why we journal

Here it is! Our first post on Fine Print Journaling. We are so excited to be starting this journey with you! We hope that you will laugh, explore, and feel inspired by each visit to FPJ.

Why do you journal? What interests you in writing about daily events, dreams, thoughts, ideas, troubles, people, work, love, hate, exercise, animals, food, travel, (and on and on and on)? Why write? Why not just think it and let it go?

We journal for a many reasons, but our top 5 include:

Revisiting the moment: When captivated by a moment – a moment of joy, anger, confusion, awkwardness, whatever – journaling allows that moment to be captured in time. Detailing the scene, the emotions, and the story let us come back to that moment as often as we’d like.
Introspection: We are constantly immersed in media telling us what to think, what to feel, and what to do in order to be the best. Journaling provides us the platform to write those same directions, but from our point of view, from our experience, and exclusive to our lives. This enables us to explore, within our silo, what really matters to us. We are individual souls, absolutely unique and unable to be duplicated. Recognizing our irreplaceability within our world, writing what we think, feel, and do, show us that we are already the best. Our best. As individuals with individual definitions of what “best” means today – a definition that may be different tomorrow.
Clarity: Who? What? When? Where? Why? Journaling the questions and brainstorming ideas in writing brings us closer to the answer we’re looking for.
Reminders: Journaling reminds us of what we set out to do. Whether it’s to reexamine a career choice or to drink more water, journaling embeds memory jogs that help us to focus. Sometimes, a journal entry is simply a to-do list. Sometimes it’s a to-done list.
Creative Outlet: Journaling, for us, is fun! We can doodle, draw, sketch, list, color code, write curvy, write sideways, fill the page, use whitespace, rhyme, wish, dream big, dream small, set goals, discard goals, use big words, use small words, use made-up words… there is no right way to journal. Do your own thing and let the process be what it will.

Why do you journal? We love reading what inspires you!