and I love Haruki Murakami's work, particularly his book 'about' running, too!) - for me, I usually start a journal entry with an interesting, often thought-provoking quote or article I've come across, either that day or towards the end of the day before. It's often a good way to get something started, to get my thoughts flowing and to avoid that blank page syndrome. Thought I'd share! ❤️
Thank you for sharing this today. I was struggling with a question about journaling—where,when, how as it applies to me and my life. I loved the gas station example—that is IT exactly. My how.
What I’ve been trying to figure out is WHEN to journal. If I use that energy in the morning, I can’t work on my book. I can’t go back -to -back like that. I’m winded. I need recovery time.
But working on my book in the evening lacks the spark that I have at the start of a new day, my mind cleared of debris, quiet, ready.
In the evening I am teeming with the day, exhaustion, thrumming with unspent emotion, and of course competing duties : dinner-kids-my homework-downtime.
Your example of H’s observance helps me see that I can combine two things. Wind down and doing my morning pages— but at night. This can also become an effective way to draw a line between me and my phone and the tv and the world. I can then slip into bed, spent and open to the book I’m reading.
Thank you so much for this post.
As a lifetime morning journaler going through evolutionary pains, your comments on the morning/evening energy struggle mirrors mine. Thank you for putting it into words, and giving me a direction to ponder.
Thanks so much! I’ve been doing morning pages for nearly 50 years & this is a reminder the only way in is around.
I enjoyed this post and I also enjoy reading Murakami. When I first started journaling- I treated it like I was supposed to have so many insights and so many interesting things to write and when I didn’t, it felt defeating. After a while, I realized I put too much meaning behind journaling and treated it just as an empty page. An empty parking lot. If I had something to write, great, if not. The date will suffice and just a word or sentence can be thrown in if there was one.
nicely said. i often struggle with the mundanity of journalling because i think i idealise it a lot. but i'm always happy to look back on what i've written. mostly i write when i'm sad or stressed so the happy events barely get mentioned.
Another insight I found about journaling is how my handwriting changes. That says so much more than what I’m actually writing. It expresses the emotion you I’m deeply feeling in the moment. If I’m in a hurry. If it’s the first thing I’ve written this morning. Even writing in sadness or writing in madness. Writing with a glass of wine. It says so much more…. Focus on your handwriting and you’ll be able to see so much more.
Your opening comments reminded me of a guy I had been dating for over a year who broke up with me while we were sitting in his car. It was 25 years ago and I still recall feeling both emotionally upset about the break up and somewhat safe in the confines of the vehicle. I hadn’t thought about the implications of sitting side by side rather than face to face. Thankfully I had driven myself to the event we had attended and drove myself home. I certainly appreciated that he was respectful to talk to me rather than sending an email, calling or ghosting me, which I have experienced from others.
I've been broken up with in a car too. I honestly found the experience to be much better because I was less self-conscious about being observed while being sad. I could process it and not have to worry about how I looked because they weren't looking at me.
So yeah, it really does help. Still hurts though (all breakups do). Anyway, thanks for reading and sharing your experience.
This was a great way to frame writing more deeply! Definitely something I need to keep in mind as I begin my own journaling
Beautifully written a really interesting insight into an author that is on my to read list this year.
I picked up journaling for the first time ever this year. It was weird at first, I felt a reluctance to put pen to paper as if someone was watching me over my shoulder. Part of me felt scared that I would write something that future me would read and feel sad about. It was a weird feeling. Instead I started writing about small things I noticed, an unseen flock of birds chirping in the trees as I left work. Pink sunsets. How the toes of my trainers get wet when I walk home across the grass instead of the footpath. Small things but it built from there.
Instantly subscribed to you! Looking forward to reading more :)
Truth seems to arrive when we stop trying to face it directly.
Ive been a writer all my life. I worked for many years as a story consultant and film journalist I’ve had fiction published in prestigious literary journals. I taught story structure for years. I wrote about dog training for the years I earned my living that way. I write songs and now I’m getting back into writing a couple of projects via the lens of my newly reborn identity as a lover of Kpop and Korea. I came across your version of this on YouTube. It was a casual click because it just showed up on my feed and Murakami is in my wheelhouse.
I stopped to come here and tell you of all the advice I’ve ever given or received or seen about writing, aside from reading and rereading, this is all a writer needs. You don’t have to subscribed back or any of that jazz. I just hope somebody takes your advice to heart. It will save them time and suffering and will, in fact, make them a writer whose work people will want to read.
That’s why I start by meditating into any pain, ache or tension in my body. Afterward I write about the feeling or the message I received. I always have so much to write about. Plus it is soothing. It has healed me.