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It’s a tactile means of finding your inspiration and unleashing creativity within.
There are many reasons to pick up your trusty journal. Do you want to start a rant in order to work through a problem? Confide a secret thought or desire? Jot down an exciting adventure in your travel journal? Or work on your latest short story or poem. Whatever your reason, the tool you pick up matters when it comes to finding your inspiration and unleashing creativity. The journal you choose is as personal as your reasons for wanting to use it.
In a somewhat sad trend, many people have bypassed the handwritten medium and gone straight to their computer. There are valid reasons to do this. For example, they may be able to get their thoughts out faster with their keyboard. But the bright light cast on the face and clicky-clack of the keys can be an unwelcome, and somewhat cold, distraction. It can, depending on the circumstances, even work against the reason a person is journaling in the first place. Like spending more than I expected to on a glass of wine, writing in my journal is as much of an experience as a destination.
Not wanting to downplay anyone's method of creation, however, I merely want to extol the virtues of a handwritten journal. And there are many. Portability is the first. It is slim, elegant, and can be carried to many places. Nature's grandeur is one example. There is nothing like pausing at the top of a long hike, dirty and proud, and jotting some notes about the beauty that surrounds you (as well as the feelings you have at such an accomplishment). As you hike down the mountain, experiencing new and gorgeous sights, the things you paused to note, quite possibly, could be forgotten by the time your hiking boots are pulled off and your shower ends.
And please don't forget the sensory experience. Have you ever heard a song and been transported back to a special moment in your life? Or smelled something and had the busy street around you melt away as you find yourself back in your mom's kitchen? The same thing happens when I pull my handcrafted journal out of my bag and pause for a moment to run my hands over the supple texture of the leather. My creative juices are sparked by smelling the fine leather as I write and it adds a depth and complexity to my writing that I find difficult to achieve at my computer.
Slowing down and taking note is as much about the how as the why. And as small as it may seem, these things are important in helping me actively cherish my life and adventures. For these reasons, I have found my writing journal to be my favorite tool in finding my inspiration and unleashing my creativity!
Our thanks go out to Maggie for sharing her inspiring story. If you would like to contribute to our growing collection of informative blog posts, please contact us at info@epica.com