Dear Diary
How a Reluctant Journal Keeper Found Joy in Creative Notebooks - with a Little Help from Fine Folks here at Substack!
Good afternoon, dear readers.
Do you keep a journal? I wrote in a diary, on and off, for decades, commencing in my twenties. My bookshelves groan with the weight of tattered, half-filled notebooks, mocking me for my dereliction. I was nothing if not inconsistent. I’d begin journaling, penning an entry a day faithfully for several weeks, then I’d abandon the process, only to start and stop again a few months later. When Julia Cameron’s popular book The Artist’s Way, emerged in 1992, I signed on to write morning pages. Cameron espouses writing three pages each morning of random ephemera. I scribbled out morning pages every day for several weeks. While the morning page methodology proved to be revelatory for many, it did work for me. When writing or drawing, I prefer to tackle a specific idea or concept. I have never lacked for ideas. Producing reams of material, with no specific intent, then having to sort through it, I found the process monotonous and overwhelming. I appreciate that Cameron’s method works for many, if not most, people. If you love to write morning pages, keep going! It is just, this method, it is NOT for me. We tap into our creative potential in varying ways.
I did not wish to abandon journaling as a practice. I could see the potential benefits. I love making lists. I love writing longhand. I love keeping chronologies of events. This year, after eons of frustrating stops and starts, I developed a methodology that works. Rather than keeping a single journal, instead, I created five separate notebooks dedicated to individual topics of interest. I know, this sounds complicated, laborious, time consuming. It isn’t. Let me explain. Each notebook requires minimal upkeep, as little as two to five minutes per day to maintain (though you can spend more time if you wish to. The goal, if any, is to have fun with this).
My notebooks as listed include a commonplace book, a food journal, a music journal, a book journal, and a general notebook.
While creating and maintaining separate notebooks was my idea, I did not arrive at the maxim alone. I drew inspiration from favourite content creators here at Substack.
It is only right to acknowledge these fine folks, all formidable writers I respect and admire (see below).
Commonplace Book - Beginning in January 2026, I joined Common Place Book Club, hosted by the incomparable, Jillian Hess (Noted). Each day, I select a quote and enter it into my commonplace book. This affords me the opportunity to delve into the philosophies and methodologies of my favourite thinkers. My CB has been a balm, a source of uplift, an invitation to quiet contemplation.
Food Journal - From Claire Ruston, of Auntie Bulgaria’s Kitchen I learned to keep a food journal. I am an enthusiastic home cook. I love to try new recipes. The problem is, I do not always remember which dishes are standouts. Jotting down what I eat in a day solved the problem (I put an asterisk beside favourite dishes, and I record where the recipe came from so I can find it again). Additionally, keeping a food journal helps me maintain sensible eating habits. I can see by my daily intake whether or not my diet is balanced. I am less likely to stuff potato chips down my gaping maw if I write it down and, therefore, must bear witness to my debauchery. Claire has her own reasons for keeping a food journal that differ from mine. This is incidental . I LOVE her idea. I record my daily physical activity in this notebook also. If this sounds like too much work, I can tell you that jotting down my meals takes maybe 2 to 5 minutes, tops. I have improved my diet and increased my activity levels as a result of upholding this nominal practice.
Betty-Ann Lampman, a monumentally talented artist (two of her exquisite portraits grace the walls of our abode), author of Feed the Monster (an aesthetically gorgeous newsletter) writes of the benefits on keeping a creative notebook Also, among B.A.s posts you’ll find tons of invaluable tips on journaling! Go subscribe right now. You will not regret it.
Book and Film Journal - I record notes on films and TV I have watched and books I have read or intend to read. I used to use Goodreads app to track reads, but the site gives me the ick. I disdain the site’s prompts to participate in reading challenges. I am irked by errant trolls and their dismissive, unqualified, and cruel “reviews” dismissing talented authors. Setting a goal of the number of books I want to read in a year made reading feel mechanical and soulless. I prefer to take my time with a novel. I do not wish to be goal oriented in my favourite pastime. I use Letterboxd to record my movie watching, but I like to keep the journal as back up.
Music Journal - I have begun keeping a music journal wherein, I record the names of albums and artists I listen to each day. This has enabled me to create a permanent, searchable record of my favourite music. In writing about my favourite songs, I develop improved understanding my own evolving musical landscape. See below for further details. I hope you’ll join our listening party!
Everything Journal - Finally, I keep a general notebook for writing down appointments and ideas that do not fall under the purview of the previous four categories.
Keeping individual notebooks, devoted to specific topics, made it easy for me to catalogue and track my interests in an organized manner. This has enhanced my creativity and saved time. No longer do I have to sort through reams and reams of paper to find notes on the album I wrote about, or that dish I cooked six months ago I vaguely remember. I refer, chronologically, to the applicable notebook and I can find my selection instantly. I can expound on individual topics because I have room to do so if I wish (my music journal is organically evolving into a memoir of sorts, a happy accident), or I can keep my entries brief. My general notebook, a container devoted to thoughts and ideas separate from those listed above, is no longer a source of overwhelm and thus, is easier to refer to.
Another Substack creator, of whom you are probably aware, if you have been on Substack for any length of time, is Austin Kleon. His profile contains entire sections on notebook keeping. Kleon’s account is justifiably popular (I am a paid subscriber). He has written a trilogy of books, commencing with Steal Like an Artist, that are additionally helpful and inspiring. Check out the profile here and subscribe.
My method is perhaps not for everyone, though I am having an absolute blast. I am interested to hear from you, dear reader. Do you keep a journal or notebook? Are you consistent? Do you write morning pages? Does anyone keep separate notebooks such as I do. Are you hyper analytical and thus keep a bullet journal? (way too complicated for me, but if you do so I’m impressed!). Let me know what you think in the comments.
Stay tuned for the next installment of Dinner and a Movie and for semi-regular updates on Listening Party, which I hope shall become a world wide movement. Until then, take care! Thanks so much for being here. xoxo
wow, you keep a lot of books going, just reading about it and thinking of maintaining all that made me feel a bit crazy. Like I might have to go knock over a bank or something. I've had writing books for decades. I stumble on them and find the embryo's of songs, the skeleton of a spoken word piece I did decades ago, a travel journal from a trip. Some mediocre writing inspired by the sublime writing of Raymond Carver. At some point, when I started drawing again, they started to evolve into sketchbooks with very little writing except set lists. Being in proximity to BA and being a guinea pig for many months for her journaling workshop slowly changed the nature of these sketchbooks and they have mutated into a mix of pretty much everything. Writing, drawing, and the recording of events and thoughts. But there is no routine, no habit. Just me being a roman candle.
I should consider writing only for myself. LOL. Thanks for the good suggestions.