How Do You Finish Off Your Journal?

[HDoug]

When I run out of pages I start a new one. But I use a convention that has me write a "farewell" on the last page of the journal which attempts a synopsis of the volume and where I am in general. I also write a "greeting" on the first page of every journal. The idea is that if any particular journal is the only one that "survives," these opening and closing statements might give readers an idea of the context of volume within the writer's life.

 

Doug

[Bookman]

I don't do anything special to sign-off on a journal. And my first entry in a new one simply picks up where the last entry left off, as seemlessly as possible. I've begun a new volume at midday. One way or another, when I'm done with a volume I'm done. But I haven't made it to the end of a volume—casebound, side-wirebound, whatever—since Thursday, 26 January 2012. That's a long story about my overriding preference to journal in casebound volumes rather than wirebound notebooks or on loose paper, my increasing persnicketiness, ever-evolving likes and dislikes, the limited market, the correlation between price and the strength of my reluctance to experiment, volume sizes, construction quality, paper, etc. I hope against hope that after I've abandoned a volume for cause I'll change my mind and go back to it; and so I never sign-off on an abandoned volume. Once or twice, when the paper wasn't the offender, I cut the remaining sheets—using a Scotch-brand tool Mrs. Bookman uses to cut wrapping paper—and repurposed them.

Edited January 11, 2015 by Bookman

[bogiesan]

I fill a notebook and just move on to the next. Start and retirement dates in the front matter and on the edge and I put a label on the spine. I'm on #40. I get 2-4 months out of a pocket-sized notebook. I only use the recto side of each leaf; the data density is far lower so I can find stuff easily and I don't care about bleed or showthrough.

 

As others have mentioned, the purpose of a journal is not to leave a legacy, although you can write as if the world or your family cares. One keeps a journal to write. About anything. Or nothing. Carry it everywhere.

Writing separates us from lower life forms.

Use your pens.

Use your inks.

Doodle.

Zentangle.

Draft letters.

Sketch.

Attend diary-keeping, journalling, poetry, letter-writing, or creative writing classes and workshops.

Ask friends and family to gift your favorite notebooks instead of ties and silly toys for your birthday.

[Citygirl]

I just keep a running one; A5 Leuchtturm lined books. Then I've assorted pocket-sized Moleskine, Leuchtturm and Clairefontaine notebooks for all sorts of comments; spleen-venting and downright abuse. Such fun. Recently I've set up a Fenner Midori-style pocket leather cover with three Moleskine Cahieres in but as yet not many words.

Think I'll get a pen one day...

 

Do you keep your venting and abuse notebooks? I have one I have written some really personal stuff in it and I am debating on throwing it away in case it gets seen but then again I also want to keep it. So far its not been seen

 

As for finishing journals, I used to start a new one in a new year but now I just finish one and start another. I am eager to get my current one full as I have a lovely Paperblanks one waiting to be started.

[SaintLoup]

My journals (at the moment a Midori MD) are mostly notes on books I'm reading. I use a table of contents to make sure I know on what page I had whatever seemingly crucial insight about whatever I'm reading, and file away my journal, dated, when it's all filled up. Moreover, I usually do quotes from texts in red ink, commentary in blue or blue black. Because some of the quotes are very long, I find I can go through 4 or so journals in a year.

 

Confession: I am not above stapling loose paper to relevant pages in my journal. Sometimes you read a book more than once, and isn't it better to have all of those thoughts in one place? Isn't it?

[Ink Blotto]

I fill them up. The dates covered is written on the first page, plus I've been sequentially numbering them. I write a bit at the end describing the next journal, such as, "Journal number 3 is a black A5 Leuchtturm."

[PAKMAN]

 

Bet your life is more interesting than you realize. Sometimes you have to look at old things with new eyes. Ask new questions - of yourself and of Life.

Not sure what you include in your writing and you can put anything you want in there. Keep in mind that it's your journal and you are free to write anything - even if it's not true!!

 

Practice being fictional for a while.

I am doing better for 2015 up to 10 pages for 12 days, much better than usual! As an engineer I often just stick to the facts of the day and don't philosophize too much and rarely delve into fictional info. But you are right! I can get wild and crazy, who knows I might even write some poetry!

[BillZ]

Most of the time I just fill them up and start a new one no matter the timing. But I don't like leaving empty pages at the end. It somehow feels wasteful.

[Gloucesterman]

I am doing better for 2015 up to 10 pages for 12 days, much better than usual! As an engineer I often just stick to the facts of the day and don't philosophize too much and rarely delve into fictional info. But you are right! I can get wild and crazy, who knows I might even write some poetry!

 

Let it flow!!!!!!!!!!

 

Okay, so you are an engineer. Go back and read some Bucky Fuller! he was an engineer who had better sight capabilities than most people with "normal" sight.

 

Pick something you like and write about it from an engineering perspective. keep delving down, deeper and deeper into it. Get to the molecular level and keep going. What do you see? There is nothing but space among those molecules. Check out some quantum physics. Let's get as many brain synapses and dendrites firing as possible!

 

You might want to check out a book called, "The Holographic Universe" by Michael Talbot. Although it's 25 years old, it has some amazing information and much of it is offered (imho) from a scientific perspective.

 

You may even want to consider writing in your journal as a multi-sensory experience and become aware of what is actually happening - the FULL experience, when we write!

 

Didn't mean to go off on a rant. Sometimes I get carried away thinking about all the amazing things we do (as human beings) and just take it all for granted!

 

My advice, start simple and small and "Let It Grow"! Enjoy!

 

I think it was Bob Dylan who said, "If you aren't busy growing you're busy dying." Hence... "Let's Grow!"

-S-

[thatotherguy1]

I've been working on the journal I'm on now since March 2013... I know. At that point I did about three quarters of a page max, and that wasn't anywhere near every day. I still don't remember to write every day, but the entry I wrote today was six pages. Ever since I got heavily into fountain pens and realized I couldn't use them in this notebook (poor quality paper) I started doing three, four, five page entries with pencil or ballpoint (egad!) just to use more of the journal up in a shorter amount of time. I'm a little over halfway through now. I've actually had a really nice looking Paperblanks and two Rhodia staplebounds waiting for me to use them since early November. I just have to fight my hand cramps through this one...

My life is far from interesting. If someone was to read my journal like a novel it would put them to sleep. For example, I regularly spend a page or more rambling about the writing instrument of the day. I just ramble on about whatever's on my mind. I find it helps me sleep at night- if I write about something in my journal that I want to forget about, I can. I've had things that were stuck in my head for weeks and as soon as I wrote it down it left my mind. It's a very nice feeling.

ETA- It looks like citygirl and I have pretty much the exact same journaling habits. Funny coincidence

Edited January 20, 2015 by thatotherguy1

[PerryJ]

I just keep writing until it's full then start a new one regardless of the date.

[FountainPages]

I also never waste paper, it is too dear. I finish the journal when the paper is done then start anew with a fresh book. Doesn't matter the date or year.

[The Good Captain]

As for finishing off one volume: well I have been known to come to the end of the last page before that particular day's entry is over and done. So I just carry on, on the first page of the next book. Works for me.

[VivienR]

Not care about the years, write till almost full, than start a new one. Usually write the date in the start.

[ThePrecursor]

Not a fan of wasting expensive paper, so I keep writing until the journal is full and then start the next.