Looking through the blog of one of my inspirations (Alex Elle, as mentioned in a past post), I ran across this journal-writer and creator who blogs under the name: vagabroadjournals.
This was the very first post I read of her's, and reading it opened my eyes to what journaling really is all about. This post, and many others answers Q&As as to why people give excuses for not keeping a journal. She teaches the reason why EVERYONE has something to write about, and a reason to document their lives. Her writings have made my mentality do a 360.
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| Source: vagabroadjournals |
I'm now on page 28 of her blog, and page 10 of my own journal I've only started two days ago. That's mind-blowing for me, because I am one of those people who has dozens of unfinished journals and notebooks. Many of them with majority of the pages ripped out because I felt what I wrote was "flawed" or not "perfect" enough.
Penmanship was too sloppy, wasn't aligned right, I didn't sound deep, I had nothing to write about and was just wasting time and ink... Those types of thoughts ran through my mind every time I tried journaling. I felt defeated before I finished the first word of every entry.
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| Source: vagabroadjournals |
But not only were her persuasive words able to let me accept myself by letting go of the little things, but I've also started to think outside the box. Something I've always had trouble doing.
I always stay inside the lines. Always follow exactly and can't think of any variation to what I'm told. But seeing her doodles and cover work made me illustrate as I journaled for the first time ever in my 22 years of life. I've drawn several doodles since then and each time I draw, write outside the lines, scratch out words, and change pen colors, I feel soooo good. It feels so good to find something I'm able to be so free-spirtied with!
She was able to push more out of me than a Wreck This Journal has ever been able to. And I became quite disappointed in how hard it was for me to feel what everyone else was raving about, when destroying their journals. Now I feel it though. And it's a beautiful feeling-- probably what helped me write ten pages in two days.
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| Source: vagabroadjournals |
One last thing I loved reading from her was how she recognized how much social media has engulfed us. She makes it clear that she's human too, and has to stay aware of what she's doing in order to rewire herself into not taking pictures of everything and sharing her whereabouts every time she leaves her doorstep.
We post every little thing about our lives but never make time for ourselves. Not everything is worth sharing, and sometimes it's good to step back and away from social media to get to know yourself.
It all-of-a-sudden made sense why blogging was rough for me. All these post felt forced and once I published them, I still felt off and unsatisfied. I've realized it's because I wasn't posting for me. I was doing tags and what other bloggers do and in a rush. I never enjoyed the content I wrote. There was no passion behind a lot of the posts I did. And now it has clicked. It all clicked thanks to this woman.
I'd highly recommend checking her out. Maybe you'll grow, too.
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