I have kept diaries and journals ever since I read Louise Fitzhugh's Harriet the Spy but each of those has ended the same. I would re-read them, be mortified by my relentless and boring complaints or grievances and either shred them or burn them. I started this journal back in January of this year and only add something when inspired to do so. I love having just a few words and something visual along with the entry.
4 comments:
I am that way about my old journals too! Yesterday I was looking at two of my old Pehhaligon books of days that I had in high school. I was mortified by what I written in them, but I still loved the pictures and bits of poetry in them so I've been trying to figure out a way to reuse them.
Mostly I just keep the bits of my journals that describe my childhood, for some reason those are always the entries that seem to hold up over time.
Love this. Actually I threw out a travel diary I wrote in my early 20's as was so mortified by it when I opened the first page. But should have used it like this, just in fragments....
Love this. So simple & poignant.
I am SO glad I hung on to my diaries. They're mortifying, don't let me kid ya. I've even written (not so artistically) and painted over one in hopes of hiding the horrible use-it-against-me-in-court content. But a funny thing happened recently: I went back and revisited the past almost-20 years of writing with the intention of shredding and/or recycling into art and I wasn't mortified. Like, at all. In fact, I was charmed by a lot of it. So, for now, they stay locked away in my closet. And a bonus: I've started writing more frequently again.
What a good idea! (And I'm like you about not wanting to keep the old ones. Now I try to keep out anything too personal, that seems to help.)
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